Doctoral fellow

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

Doctoral fellow within the Marie-Curie Doctoral Network SCARPA
Today, fewer than 5% of shoes are recycled, despite growing awareness around sustainability and initiatives from leading brands. Tackling the sustainability challenges of the footwear industry is one of the most pressing and overlooked issues in today’s circular economy transition. SCARPA lays the foundations for a Circular Footwear Economy through a European Joint Doctoral Network that trains 15 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) to become a new generation of scientists, engineers, and policy makers. They will address the full life cycle of footwear — from design to processing, use, reuse, and recycling. Each DC, developing their research skills under the guidance of at least two academic supervisors and an industrial co-promoter, represents a crucial piece of the puzzle. Together, they form a collaborative network that challenges conventional thinking and proposes innovative, system-based solutions to drastically increase material reuse rates in the footwear sector.

YOUR TASKS

You will develop new physicochemical processes for footwear recycling. The starting point are shoes containing combinations of condensation and crosslinked polymers, and the main idea is to use a minimal amount of solvents and reagents to get a maximum amount of (pure) polymers and monomers from the recycling process. As chemical interactions are relevant for both dissolution as well as depolymerisation/decrosslinking focus is on the interaction between solvents and reagents with the different polymers and chemical bonds present in footwear. This PhD topic will combine COSMO-RS molecular models, with diffusion experiments, as well as kinetics of dissolution and reactions. Apart from the separation experiments, the DC will also develop analytical procedures to follow the process. In case possible, a last chapter would focus on the downstream process engineering of the polymer/monomer purification steps.
The main objectives are:

• To gain physicochemical insights in the interaction between polymers present in footwear and solvents/reagents
• To optimize suitable analytics to follow the physicochemical recycling process
• To create energy efficient dissolution and low-temperature depolymerization pathways for high quality footwear recycling , including downstream processing to remove impurities from the polymer/monomer

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Environmental engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related fields.
• Compliant with MSCA mobility rule: not have resided or carried out your main activity (work/study) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to recruitment.
  The ideal candidate has a background in polymer recycling and material characterization
• Background on polymers/polymer recycling is a plus, but not an absolute requirement.
• In general, you want to apply fundamental knowledge in a societal context.
• You are at home in a laboratory environment and analytical equipment.
• You are creative, open-minded and can work independently.
• You are also pragmatic and have a drive and curiosity for research.
• You are a team player with good social skills.
• You have good communication skills to explain a scientific topic to a layman. Good knowledge of English is a requirement.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on 01/01/2026 at the earliest.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED?

Apply via email to csc@lists.ugent.be by 31/10/2025. The subject of the email should be: [SCARPA] DC9 – Application YourName. You must attach the following documents:

• Your CV: your CV and an overview of your study results (merged into one pdf file)
• A Cover letter: your application letter in pdf format including your motivation to do a PhD and why this specific topic
• Transcript of the required degrees (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
• At least one recommendation letter (academic reference)

• A language certificate demonstrating knowledge on ERK level C1 (list of accepted tests and required results: https://www.ugent.be/en/work/talent/prooflanguagetest.htm.)

Late and incomplete submissions will not be considered.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.
For more information about the SCARPA doctoral network, please contact csc@lists.ugent.be. For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Steven De Meester (Steven.DeMeester@UGent.be)