PhD scholarship within MADE FAST – Integrating Sustainability into Technology Development at Grundfos

An Industrial PhD student position (3 years) is available at the Section of Engineering Design and Product Development, within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark. The project is carried out in the context of the MADE FAST programme, supported by the Innovation Fund Denmark (IFD), Grundfos and DTU.

Grundfos takes responsibility for contributing to global sustainability by pioneering technologies that improve quality of life for people and care for the planet. To this end, Grundfos would like to collaborate to devise a way to screen early technology developments, to assess their relative sustainability potential.

MADE, the Manufacturing Academy of Denmark, has recently started the FAST programme of 48 PhD students focused on sustainability and agility integration into manufacturing companies. The PhD student will work closely with the consortium partners and industrial stakeholders.

Responsibilities and qualifications
The project goals are to:

The PhD student will be responsible for working in close collaboration with Grundfos, focused on the achievement of two goals:

• Create a support to measure the sustainability performance of alternative product and production technology solutions for different application scenarios, based on life cycle screening data;
• Develop a support mechanism to aid trade-off decisions in the early stages of the technology development processes (related to sustainability and other key criteria, such as quality, cost and lead time).

The project is scoped at the early stages of the technology development process, and should consider the influence of materials, production processes and design choices on sustainability performance. The focus is on product and production technologies, specifically on the design of components e.g. rotor, stator and mechatronics (housing, materials and maybe electronics but excluding software).

Sustainability shall be measured based on life cycle screening, considering the uncertainty levels and available information in the early development stages. The proposed method/tool(s) shall be developed in an agile way, with co-development and testing cycles in the company. The tool shall have clear interface to other sustainability evaluation initiatives at the company (e.g. detailed LCA and Product Development Sustainability toolbox).

The research shall focus on a combination of relevant retrospective cases (incl. product and manufacturing technology) for the development of the tool, followed by an iterative approach for testing and enhancement based on on-going development projects. The proposed method/tool(s) should be applicable into other companies with similar characteristics. The candidate will publish his/her research results in international peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences and seminars.

Qualifications
The applicant should be highly motivated and hold a master’s degree preferably within the areas of material engineering, mechanical engineering, mechatronics engineering, aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, environmental engineering or similar.

Good command of written and spoken English and experience with industrial manufacturing companies and sustainability are required.

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Further qualifications

• Candidate must have knowledge of Product and production technologies
• Candidate must have knowledge in at least two of the following six fields: sustainable materials, life cycle assessment, sustainable design, decision-making processes, trade-off analysis and mechanical engineering.
• Excellent early achievement track record (publications, awards, conference presentations, etc.).
• Strong work ethics and motivation to succeed within a competitive research field.
• Team spirit and excellent collaboration skills.

Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see the DTU PhD Guide.

Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by Associate Professor Daniela C. A. Pigosso, Professor Tim McAloone, representants at Grundfos and the relevant PhD school at DTU.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here .

Further information
Further information may be obtained from Daniela C. A. Pigosso ([email protected] ).

You can read more about DTU Mechanical Engineering at www.mek.dtu.dk and https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/organisations/department-of-mechanical-engineering .  

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark.

Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 25 October 2021 (Danish time).

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply online", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma
• Excel sheet with translation of grades to the Danish grading system (see guidelines and Excel spreadsheet here )
• A scientifically written research proposal (incl. state-of-the-art, research gaps, objectives and envisaged research activities, including references) of maximum two pages.

You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

DTU Mechanical Engineering covers the fundamental engineering disciplines within Solid mechanics, Fluid mechanics, Coastal and Maritime Engineering, Energy systems and energy conversion, Materials and Surface Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering design and Product development. The department has a scientific staff of about 135 persons, 100 PhD students and a technical/administrative support staff of about 80 persons.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear vision to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That vision lives on today. DTU has 12,900 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.