In the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG), we are looking for a talented and motivated PhD student for the development and evaluation of electrocatalysts’ performance and degradation for CO2 and CO conversion in Protonic Ceramic Electrochemical Cells (PCECs). PCECs have the capability of operating at the industrially attractive intermediate temperature range of operation (350-600 °C), enabling the direct production of CH4, higher hydrocarbons (C2, and C3), and alcohols, besides syngas. These emerging technologies hold significant potential for advancing power-to-X (P2X) applications and enabling chemical process electrification and intensification. One of the main challenges is, however, to substantially increase the efficiency and stability of the existing processes through the development of electrocatalytically active and durable materials for electrodes, as well as to deeply understand the pathways of the involved reactions. The PhD project will be part of the HyCarb consortium (https://groenvermogennl.org/en/project/hycarb-hydrogen-and-green-electrons-for-carbon-based-chemistry/) of the National Growthfund GroenvermogenNL. This unique consortium connects 16 knowledge organisations, including 9 universities, and 30 companies—23 clean-tech firms and 7 industrial end-users, covering the entire value chain. 

A 48 months vacancy for a PhD position is available in the group of Prof. Dr. Talitha L. Feenstra, Professor in PharmacoEconomics at the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen. We offer a stimulating research environment in the field of health economic evaluation and health technology assessment.

The position is part of MS-RADAM (“MultiScale phenomena in RAdiation DAMage”), a European Doctoral Network project funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme. The project brings together leading academic and industrial partners from eight European countries (Germany, France, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark and Georgia) to train a new generation of interdisciplinary researchers.

MS-RADAM aims to advance the understanding of key radiation-induced biodamage phenomena at the nano- and larger scales, with applications in particle therapy, radiotherapy, and radioprotection. These include the formation of DNA strand breaks by ionising radiation, DNA repair, radiosensitisation by metal nanoparticles, cell survival and radioresistance.

The MS-RADAM research programme combines state-of-the-art computational multiscale modelling (using DFT/TDDFT methods, collision theory, molecular dynamics, stochastic dynamics, Monte Carlo and analytical methods) and its thorough validation using advanced experimental techniques (such as mass spectrometry, electron microscopy, radiochemistry and radiobiology experiments with biomolecular and biological systems such as oligonucleotides, DNA origami, radiosensitising nanoparticles, living cells and multicellular targets).