Offer Description
About DESIRE
Climate change and energy security challenges demand a rapid transition from fossil-based energy production to sustainable alternatives. The European Green Deal and the REPowerEU Plan highlight the urgency of decarbonizing Energy-Intensive Industries (EIIs) while ensuring energy supply resilience. However, many industrial and transport applications still rely on combustion-based technologies due to their need for high energy densities and thermal process requirements. A promising solution lies…
in electrofuels (e-fuels)—synthetic fuels produced from renewable electricity and sustainable feedstocks, offering a practical and scalable route to reducing carbon emissions.
The DESIRE project (Decarbonising Energy-intenSIve industries with REnewable synthetic fuels) is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) Doctoral Network, designed to train the next generation of specialists in e-fuel utilization. DESIRE will equip 15 PhD researchers with cutting-edge expertise in combustion science, chemical kinetics, fluid dynamics, and digital modeling, preparing them to revolutionize industrial energy systems and accelerate Europe’s energy transition. This ambitious goal will be achieved by developing advanced experimental and computational tools to characterize e-fuel combustion processes, optimize fuel-flexible technologies, and integrate machine learning-driven digital twins for predictive combustion modeling. The research program will cover a wide range of e-fuels (H₂, NH₃, CH₃OH, DME, OME) and their applications in industrial furnaces, gas turbines, burners, and transport engines, ensuring compatibility with existing infrastructures.
DESIRE’s strong academic-industrial consortium, including leading universities, research institutes, and industrial partners, will provide interdisciplinary training spanning chemical and mechanical engineering, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), experimental combustion diagnostics, and techno-economic feasibility analysis. Through structured secondments, industry collaborations, and high-level scientific training, DESIRE aims to create a cohort of highly skilled researchers ready to drive the next generation of sustainable energy solutions in industry and academia.
At once, the project will pave the way for large-scale adoption of renewable synthetic fuels, enabling a climate-neutral economy while offering PhD candidates a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of Europe’s sustainable energy transformation.
The recruited researchers will be trained for 3 years and will be enrolled to a 3-year Ph.D programme at the host institution. Two secondment periods are foreseen for each candidate: a 12-month secondment at co-hosting academic institution and a 3 month secondment at one of the Associated industrial Partners.
Open position
- DC 14: H2/NH3 combustion in a reverse-flow, pressurized, rich-quench-lean combustor (DC14; ULB, TUD). Supervisor: Alessandro Parente (ULB)
The position is based at ULB in Brussels, under the supervision of Professor Alessandro Parente, with academic collaboration and co-supervision by Professor Christian Hasse at TU Darmstadt, Germany.
The research programme includes secondments at TU Darmstadt, focused on computational modelling, and ENGIE, focused on the application and techno-economic assessment of hydrogen/ammonia blends for power generation. The secondment schedule will be agreed as part of the doctoral work plan.
The successful candidate will join an international network of universities and industrial partners and participate in scientific courses, transferable skills training, networking meetings, and international conferences.
Where to apply
E-mail: desire-project@polimi.it
Requirements
- Research Field: Engineering » Mechanical engineering
- Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
- Research Field: Engineering » Aerospace engineering
- Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
- Research Field: Engineering » Chemical engineering
- Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
Applicants should hold, or obtain before recruitment, a master’s degree or equivalent in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, energy engineering, aerospace engineering, applied physics or a closely related discipline.
Specific Requirements
We are looking for candidates with:
- A strong foundation in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer and combustion.
- Motivation for experimental research and careful quantitative analysis.
- An interest in sustainable fuels and low-emission energy conversion.
- Good written and spoken English.
- The ability to work independently and collaborate within an international research team.
Experience with combustion experiments, optical diagnostics, instrumentation, data acquisition, scientific programming or CFD would be an advantage.
Languages
ENGLISH
Level: Excellent
Additional Information
Benefits
Gross salary is 4.000 €/month.
Candidates are eligible also of 660 €/month family supplement, if applicable. The net salary depends on specific Country National taxation and social security contribution.
Eligibility criteria
Candidates must fulfil the following minimum eligibility criteria:
- They do not hold a Ph.D. degree at the start of their assignment at host institution.
- They have not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of host institution for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment.
- Must fulfil the conditions for enrolment to PhD programme at the host institution. For details about the criteria, please refer to detailed description of positions found at https://desire-msca.eu/ or contact desire-project@polimi.it.
Selection process
The selection process will have two phases: a first curricular phase and a second interview phase for the shortlisted candidates of the first phase. Details about the second phase will be made available to the candidates by the evaluation committees.
How to apply
Please submit the following documents to Alessandro.Parente@ulb.be, indicating DESIRE DC14 application:
- A motivation letter explaining your interest in the project and relevant experience.
- A detailed CV using the European template.
- Copies of academic degrees and transcripts.
- Contact details for two referees, including an academic supervisor or mentor.
- A list of publications and details of your master’s thesis, if available.
- Evidence of English proficiency, where required.
Selection will involve an assessment of applications, followed by interviews with shortlisted candidates.
Further information about the network is available on the DESIRE website.
Additional comments
PhD key responsibilities
- Carry out their research projects within 36 months culminating in a PhD thesis.
- Participate in Secondments both in Academia and Industry.
- Participate in research and training activities within the DESIRE network.
- Disseminate their research in the scientific community and through public engagement activities ensuring visibility.
Website for additional job details: https://desire-msca.eu/
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: Université Libre Bruxelles
Country: Belgium
State/Province: Brussels
City: Brussels
Postal Code: 1050
Street: 50, Av. F.Roosevelt
Contact
State/Province: Brussels
City: Brussels
Website: https://atm.polytech.ulb.be; https://desire-msca.eu/
Street: 50, Av. F.Roosevelt
Postal Code: 1050
E-Mail: Alessandro.Parente@ulb.be
