The Sensor Engineering group of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Maastricht University accepts a PhD candidate in synthetic chemistry in 2020.
Project details:
Research within the Sensor Engineering research group of Maastricht University is focused on developing innovative sensor technologies for implementation in diverse fields ranging from the healthcare sector to the food industry. They are looking for a motivated PhD candidate with a strong background in biochemistry, organic chemistry and/or electrochemistry. The candidate will work in an interdisciplinary team that combines chemistry, electrical engineering, materials science and biology. The strategy of the research group aims at combining smart sensing technology with chemical and biomedical engineering to acquire knowledge and streamline applications for use in real-life applications.
The Sensor Engineering research group has extensive expertise in developing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for incorporation into biomimetic sensing platforms. The group has published extensively on this topic but limited knowledge exists on the practical application of these MIP-based sensors in an industrial environment. The goal of the PhD project is to develop MIPs that can selectively recognize molecules that play an essential role in industrial processes.
The research project will be part of a larger European private-public cooperation (Interreg V Deutschland-Nederland project: Saber Print). The candidate will collaborate with researchers at RUBochum that will immobilize the MIPs onto flexible sensor stickers that allow for wireless electrochemical readout. These MIP stickers will then be incorporated into industrial gaskets by an industrial partner. A regional software developing company will ensure that the stickers and wireless readout module will be coupled to a user-friendly software package for on-site analysis of the test results. In this way, the project aims at developing a prototype for a sticker-based sensor that can be incorporated into various industrial processes by means of gaskets in the industrial piping. This allows the end-users to have more control over their production process.
Worth of Award
- Fixed-term contract: A PhD candidate appointment lasts four years (first year + three years after receiving a positive evaluation).
- The salary will be set in the PhD salary scale of the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities (€2.325 gross per month in the first year to €2.972 in the fourth and final year). On top of this, there is an 8% holiday and an 8.3% year-end allowance.
- The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. Non-Dutch applicants could be eligible for a favourable tax treatment (30% rule).
Eligibility
- Applications are invited for a full-time PhD candidate position.
- Candidates will work in a young, ambitious team consisting of researchers trained in various scientific disciplines.
- This stimulating, interdisciplinary and multicultural environment requires a candidate that has outstanding knowledge of scientific English both in speaking and in writing.
- The candidate should have a Master’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, or equivalent.
How to Apply
You can apply for this position online through their website
Deadline: Applications close on December 1, 2019.