List of research vacancies

List of research vacancies

ESR 1 Decision making and multicriteria analysis (environmental, economical impacts) in UWS

ESR 2 Energy optimization in membrane integrated systems for water reuse

ESR 3 Anaerobic processes for energy conservation and biotransformation of pollutants

ESR 4 Catchment based and real–time based consenting

ESR 5a Biodegradation of micropollutants

ESR 5b Assessment and control of sewer detrimental emissions for optimal Mediterranean UWS management

ESR 6 Detailed modelling of GHG emission from WWTP using integrated CFD and biological models

ESR 7 Development of a system–wide benchmark system for Urban Water Systems (UWS)

ESR 8 Development of an enhanced benchmark system for Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs)

ESR 9 Practical application of models in UWS: Simulation–based scenario analysis for reducing carbon footprint, nitrite production and micropollutant discharge in UWS operation

ESR 10 Improved modelling, design and control of granular sludge reactors in future energy–positive WWTPs

ER 1 Qualitative modelling in UWS

ER 2 Integrated advanced technologies for water reuse

ER 3 Tool development for cost effective control strategies in UWS

ER 4 Advanced research for water reuse systems and impact on receiving media

Fellow code: ESR 1
Title of individual research project	Decision making and multicriteria analysis (environmental, economic impacts) in UWS
Host institution	University of Girona (Spain) http://lequia.udg.es/
Brief description of individual research project	The main objective is to develop decision support tools for sustainable design and integrated management of the UWS. The sub-objectives are: 1) to define a simulation protocol to evaluate the performance of the system against several perturbations, 2) to use system’s analysis techniques and heuristic knowledge to facilitate the interpretation of results, and 3) to use multicriteria analysis to select the most suitable solution for each problematic situation. The provided solutions should maximize water quality (nutrients and micropollutants), minimize treatment costs and increase reliability. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	36 months, starting on the 1^st of August 2012
Educational requirements	Environmental, chemical or civil engineering or environmental science.
Other specific requirements	Knowledge in wastewater treatment modelling; multicriteria analysis; decision support systems is desirable

Fellow code: ESR 2
Title of individual research project	Energy optimization in membrane integrated systems for water reuse
Host institution	University of Girona (Spain) http://lequia.udg.es/
Brief description of individual research project	The research objectives are 1) to reduce energy requirements of the whole integrated membrane process (biological aeration, MBR air scour and RO/NF pumping); 2) to optimize the biological nutrient removal and the removal of emerging priority pollutants, bacterial and viral indicators; 3) to develop and validate an automatic control system for the integrated control of the filtration process and the biological process; and 4) to study sustainable treatment options for the RO concentrate treatment and sludge wasted. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	36 months, starting on the 1^st of May 2012
Educational requirements	Environmental or chemical engineering
Other specific requirements	Previous experience with MBR or RO is an asset

Fellow code: ESR 3
Title of research project	Anaerobic processes for energy conservation and biotransformation of pollutants
Host institution	Wageningen University (Netherlands) http://www.wageningenuniversity.nl
Brief description of individual research project	The research objective is to study the microbiology of methanogenesis in order to optimize biogas formation from organic rich wastewater under conditions of metals and chlorinated compounds biotransformation. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	36 months, starting on the 1^st of May, 2012
Educational requirements	MSc in Life Sciences or Engineering
Other specific requirements	Experience with anaerobic microorganisms and good knowledge of microbial physiology

Fellow code: ESR 4
Title of research project	Catchment based and real–time based consenting
Host institution	University of Exeter (UK) http://www.exeter.ac.uk/ Contact: Dr Guangtao Fu,
Brief description of individual research project	The research objective is to explore the possibilities of catchment based consents (CBC) and real–time–based–consents (RTBC) approaches and demonstrate, optimise and rank options based on their performance on a real catchment. The research will involve the use and development of existing integrated catchment models as the evaluation framework. A thorough analysis will be carried out of emerging CBC and RTBC approaches, plus investigation of their limited use in practice. Using techniques developed at the Centre for Water Systems, new approaches will be devised and tested with the goal to derive improved performance across the various key criteria. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	36 months, starting on the 1^st of May, 2012
Educational requirements	Applicants will possess an undergraduate degree (2:1 or above) or equivalent in Water and Environmental Engineering and have a background or skills in the following areas: computer simulation, modelling of urban wastewater systems or system optimisation and control.
Other specific requirements	MSc in the field of water and environmental engineering is desirable. Excellent written and verbal communication skills Ability to conduct high quality research. Ability to build contacts and participate in internal and external networks for the exchange of information and collaboration.

Fellow code: ESR 5a
Title of research project	Biodegradation of micropollutants
Host institution	Catalan Institute for Water Research – ICRA (Spain) http://www.icra.cat/
Brief description of individual research project	The research objective is to investigate biodegradation mechanisms of target micropollutants by different approaches. Despite the uncertainties on the effects of micropollutants into the environment (i.e. pharmaceuticals) and the lack of knowledge regarding their degradation, increasingly stringent discharge limits are expected. Biodegradation in a WWTP is the only real micropollutant elimination step and, therefore needs to be optimized. However, knowledge of biodegradation mechanisms and operational parameters influencing biodegradation are lacking. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	18 months, starting on the 1^st of May 2012 (dates under revision: possible delay of starting date till 1^st of November 2013)
Educational requirements	Background in biotechnology, chemistry, environmental sciences and engineering. Excellent academic track record
Other specific requirements	Good oral and written communication skills in English. Proven laboratory skills and experience. Previous experience on molecular microbiology, analytical chemistry (preferably pharmaceutical compounds) and activated sludge will be valued. Interest in interdisciplinary research in the topics of wastewater treatment, microbiology and chemistry

Fellow code: ESR 5b
Title of research project	Assessment and control of sewer detrimental emissions for optimal Mediterranean UWS management
Host institution	Catalan Institute for Water Research – ICRA (Spain) http://www.icra.cat/ Contact:
Brief description of individual research project	The research objective is to 1) identify the extent of sulfide emissions from characteristic Mediterranean sewers, 2) to design and apply best control strategies for the cases studied, and 3)integrate the knowledge in the tools for the management of Urban Water Systems. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	18 months, starting on the 1^st of May 2012
Educational requirements	Background in biotechnology, chemistry, environmental sciences and engineering. Excellent academic track record.
Other specific requirements	Good oral and written communication skills in English and Spanish. Ability and willingness to work on full scale sewer environments. Previous experience on sewer systems and in field-full scale works will be valued.

Fellow code: ESR 6
Title of research project	Detailed modelling of GHG emission from WWTP using integrated CFD and biological models
Host institution	Dept. of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University (Belgium) http://www.ugent.be/en
Brief description of individual research project	The research objective is to develop, calibrate and validate an integrated CFD–ASM model for predicting nitrous oxide from WWTPs and to develop compartmental model to test mitigation strategies for reduction of nitrous oxide emissions and validate in practice for several case studies. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	36 months, starting on the 1^st of May 2012
Educational requirements	MSc in Chemical, Bio-science or Environmental engineering. Strong interest in mathematical modelling and experimental data collection using advanced techniques. Literate with modelling tools.
Other specific requirements	Knowledge of CFD as well as programming skills are desirable assets.

Fellow code: ESR 7
Title of research project	Development of a system–wide benchmark system for Urban Water Systems (UWS)
Host institution	Division of Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lund (Sweden) http://www.iea.lth.se (specific) http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se (general) Contact: Dr Ulf Jeppsson ([email protected])
Brief description of individual research project	The research objective is to develop a set of benchmark simulation models (BSMs) for control strategy development and evaluation of urban water systems. The BSMs will serve as common software platform within the SANITAS project. ESRs 7, 8 and 9 will be working in parallel along two tracks, a bottom–up (BU) and a top–down (TD) approach. ESR 7 (TD) will focus on inclusion of catchment, sewer network, storm-tanks, combined sewer overflows and (receiving) water quality models into the BSMs as well as developing and testing control strategies on an UWS scale. The result will be a powerful and useful tool for the wastewater industry in Europe and open up significant new opportunities for educational purposes as well. The candidate will also undertake graduate education, by taking Ph.D. courses or in other forms. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	36 months, starting on the 1^st of May, 2012 (with possible extension of up to 12 months to complete a Swedish PhD degree)
Educational requirements	Candidates should have a MSc degree in chemical, environmental, civil engineering or similar (academic exam corresponding to at least 240 ECTS, out of which at least 60 ECTS on advanced level). Courses/experience in mathematical modelling and control is an extra qualification.
Other specific requirements	Knowledge of water/wastewater treatment technologies especially biological processes. Programming skills preferably in Matlab or other similar programming languages Knowledge of activated sludge models (ASM 1, 2d and 3) will be considered an extra qualification Good English skills (spoken and written) Interest to perform independent research

Fellow code: ESR 8
Title of research project	Development of an enhanced benchmark system for Wastewater Treatment Plants
Host institution	Division of Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lund (Sweden) http://www.iea.lth.se (specific) http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se (general) Contact: Dr Ulf Jeppsson ([email protected])
Brief description of individual research project	The research objective is to develop a set of benchmark simulation models (BSMs) for control strategy development and evaluation of wastewater treatment systems. The BSMs will serve as a common software platform within the SANITAS project. ESRs 7, 8 and 9 will be working in parallel along two tracks, a bottom–up (BU) and a top–down (TD) approach. ESR 8 (BU) will focus on extending the existing the WWTP models by including new processes (pH, inorganic material and phosphorus removal in both activated sludge and anaerobic digestion), extended evaluation tools and novel plant–wide control strategies. The result will be a powerful and useful tool for the wastewater industry in Europe and open up significant new opportunities for educational purposes as well. The candidate will also undertake graduate education, by taking Ph.D. courses or in other forms. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	36 months, starting on the 1^st of May, 2012 (with possible extension of up to 12 months to complete a Swedish PhD degree)
Educational requirements	Candidates should have an MSc degree in chemical, environmental, civil engineering or similar (academic exam corresponding to at least 240 ECTS, out of which at least 60 ECTS on advanced level). Courses/experience in mathematical modelling and control is an extra qualification.
Other specific requirements	Knowledge of water/wastewater treatment technologies especially biological processes Programming skills preferably in Matlab or other similar programming languages Knowledge of activated sludge models (ASM 1, 2d and 3) will be considered an extra qualification Good English skills (spoken and written) Interest to perform independent research

Fellow code: ESR 9
Title of research project	Practical application of models in UWS: Simulation–based scenario analysis for reducing carbon footprint, nitrite production and micropollutant discharge in UWS operation.
Host institution	Technical University of Denmark http://www.dtu.dk/English.aspx
Brief description of individual research project	The research objective is to develop a set of benchmark simulation models (BSMs) for control strategy development and evaluation of wastewater treatment systems. The BSMs will function as common software platform within the SANITAS project. ESR 7, 8 and 9 will be working in parallel along two tracks, a bottom–up (BU) and a top–down (TD) approach. ESR 9 (BU) will focus on: (1) extending the existing WWTP models by including new processes (occurrence, transport and fate of micropollutants, role of nitrite on nutrient removal processes and generation of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases); (2) extended evaluation tools; and (3) novel plant–wide control strategies. The result will be a powerful and useful tool for the wastewater industry in Europe and will open up significant new opportunities for educational purposes as well. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	36 months, starting on the 1^st of May, 2012
Educational requirements	Candidates should have an MSc degree in chemical, environmental, civil engineering or similar.
Other specific requirements	Knowledge of water / wastewater treatment technologies especially biological processes. Programming skills preferably in Matlab or other similar programming language (C/ C++). Knowledge of activated sludge models (ASM 1,2d and 3) will be considered an extra qualification Good writing skills in English. Interest to perform independent research.

Fellow code: ESR 10
Title of research project	Improved modelling, design and control of granular sludge reactors in future energy–positive WWTPs
Host institution	Ghent University (Belgium) http://www.ugent.be/en Dept. of Biosystems Engineering Contact: prof. Eveline Volcke:
Brief description of individual research project	The objective of this PhD research project is to optimize the design and control of granular sludge anammox reactors for innovative nitrogen removal from wastewater. This involves minimizing energy requirements, greenhouse gas (N₂O and CO₂) emissions and sludge production, while maintaining the required process efficiency at a reasonable cost. This goal will be achieved through numerical simulation, based on physical-based process models. More info? http://www.biosys.ugent.be/en/vacancies.htm and IRP section
Duration of appointment	36 months, starting on the 1^st of May 2012
Educational requirements	MSc degree in a relevant discipline, such as Chemical or Environmental Engineering.
Other specific requirements	Good knowledge of or a strong interest in mathematical modelling, numerical simulation, computer programming, environmental technology and/or process optimization. Eagerness to learn and a critical spirit. Ability to work independently but also ability to be a team player. Good communication skills.

Fellow code: ER1
Title of research project	Decision support systems and qualitative modelling in UWS
Host institution	University of Girona (Spain) Contact: http://lequia.udg.es/
Brief description of individual research project	The research objective is to develop decision support systems and qualitative models for risk assessment of design and operational problems in UWS More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	18 months, starting on the 1^st of October 2012
Educational requirements	Environmental engineering Modelling of wastewater treatment systems
Other specific requirements	Knowledge management Knowledge-based systems

Fellow code: ER 2
Title of research project	Integrated advanced technologies for water reuse.
Host institution	ACCIONA (Spain) http://www.acciona.es/
Brief description of individual research project	The objective of the project is to evaluate experimentally different combinations of advanced water treatment technologies for water reuse including membrane bioreactors and reverse osmosis using an MBR/RO pilot plant located in Almuñécar (Granada, Spain). The fellow will study different filtration control systems for the MBR and the whole system will be evaluated in terms of energy requirements, membrane fouling and effluent quality for water reclamation. The studied technologies will be compared with conventional technologies for water reuse. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	24 months, starting on the 1^st of October 2012
Educational requirements	Degree in Engineering (preferably Chemical Engineering) or Environmental Sciences. Background in wastewater treatment. Knowledge in control systems is desirable.
Other specific requirements	Strong technical and analytical skills. Driving license. Spanish will be a plus. Communication abilities are welcome.

Fellow code: ER 3
Title of research project	Tool development for cost effective control strategies in UWS
Host institution	AQUAFIN (Belgium) http://www.aquafin.be
Brief description of individual research project	Development of a phenomenological tool for the assessment of emissions from sewer systems by predicting water quality of sewer overflows in combination with existing hydraulic models. Secondly, development of a robust tool for sensitivity analysis and cost optimisation of the integrated urban water system able to derive the most cost-effective parameters of the integrated UWS model by adaptation and optimisation of the control strategies at hand for sewer system and WWTP. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	24 months, starting on the 1^st of May, 2012
Educational requirements	Experience with modelling and matlab programming
Other specific requirements	Practical experience in modelling UWS forms a plus

Fellow code: ER 4
Title of research project	Advanced research for water reuse systems and impact on receiving media.
Host institution	Yarqon River Authority http://www.yarqon.org.il/ Contact:
Brief description of individual research project	The research objective is to examine the feasibility of successful management of comprehensive and integrated river rehabilitation, including supplying water from the river to multiple type users as part of the master plan, involving 7 municipalities, at least 5 governmental ministries, public and governmental infrastructure companies and a river authority. This research requires knowledge of diverse issues and understanding the need of bridging between disciplines, governance, legal systems and stakeholders. The researcher will study the economic and environmental costs and benefits gained from implementing theYarqon master plan, as well as future benefits from extending basin management to the entire basin. More info? See IRP section
Duration of appointment	24 months, starting on the 1^st of October, 2012
Educational requirements	Environmentalist with background in economics
Other specific requirements	Previous practical experience desirable.

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