Doctoral student in chemical reaction engineering of CO2 Utilisation

Project description

Third-cycle subject: Chemical Engineering

KTH is leading the newly built research center ACCELERATE with aim to accelerate the transformation of the chemical industry. Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) is a novel track for producing chemicals while phasing-out fossil feedstocks. ACCELERATE gathers leading academics and industries that want join forces. Within this effort, this position will focus on the engineering, analysis, and optimization of catalytic reactors employing heterogeneous catalysts, with the aim of developing the next generation of reactors for CO₂ conversion.

Emphasis will be placed on understanding the underlying chemical transformations and improving reactor performance through both experimental studies and mathematical analysis/modeling. This includes analysis of reaction kinetics, and catalyst stability, transport phenomena etc. Experimental work will provide insights into catalyst behavior under realistic operating conditions, while modeling will support the design and optimization of advanced reactor concepts.

Supervision: Efthymios Kantarelis is proposed to supervise the doctoral student. Decisions are made on admission

What we offer

• The possibility to study in a dynamic and international research environment in collaboration with industries and prominent universities from all over the world.
• A workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement.
• A postgraduate education at an institution that is active and supportive in matters pertaining to working conditions, gender equality and diversity as well as study environment.
• Work and study in Stockholm, close to nature and the water.
• Guidance on relocating and settling in at KTH and in Sweden
• An opportunity to join the ACCELERATE research center, work with leading experts and contribute to creating knowledge that will change industry.
• The chance to integrate a network of leading academic and industry experts in Sweden and Europe

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master's degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

The candidate should have a background in Chemical Engineering, or equivalent field.More specifically, the candidate should have experience in catalytic reaction engineering (experimental and/or theoretical), catalyst characterization and mathematical modeling skills (e.g MATLAB, Julia, Python, FORTRAN etc.). The candidate should be able to handle practical problems and design, build, and work with experimental rigs related to catalytic reactions. Use of process simulation tools such as gPROMS, Aspen Plus or HYSYS is meritorious.

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6.

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• be genuinely interested in the science and engineering of chemical reactors,
• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyze and work with complex issues.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal skills. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. In the case of studies that are to be completed with a licentiate degree, the total period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.

Union representatives

Contact information for union representatives.

Doctoral section (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

Contact information for doctoral section.

To apply for the position

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Applications must include the following elements:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge. (Maximum 2 pages long).
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 1 page long)
• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages.Copies of originals must be certified.
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process.

It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant's consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.