PhD or PostDoc Position on Climate Impacts of Novel Aeroengine Technologies

Challenge: Evaluate the climate impacts of disruptive aircraft engine technologies via numerical studies.
Change: Improve the understanding of the climate impact of multi-fuel combustion systems.
Impact: Accelerating the development of ultra-efficient, low-emission, and quiet aircraft technologies.

The aviation industry has been growing rapidly until the COVID-19 pandemic. The ICAO Post-COVID-19 forecasts indicate that aviation will recover with an average growth rate of 3.6%. Air traffic growth inevitably causes an increase in aviation's combustion emissions, hence aggravating aviation's environmental and societal impacts locally and globally. Depending on your seniority, you will conduct research into the climate impact of disruptive aircraft engine technologies as a PhD candidate or a postdoctoral researcher working in the Horizon Europe HOPE (Hydrogen Optimised Multi-Fuel Propulsion System for Clean and Silent Aircraft). The goals for this position are to investigate the impact of emission change on climate effects from e.g., contrails, thereafter, to further develop the open-source climate model for evaluating multi-fuel aircraft engine technology. The feedback of which will be incorporated in engine design.

Yours being interdisciplinary research, you will regularly discuss and align your work with the European project partners, which include aerospace faculties, aviation research institutes, and engine manufacturers. Coaching bachelor and master students and supervising their projects is also part of your role. As a PhD candidate, you will receive all the training you need to develop yourself, while in the Postdoc position you will be preparing for your academic career and take on a more leading role in education, project coordination, and developing project proposals.

The Aircraft Noise and Climate Effects group will be your homebase. You will be joining our highly motivated, friendly, and supportive team of three Professors, three assistant Professors, two Postdocs and more than twenty PhD students. Ours is an open-minded, inspiring, and friendly atmosphere, in which you will be sharing ideas and knowledge. It is our mission to reduce the environmental impact of aviation, while improving safety and efficiency.

You thrive on developing complex mathematical models and analysing simulations that will demonstrably advance sustainable aircraft engine design. In your contacts with your colleagues and your project partners you put your communication skills to good use. And you enjoy mentoring and interacting with students, while growing your own skills and expertise.

You also have:

• An MSc (for the PhD position) or a PhD (for the Postdoc position) in a relevant subject, such as atmospheric sciences, (applied) physics, aerospace engineering, fluid mechanics, or mathematics.
• Excellent mathematical and analytical skills.
• Advanced programming skills.
• A keen interest in interdisciplinary research.
• An excellent command of English, as you’ll be working in an internationally diverse community and with international partners.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements .

For the PhD:

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1.5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2.5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € € 2.770,00 per month in the first year to € 3.539,00 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements .

For the Postdoc:

TU Delft offers Postdoc-candidates a 2-year contract, with a possibility for extension. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, salary range (based on scale 10) from  € 3.226,00 - € 5.090,00 per month gross).

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 250 PhD candidates and over 2,700 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

If you would like more information about this role, please contact Dr. Feijia Yin, ([email protected] ). 

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply before no later than 31 January 2024 via the application button and upload:

• Motivation letter.
• Detailed CV.
• Copies of your BSc and MSc degrees and transcripts.
• For the Postdoc position: copy of your PhD degree and transcript.
• At least two reference letters.
• (Optional) An abstract of your MSc (or PhD) thesis or a relevant scientific publication.

Please note:

• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.