DC7 PhD In-situ evaluation of the EMI footprint of large interconnected systems

Applications are invited for the PhD position (“Doctoral Candidates”, DCs) to be funded by the Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network “iSense– European Doctoral Network on In-Situ Monitoring of Electromagnetic Interference” within the Horizon Europe programme of the European Commission.

Host institution: TU/e (Netherlands)

Supervisor: Anne Roc’h (TU/e, Netherlands)

Co-supervisor(s): Guus Pemen (TU/e, Netherlands), Guillaume Andrieu (Unilim, France), Wim Ophelders (Canon, Netherlands)

Objectives:

• Advance the concept of the EMI footprint to in-situ evaluations for complex interconnected systems.
• Explore advanced measurement setups such as the Vibrating Intrinsic Reverberation Chamber (VIRC), near-field scanning and distributed sensing.
• Incorporate cutting-edge algorithms, including machine learning, to the EMI footprint.

Expected Results:

• Comprehensive framework for evaluating the EMI footprint in complex interconnected systems.
• Providing engineers with more detailed and accurate information about the electromagnetic characteristics of products in real-world environments.

Planned secondment(s):

• Academic secondment: UNILIM, Guillaume Andrieu, M17-M19, 2M, EMI footprints using reverberation chambers.
• Industrial secondment: Canon, Wim Ophelders, M30-M32, 2M, EMI footprints of consumer devices such as a printer

Niels Bohr once said, “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future”. This is especially true when it comes to the high-tech electronic devices that we increasingly rely on and the electromagnetic environment they have to operate in. We are faced with having to anticipate what is likely to happen in the future, with the widespread use of even more advanced communication systems, the rise of highly automated technologies, like self-driving cars and robotic surgeries, complex systems and infrastructures, and our growing dependence on technology. This web of interconnected systems-of-systems creates a complex electromagnetic environment in which the seamless interoperability of electrical and electronic equipment must be guaranteed.

The iSENSE Doctoral Network on In-Situ Monitoring of Electromagnetic Interference has a clear mission: to train a new generation of experts who possess the skills and fundamental knowledge required to effectively address our intricate and ever-evolving electromagnetic environment to tackle the issue of electromagnetic interference. Specific innovations to be expected are innovative EMI sensors and monitoring methodologies, early warning tools for detecting EMI occurrences, the formulation of novel modelling and test strategies and, overall, a greater success in avoiding EMI issues.

Skills/Qualifications

• You are creative and ambitious, hard-working, and persistent.
• You have theoretical and applied knowledge or interest in: electromagnetic compatibility, electronics design, machine learning, artificial intelligence, rf measurements, signal & data processing, sensors, measurement techniques, antenna theory.
• You have good communicative skills, and the attitude to partake successfully in the work of a research team.
• You have a good command of the English language (Spoken and Written).

Specific Requirements

• You have a MSc degree or you will have it by the end of 2025 in electrical engineering or any other relevant program.

The successful candidates will receive an attractive salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for DCs. The gross salary includes a living allowance (approximately € 3400 per month1), a mobility allowance of approximately € 600 per month and, if applicable, a family allowance of approximately € 660 per month. These amounts are nominal (gross) amounts and certain deductions will apply for social security contributions and/or taxes according to the applicable national laws of the country where the recruiting beneficiary is located. The exact (net) salary will be confirmed upon appointment and is dependent on local tax regulations and on the country correction factor (to allow for the difference in cost of living in different EU Member States). The guaranteed PhD funding is for 36 months (i.e. EC funding, additional funding is possible, depending on the local Supervisor, and in accordance with the regular PhD time in the country of origin). In countries where PhDs typically last longer than 36 months, beneficiaries foresee additional funding for the required time to finish the PhD if the DC fulfils all technical requirements at the end of the 36 months. In addition to their individual scientific projects, all fellows will benefit from further continuing education, which includes internships and secondments, a variety of training modules as well as transferable skills for the Jobs of Tomorrow as well as active participation in workshops and conferences.

About us

The iSENSE Beneficiaries are 8 universities, KU Leuven (BE), TU/e (NL), UTwente (NL), ESEO (FR), UNILIM (FR), Universidad de Granada (ES), BRNO University of Technology (CZ), Technical University of Sofia (BG), 2 industry-oriented research organisations, WIS (DE), Fraunhofer (DE), and one company EMC Barcelona (ES). Together, these bring in top-class expertise in electromagnetic compatibility, electrical design, sensoring, anomaly detection and statistical modelling as well as domain knowledge of relevant application sectors. Furthermore, the inter-sectoral characteristic is guaranteed by the support of a series of industrial entities, such as Thales, Philips Healthcare, Valeo, Airbus, Barco, etc., forming a fully interrelated, integrated, and international consortium.

Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.

Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants need to fully respect three eligibility criteria (to be demonstrated in the Europass CV):

1. Doctoral Candidates are those who are, at the time of recruitment by the host, not already in possession of a doctoral degree.
2. Conditions of international mobility of researchers: Researchers are required to undertake transnational mobility (i.e. move from one country to another) when taking up the appointment. At the time of selection by the host organisation, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not considered.
3. English language: Doctoral Candidates (DCs) must demonstrate that their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English is sufficiently high for them to derive the full benefit from the network training.

Selection process

The pre and final selection will be made in a collective progress, led by the Recruitment Committee (RC), which consists of all the people who will be involved in the supervision process. Every member of the RC will receive 4 hours of training on recruitment procedures and will be made aware of factors like unconscious gender bias. The candidates can apply for a maximum of three projects and list their order of preference. The 30 most suitable candidate DCs are invited to a Recruitment Event (Bruges, Belgium, month 2). Each candidate gives a presentation and is interviewed. The committee selects the DCs (1) based on their scientific background and potential, (2) based on the expected benefit of the scientific exchange between the trainees’ home countries and institutions and the hosts, and (3) in accordance with gender equality and minority rights. The candidates are ranked, and a collective decision is made, considering the order of preference. In this way a complementary team of DCs can be assembled. All non-selected candidates will receive a letter explaining the reasons why they were not selected (in line with the Code of Conduct). The DCs are employed on fixed-term contracts and are registered as staff candidates for their PhD degrees. Therefore, they are entitled to pension contributions, paid holidays, and other employment benefits, as governed by the universities, non-academic partners, and industrial companies.

All applications proceed through the on-line recruitment portal on the https://dn-isense.eu/ website.

Candidates apply electronically for one to maximum three DC positions and indicate their preference. Candidates provide all requested information including a detailed CV (Europass format obligatory), a motivation letter and transcripts of bachelor and master degree. During the registration, applicants will need to prove that they are eligible (cf. DC definition, mobility criteria, and English language proficiency). For some positions, candidates must be eligible with respect to national and international regulations for knowledge transfer and export control. The (final) deadline for the online registration is 10 December 2024. However, candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. In the period October-November 2024 a first selection procedure will take place where received applications so far will be screened by the respective beneficiaries and possible first online interviews might take place

The iSense Recruitment Committee selects between 20 and maximum 30 candidates for the Recruitment Event which will take place in Bruges (Belgium) (Beginning of February 2025). The selected candidates provide a 20-minute presentation and are interviewed by the Recruitment Committee. Candidates will be given a small scientific task (prior to the recruitment event) by their prioritized Supervisor and will be asked questions about this task during the interview.

The final decision on who to recruit is communicated shortly after the Recruitment Event (estimated 1 week after the Recruitment Event). The selected DCs are to start their research as quickly as possible (target period: March – October 2025).