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.

This position is in the Fluid Mechanics team of the Department of Electromechanical, Systems and Metal Engineering, within the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of Ghent University. The Fluid Mechanics team specializes in numerical simulation of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) with focus on the fluid mechanics. We couple computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to a structural solver and/or a controller for the detailed simulation of a machine. We develop quasi-Newton coupling algorithms for partitioned simulation of FSI, and we solve challenging FSI problems in the energy transition and in industry. This research is often in collaboration with another research group at Ghent University or an external project partner. The applications can be found in (airborne) wind energy, tube bundle vibrations, vibration due to multiphase flow, air jet weaving with supersonic flow, elastohydrodynamic lubrication and other phenomena in narrow gaps, blood flow in large arteries and the heart, and other cases.

YOUR TASKS

• You will be doctoral candidate (DC4) in the European Doctoral Network COMBINE. See https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/401249 for the common job offer for all DCs on Euraxess. Within the COMBINE project, a total of 17 PhD positions are available at the premises of 14 European institutions from academia and industry.
• You will spend the majority of your time on academic research in preparation of a doctoral dissertation on “Multi-fidelity aero-servo-elastic models for airborne wind energy”, focusing on the development and application of techniques for fluid-structure interaction combined with control for wind energy at high altitude.
• You will assist in the teaching activities at the department, specifically the discipline fluid mechanics and fluid machines and their numerical simulation.
• You will assist in the internal and external services of the department.
• You will participate in the training activities within the Doctoral Network COMBINE.
• You will spend 6 months in secondments at academic and industrial network partners.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold a degree of Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering, Computational Engineering, Wind Engineering or similar. The degree requirement needs to be fulfilled at the start of your appointment.
• You have already conducted research within the field of numerical modelling of wind in your master thesis.
• You have preferentially have experience with CFD tools using URANS turbulence models, hybrid turbulence models or scale resolving turbulence models and Chimera techniques for overlapping domains.
• You are interested in academic and/or project-based research and services.
• Any teaching experience or participation in extra training, conferences, etc. is recommended.
• You have excellent teaching and communication skills.
• You must satisfy the EU Mobility Rule. That is, you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host country (Belgium) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.

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 01/09/2026 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?

Send your cv, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession) and a motivation letter to annick.decoster@ugent.be.

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 prof. Joris Degroote (joris.degroote@ugent.be).