Doctoral fellow

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

The Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN) group of Ghent University welcomes a candidate for a full time PhD position on evaluating the sustainability and circularity of innovative waste tyre recycling. The PhD student will be appointed within the framework of the MOONSHOT project “RUB-UP” (Advanced recycling of waste tyres via devulcanization and chemical valorization for sustainable material recovery) funded by Flanders innovation & entrepreneurship (VLAIO), under the supervision of Prof. Pieter Nachtergaele and Prof. Jo Dewulf. Apart from the STEN group, the LCT group of Ghent University and the cMACS group of KULeuven are partners in the project.

Currently, waste tyres in Belgium are mostly cycled through mechanical recycling. In this process, steel and textiles are first removed and afterwards, the rubber is ground into small granules. These particles are mainly used in applications such as sport infrastructure and asphalt modification. The downcycling of this material limits its potential for reuse, fails to exploit its economic and functional value and poses a potential risk to humans and the environment due to the release of carcinogenic substances (e.g., polyaromatic hydrocarbons). In 2023, the European Union imposed a ban on the utilization of rubber granules for the above-mentioned applications. As a result, waste tyre recycling processes need to be completely reinvented, including environmentally friendly and circular strategies to enhance their overall environmental sustainability and economic feasibility compared to current practices.

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.

YOUR TASKS

In your PhD, you will assist in guiding the development and upscaling of the RUB-UP technology, specifically through the evaluation and optimization of the environmental sustainability, economic feasibility and circularity of this innovative process. Tasks within the PhD are:

• Mapping the entire value chain for recycling waste tyres within RUB-UP
• Construct mass and energy balances for the RUB-UP technology supported by chemical engineering and process simulation
• Prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) specifically focused on climate change, resource use, human toxicity and freshwater ecotoxicity
• Techno-economic assessment (TEA)
• Circularity assessment (CA)

You will work in close collaboration with your promotors, other STEN colleagues, and partners of the RUB-UP consortium.

The scientific findings should lead to publications in international peer reviewed journals and should be presented at international conferences. The final goal is a PhD thesis in which the scientific findings will be combined.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Candidates are expected to have a chemical engineering background and/or affinity with chemical process modelling. Affinity with assessment methodologies such as life cycle assessment, techno-economic assessment and circularity assessment is also relevant. We are looking for candidates with a critical and analytical attitude and a sense of initiative.
Other profile requirements:

• You hold a master's degree in chemical engineering, bioscience engineering, civil engineering or equivalent.
• The degree requirements must be met at the start of the appointment.
• You have an interest in scientific research.
• You can operate both independently and in a multidisciplinary team.
• You have organizational/managerial skills and are highly motivated.
• You have good writing and presentation skills.
• You master the English language, written and orally, in an academic context.
• Having experience with quantitative and/or qualitative research is essential.

Additional plus points:

• You have experience with process modelling software (e.g., Aspen Plus).
• You have experience with LCA software such as SimaPro, openLCA, etc.
• You have experience with the development and comparison of different value chain scenarios.

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 01/04/2026, 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 several 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?

Send your cv, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession), a motivation letter and the contact details of at least one reference person (phone number and/or email address) to jordy.motte@ugent.be before 15 February 2026. The file names must have the following format: Type of document_First Name_Last Name.docx (e.g., CV_Jordy_Motte.docx).

We do not accept late applications.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Ir. Jordy Motte (jordy.motte@ugent.be) or Prof Pieter Nachtergaele (Pieter.Nachtergaele@UGent.be).