The LUT School of Engineering Sciences is offering a fully funded doctoral student (junior researcher) position.

Position

The position is connected to the Systems and Engineering Science Doctorate (SEED) programme, which is a European MSCA programme running from 2023 to 2028. The programme will train 13 highly skilled doctoral candidates (DC). The candidates will receive strong guidance from two high-quality supervisors from universities and one expert from an industry company. The systematic secondment scheme builds on each DC having an academic secondment in an international university of high standing and excellence and a non-academic secondment in industry in Finland.

Job Description

Completion of the doctoral degree within four years
- doctoral dissertation includes typically 4 peer-reviewed publications on the research and the summary thesis on the work
- Complementary studies 40 ECTS Credits
Assisting in teaching

Research theme: Novel tools for improving resource efficiency of sludge treatment processes

One of the main targets of sludge treatment processes is to produce particle-free water that can be recycled with or without further treatment to be utilized again. This can be achieved by using traditional solid/liquid separation equipment such as presses or centrifuges. One major challenge is the treatment of the solid phase that remains after the solid/liquid separation. Many sludges, especially the ones that contain organic particles, are difficult to separate and this means that the solid fraction still contains a lot of water after the separation. The DC can freely propose treatment strategies for further study in the DCs research work.

Eligibility

Applicants should be highly motivated with a strong background in chemical engineering, including knowledge about separation processes, equipment design, characterization of materials and mathematical modelling.

To be eligible to apply for the position, the doctoral candidate must:

have completed an applicable higher university degree, for example Master’s degree (M.Sc. or equivalent) in a relevant field.
be a researcher, who at the deadline of the recruitment call is not in possession of a doctoral degree.
have fluent English communication skills, proven by an English language test. You can prove your proficiency in English with one of the following language test results with at least the minimum score mentioned (non-English native speaking applicants):
IELTS Academic or IELTS Online or IELTS Indicator
6.5
TOEFL iBT Test, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, TOEFL iBT Paper Edition
92 with no section below 20
PTE Academic or PTE Academic Online
62
C1 Advanced by Cambridge English Qualifications
Grade C or higher
C2 Proficiency by Cambridge English Qualifications
Grade C1 or higher

Test dates before 1 May 2021 will not be accepted.

fulfil the geographic mobility requirement. The SEED programme follows the general MSCA mobility requirement where the candidate may not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Finland for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the call deadline (The applicant must provide a document issued by a third party to prove the fulfilment of the mobility rule, if it does not become clear from the other mandatory documents such as work or study certificates

What we offer

An opportunity to launch a successful, international academic career and to become an expert in your research area
A four-year (1+3 years) employment contract for completing the doctoral degree
- An employment contract can be concluded only if the candidate obtains the right to pursue postgraduate studies at LUT University
- The contract will be made initially for one year and can be extended by three years provided that the studies and research have progressed successfully
Encouraging and supportive supervision by and research collaboration with Professor from LUT and Professor Shane Snyder from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore).
Intersectoral secondment Roxia Oy (FI) provides a unique opportunity for the DC to get familiar with testing and designing of solid/liquid separation equipment for full-scale applications. In addition to this, the candidate will learn about various opportunities to use modern digitalization tools for controlling and optimizing the operation of the separation equipment.

Employment relationship and pay

Starting date: The work will start in September 2023 with a six-month trial period.

Location: The job is based in Lappeenranta or in Lahti, Finland. The doctoral student is expected to spend 10–12 months at the Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) and 4–6 months at the Finnish SME Roxia Oy during the doctoral studies.

Salary: The salary is based on the current collective agreement for Finnish universities. The typical gross annual starting salary for a junior researcher is approximately 30 800 euros (plus a holiday bonus).

Travel allowance will cover the expenses (travel, accommodation and daily allowances) during the secondments, and at least 1 conference attendance.

How to apply

Please submit your application together with the required attachments through the university's online application system:

Your curriculum vitae (template is provided)
Certificates/diplomas: scanned electronic copies of diplomas and transcripts of the records of relevant previous degrees and certificate of the English language test (for non-English native speaking applicants). If the original documents are not in English, Finnish or Swedish, each document must be accompanied by an official certified translation into English or Finnish.
A motivation letter: a separate document describing the candidate’s motivation as a researcher also highlighting past achievements (max. 1 page, A4)
Research proposal (max. two pages A4) which should refer to a research theme above
Names and contact information of two referees
List of scientific publications (optional)

The appendices must be in English.

The deadline for application is 30 April 2023 at midnight, Finnish local time (UTC + 3h). The SEED programme employs a detailed selection process. The selection process comprises four main stages and will last approximately 10 weeks. The applicants will be notified of the selection outcome in July 2023.

Further information

The SEED programme will arrange two Q&A events online for prospective applicants while the call is open. The Q&A events will allow for the prospective applicants to ask questions regarding the research topics and the programme.

For further information and to obtain the details of the Q&A events, please contact: LUT.SEED@lut.fi

For more information about the research topic, please contact: mari.kallioinen-manttari@lut.fi

Technical support for using the online recruitment system, please contact: recruitment@lut.fi

Read more about: LUT as an employer and LUT Doctoral School

Clean energy, water and air are life-giving resources for which we at LUT University seek new solutions with our expertise in technology, business and social sciences. We help society and businesses in their sustainable renewal. Our international community consists of 7 500 members. Our campuses are in Lappeenranta and Lahti, Finland. We are the world’s ninth best university for climate action.

Application period starts: 2023-03-01 08:00 Application period ends: 2023-04-30 23:59