项目介绍

2025年5月15日

Are you passionate about realizing a sustainable and competitive chemical industry? Join our highly dynamic international team at the plasmalab at Maastricht University, working in close cooperation with industry. We are looking for a motivated PhD student in advancing technology for methane valorization by plasma modelling.

Job Description
Waste gas valorisation remains essential in a circular future – for closing the carbon cycle via, amongst others, the recycling of plastics and biomass. Methane, a toxic greenhouse gas, is produced in large volumes in for example naphtha crackers whilst no mature technology is readily available to utilize it as a feedstock. Plasma-based chemical processes, powered by renewable energy, operate at high temperatures and reactant ionization levels, facilitating rapid and complete conversion of methane to hydrogen and other valuable products with high efficiency. 

In the Hypro project, a microwave-driven plasma reactor for the conversion of methane into ethylene is considered. In the plasmalab, three other PhD students will also be working on this project. The PhD student will modify an existing 0D plasma model to compare different methane chemistry sets. Currently available reaction kinetics data sets stem from other communities such as the combustion science community and were optimized for conditions in which oxidation reactions are dominant. Their accuracy and validity in the absence of oxygen is yet unsure. The PhD student will perform a sensitivity analysis to establish the dominant reaction pathways. Based on experimental results obtained by another PhD student in the project, these chemistry sets are valorized and optimized with the purpose to construct a reduced set, which will be used as an input for a 3D plasma reactor model.

In this project, the responsibilities of the PhD student will entail:

• Plasma model development.
• Perform sensitivity analysis with 0D plasma model.
• Present your work at international conferences.
• Write scientific papers for international peer-reviewed journals.
• Provide teaching assistance and/or supervision of students.

As a PhD student, you will work in the plasmalab team in the Faculty of Science and Engineering located at Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen. You will become part of a young international research group, specialized in plasma catalysis. 

Requirements
You are motivated, autonomous, hands-on, communicative, and interested in working in an international research environment.

Furthermore, the requisites for this position are:

• You hold a master’s degree in (plasma) physics, chemistry, chemical engineering or related fields;
• Good university record;
• Knowledge of computational chemistry (modelling of chemical reactions) is a plus;
• Fluency in English (spoken and written).

What we offer
As PhD candidate in plasma model development for methane valorization at Faculty of Science & Engineering, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale P according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €2901,00 and €3707,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model. 
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students. 
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as ‘acknowledge and appreciate’. 

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM. 

Faculty of Science and Engineering  
At the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), we focus on themes such as circularity and sustainability, future farming, digitisation and (scientific) instrument development.  FSE’s leading projects, like the Einstein Telescope Pathfinder, are sure to grab anyone’s attention.  The faculty is a vibrant hub of education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS).  At FSE, over 450 staff members and 3700 students gather to explore e exciting interdisciplinary research and educational programmes. Feel welcome, be part of our team and put your brilliant mind to work!  
 

FSE at the Brightlands Campuses  
Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen, and Venlo, the home of four creative Brightlands campuses, are bustling with 30,000 entrepreneurs, researchers, and students working diligently to solve global challenges. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is active on all four Brightlands campuses, and this is where our impact reaches its peak. To give you an idea of what is happening at each campus: Sittard-Geleen is home to the largest chemical site in the Euregion, while Venlo is a large hub for agri-food innovation. Maastricht is the site of the Health Campus, and Heerlen is the place to be for Smart Services.  
 

Department of Circular Chemical Engineering – plasmalab
At the plasmalab, students, researchers, and industry partners come together to optimize existing plasma technology and develop new plasma processes that can be applied and scaled up for the future chemical industry.

Curious?

Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Anne Limburg at anne.limburg@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information. Do you have any questions regarding the procedure, please contact Eric Raemaekers (Recruiter) at eric.raemaekers@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD candidate in plasma model development for methane valorization? Apply now, no later than June 8, 2025, for this position.

Please upload your CV, motivation letter and grade list. Note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.