PhD Student

Job description

The INCAT team at Ghent University (https://incat.ugent.be) is looking for a qualified and motivated candidate to pursue a Ph.D. in catalyst development and catalytic testing of lignin and its performance testing in lignin depolymerization.

INCAT aspires to advance the catalytic conversion of biomass-derived streams, focusing on their upgrading and separation into valuable chemicals, with a strong application-oriented goal. The group has extensive experience in the depolymerization and modification of lignin, utilizing advanced techniques to characterize lignin and its reaction products during depolymerization. Moreover, INCAT is pioneering novel analytical methods (e.g., 2D-LC, pyrolysis-GCxGC-MS) to enable even more comprehensive analyses.

Your research will focus on developing innovative catalysts for lignin depolymerization. Specifically, you will design, synthesize, and characterize novel heterogeneous catalysts, and evaluate their performance. The screening will cover both mild reductive and oxidative depolymerization, conducted in both batch and continuous-flow reactors. Additionally, you will perform detailed analyses of the resulting product pools. Following the initial screening, a more thorough investigation of the impact of operating conditions will be carried out on one or two of the most promising catalysts.

Job profile

• You must have distinguished yourself in your studies.
• You have strong experimental skills and are well organized.
• You are a team player and have strong communication skills.
• You preferably have experience in catalysis and/or catalyst development.
• Your English is good. Knowledge of Dutch is desirable.

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 1 December 2024 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 the Department of Personnel and Organization 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 (in Dutch).

How to apply

Send your CV, personal motivation letter, academic diplomas, certificate of knowledge of English language, knowledge of catalysis and/or catalyst development, and contact information of three reference persons, to An.Verberckmoes@ugent.be, indicating “Application: PhD in lignin depolymerization” in the subject.