European Industrial Doctorate -Two Ph.D. projects in Sustainable Coating Chemistry

Two Ph.D. projects in Sustainable Coating Chemistry
(Ghent University, Belgium and Dow Benelux B.V., Terneuzen, The Netherlands)

The Polymer Chemistry Research Group (http:// www.PCR.UGent.be) in the Department of Sciences at Ghent University (http://www.ugent.be) is seeking two excellent research fellows for a European Union funded FP7 research program on sustainable coating chemistry with the objective to obtain a Ph.D. in Chemistry. UGent (93th place worldwide) with 38,000 students is located in the beautiful city of Ghent, Belgium located in the heart of Europe (http://www.visitgent.be). The medieval city of Ghent hosts about 80,000 students in total and has 230,000 inhabitants.

The positions are the result of a recently funded European Industrial Doctorate (EID) project under a Marie Curie Initial Training Network entitled “Sustainable multifunctional coating resins for scavenging applications (SUSCOAT)”. SUSCOAT is a collaborative and interdisciplinary research project between the academic and industrial partner DOW Benelux B.V. (www.dow.com).

The research objective of SUSCOAT is to develop innovative, renewable and sustainable polyurethane (PU)-based coating resins with multifunctional properties. Making use of novel platform chemistry, recently developed in UGent, the aim of this project is to exploit this chemistry to develop a breakthrough chemical platform for renewable smart coating development.

Job description
The project is fully funded for three years and the salaries are highly competitive (FP7 funding including mobility grant). This project will provide unique training opportunities in project-relevant techniques, and in related transferrable skills offered as a mix of industrial and academic training. The industrial training will give the fellow researchers unique insights into a more pragmatic approach to research where business-related factors play a more important role in the decision making process. The researchers will spend at least 50% of their time in the laboratories of the industrial partner. Distance between both research centers is merely 45 minutes by car.The research objective of SUSCOAT is to develop innovative, renewable and sustainable polyurethane (PU)-based coating resins with multifunctional properties. Making use of novel platform chemistry, recently developed in UGent, the aim of this project is to exploit this chemistry to develop a breakthrough chemical platform for renewable smart coating development.

Skills and qualifications
- Excellent graduates in Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry/Materials, Chemical Engineering or Material Science, with scientific interest in and preferably practical experience in polymer science and/or coatings;
- A recently obtained Master of Science level is mandatory;
- Researchers can be of any nationality (except Belgian or Dutch).
- According to the FP7 Marie Curie regulations, at the time of recruitment by the host organization (UGent and Dow Benelux B.V.), researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activities (work, studies, etc) in the country of their host organization for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediate prior to the reference date.
- Any related intensive extracurricular activities would be of benefit.
- Very good knowledge of the English language is essential.

Information and application
CV and application letter, should include publication list/transcripts and grades. Applications should be sent by email, before September 30, 2013 to filip.duprez@ugent.be using “Application SUSCOAT” in the subject line.

The first PhD student could start in October 2013 (or later) while the start of the second one is foreseen at the start of 2014.