This PhD opening targets motivated and curious students that are passionate about the multidisciplinary field of materials science. The goal is to develop new materials and processing techniques that will widen the applications of ceramics in a variety of engineering solutions.

We are looking for creative minds that are eager to understand the why's and the how's behind the research they conduct, to learn and apply new techniques and approaches towards developing new engineering materials, interested in spanning from fundamentals to applications, and enthusiastic about team-work in an international and interdisciplinary group.

Job Description

The development of new materials is key to enable engineering applications. Materials science and engineering is an ever-expanding multidisciplinary field that pushes forward the frontiers of virtually any technology field, by finding clever and innovative solutions for materials with enhanced structural and functional properties.

Ceramics and ceramic-based materials are a particularly fertile research area. They feature a multiplicity of unique properties, thanks to which they can find applications in the energy, chemistry, automotive, aerospace and biomedical sectors, to mention a few. Yet, both their manufacturing and their mechanical behavior require further enhancements.

You will be in charge of tackling this challenge. You will develop both new ceramic-based materials and innovative processing routines to shape them. Macroscale properties will be fostered via tailored hierarchical material design, encompassing multiple scales and reaching down to fine-tuning at the nanoscale. You will work with cutting-edge technologies, such as additive manufacturing and ultra-fast sintering techniques, in a largely experimental project, but always driven by theoretical considerations and empowered by modeling approaches.

You will be embedded in the Mechanics of Materials, https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-groups/mechanics-of-materials/, section of Mechanical Engineering, where you will have access to the state -of-the-art facilities of the Multiscale Lab (https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-labs/multiscale-lab/), and to exciting collaborations on material modeling with a variety of approaches - and beyond.

You will be part of an international and interdisciplinary team. You explore and create new material concepts, while having chances to foster collaborations, mentor junior students, take part in workshops, conferences and research visits, and get in touch with the vibrant industry and tech area surrounding TU/e.

• A master's degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.
• A research-oriented attitude, both explorative and collaborative.
• Ability to work in an international and interdisciplinary team.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.
• Good to have: experience in materials processing and characterization research.

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (PROOF program).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called '30% facility', which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.