PhD in Optimizing Canopy Photosynthesis in controlled environment agriculture

Are you curious about how photosynthesis performs in the real world, over hours, days, and weeks, and how can we use that knowledge to improve greenhouse production?

As a PhD candidate, you will investigate how photosynthesis operates over different temporal and spatial scales in crops growing under realistic greenhouse and vertical farming conditions. By combining continuous monitoring (e.g. chlorophyll fluorescence imaging) with microclimate measurements, you will uncover photosynthetic limitations and regulatory processes (e.g. acclimation) that are often overlooked due to their long temporal dynamics. The aim is to interpret these dynamics in a physiological framework and translate them into actionable insights for climate control and crop performance.

You will work with chlorophyll fluorescence imagers, leaf-level validation sensors, and modelling tools to support interpretation of canopy-scale photosynthesis. This project is part of the GreenControl programme which is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and 11 companies. This programme encompasses 7 PhD students appointed at the universities of Wageningen, Delft, Eindhoven and Twente. Within GreenControl, you will work in parallel with another PhD in the same group focusing on water-related traits and colleagues across different disciplines, technology companies and growers, ensuring that your research results are directly usable in operational climate‑control strategies.

Your duties and responsibilities:

• designing and executing greenhouse and vertical‑farm experiments using chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and supporting sensors to infer canopy photosynthesis.
• investigating short‑ and long‑term regulatory processes, and identifying limiting factors in canopy photosynthesis under realistic environmental fluctuations • Use and validate existing multilayer photosynthesis models that integrate microclimate gradients to support the interpretation of canopy photosynthesis dynamics across time scales.
• collaborating with technology providers, growers, and researchers to translate physiological insights into improved climate-control strategies for greenhouse production.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Horticulture and Product Physiology, and member of team of Silvere Vialet-Chabrand, which is led by Prof. Leo Marcelis.

The Horticulture and Product Physiology (HPP) group at Wageningen University & Research focuses on understanding and controlling plant growth, development, and product quality, particularly in controlled environments such as greenhouses and vertical farms. By integrating plant physiology, modelling, and data-driven approaches, the group aims to predict plant performance and optimize production systems across the entire supply chain, contributing to sustainable and efficient horticulture.

PhD Position on Process Systems Engineering for Flexible CO2 Utilisation under Renewable Energy Variability

Are you excited about applying mathematical modelling, optimization and control to accelerate the energy transition? In this PhD project, you will develop advanced Process Systems Engineering methodologies for the design and operation of flexible CO2 utilisation processes powered by intermittent renewable energy. You will work at the interface of chemical engineering, optimization, sustainability assessment and industrial implementation.

The transition towards a sustainable chemical industry requires new process concepts that can efficiently convert captured CO2 into valuable products while operating under fluctuating renewable energy supply. Such systems must be able to cope with variations in electricity availability and price while maintaining economic viability and environmental performance.

In this PhD project, you will develop advanced Process Systems Engineering (PSE) methodologies to support decision-making in the design and operation of electrified CO2 utilisation processes. Central to the research is the development of superstructure-based models that represent alternative process configurations and conversion pathways. These models will be integrated across multiple scales, ranging from reactor-level phenomena to complete process systems.

You will formulate optimization and control frameworks for flexible and dynamic operation, enabling processes to respond effectively to changing renewable energy availability. The developed methods will be translated into practical decision-support tools that help quantify techno-economic, environmental and sustainability trade-offs. The project combines mathematical modelling, process simulation, optimization, dynamic systems analysis and sustainability assessment.

You will become part of the Process Systems Engineering group within the Sustainable Process Technology cluster of the University of Twente. The group offers a collaborative, international and supportive research environment with strong expertise in modelling, optimization, control and digitalization of chemical processes. Through close interaction with industrial partners, you will ensure that the developed methodologies address real-world challenges and contribute directly to the future of sustainable process industries.

Postdoc Position on development of protonic ceramic cell technology for PtX and fuel cell applications

Protonic ceramic cells (PCC) have transformative potential as an electrochemical platform, capable of operating both as efficient fuel cells for power generation and as electrolysis cells for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals using green electricity. Their intermediate operating temperatures of 400–600°C combined with similar class-leading efficiencies of higher temperature solid oxide cells (SOC) enable them to ease material and balance-of-plant constraints. In electrolysis mode, and in contrast to SOCs, steam and H2 are separated into different compartments in PCCs, which means various hydrogenation reactions can be performed in the H2 compartment within the cell. For instance, electrochemical conversion of N2 to NH3 and CO2 to CO and/or CH4 using only steam as an additional feedstock have already been demonstrated using PCCs.

In this postdoctoral position, you will contribute to the development, characterisation and testing of protonic ceramic cell technology across both Power-to-X and power generation applications. A significant part of your time will be dedicated to the development of novel pressurised protonic ceramic cell concepts for Power-to-X, targeting selective electrochemical conversion of CO2 to chemicals such as methanol and olefins, as well as N2 to ammonia. As part of this, you will contribute to the pressurised tubular cell test setup currently being developed in the group. Operating PCCs at elevated pressures is a promising route to improve selectivity towards higher-value products and to enable more efficient downstream integration, but it introduces new challenges across cell fabrication, sealing, transport phenomena and electrocatalysis that you will help address. Alongside this, you will also work on fuel-flexible protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs), capable of operating on a range of hydrogen-containing fuels.

Beyond these focal topics, as an experienced experimentalist you will actively contribute to other projects in the group on high-temperature electrochemistry, spanning both protonic ceramic and solid oxide electrochemical cells, and share in group responsibilities including the mentoring of PhD, Master and Bachelor students. The position offers the opportunity to collaborate with academic and industrial partners across the group’s various projects.

Program Manager HR Transformation

About the HRM Department

You will join HR, which consists of four departments: HR Business, HR Operations, HR Development, and HR Strategy & Programs. As a Program Manager for the HR Transformation you will work closely with all the HRMT members as well as the HR Cluster Leads and HR Advisors that are part of the HR Business team.

Wat will you be doing?

• Lead the design and implementation of a new HR Operating model aligned with the HR Strategy, the Operations Strategy and our Institutional Plan.
  
  • Functionally manage and motivate a multidisciplinary project team.
  • Build project plan and manage (e.g., scope, timelines, resources, budget, risks) the delivery of the program.
  • Manage stakeholders in a challenging, decentralized environment with diverse needs and decision-makers.
  • Proactively align with sponsors and senior leadership of the TU/e such as the Managing Directors of the Academic Departments
  • Manage dependencies and ensure integration with other ongoing projects such as the creation of a product service catalog for HR
  • Align with other organizations and universities on best practices
  • Report progress to the steering committee and key stakeholders.
• In addition to your role, you may take on other strategic HR programs and projects and ad interim lead a team of HR Advisors.
• You report to the Director of HRM and work closely with the other HR teams.

Coördinator en organisator PhD-Onderwijs Graduate School of Geosciences

De GSG biedt diverse ontwikkelingsmogelijkheden aan promovendi. Een ervan is het PhD Cohortprogramma, een trainingsprogramma met verschillende modules en (sociale) activiteiten dat alle PhD-kandidaten gedurende het eerste jaar van hun PhD-traject volgen. De GSG biedt daarnaast ook optionele cursussen aan, zoals schrijf- en presentatiecursussen. Verder is de GSG verantwoordelijk voor de kwaliteitszorg van de PhD-trajecten en de communicatie van PhD-gerelateerde zaken met de belanghebbenden, zoals supervisors en promovendi.

Als onze collega coördineer en organiseer je het Cohortprogramma en de optionele cursussen, en evalueer je het onderwijs en de onderwijsprocessen, om zo te komen tot een doelmatig onderwijsaanbod en efficiënte organisatie. Je verzorgt de communicatie richting de promovendi en andere betrokkenen. Ook draag je bij aan de kwaliteitszorg rond promovendi – zoals het verzorgen van de PhD Survey en het vertalen van relevante besluiten naar de praktijk. Je werkt nauw samen met de programmaleider PhD-onderwijs, betrokken docenten en de praktisch onderwijsondersteuner van het Cohortprogramma. Ook onderhoud je contact met jonge onderzoekers (onder andere via de Young Geo Council) en de beleidsmedewerker onderzoek van de faculteit.

Wat zijn je taken en verantwoordelijkheden?

• Je coördineert onderwijsactiviteiten voor het GSG PhD-onderwijs. Je behoudt het overzicht, maakt een jaarplanning en verzorgt de cursuscommunicatie. Je verstrekt certificaten en handelt vrijstellingsverzoeken af. Ook verzorg je de praktische/logistieke organisatie van de optionele cursussen;
• Je fungeert als eerste aanspreekpunt van de GSG voor promovendi, (co)promotoren en andere belanghebbenden;
• Je verzorgt algemene communicatie vanuit de GSG, via onder andere mail, website en nieuwsbrieven;
• Je werkt als schakel tussen praktijk en facultair PhD-beleid en vertaalt relevante besluiten naar de praktijk. Zo verzamel je relevante gegevens over promovendi in hun promotietraject via de tweejaarlijkse PhD-survey (i.s.m. de Young Geo Council) en ondersteun je de uitvoering van daaruit volgende acties;
• Je draagt bij aan de ontwikkeling van het onderwijsaanbod, onder andere door het uitvoeren van curriculum- en cursusevaluaties en het doen van suggesties voor verbetering van het aangeboden onderwijs. Daarnaast ondersteun je de programmaleider bij het opzetten van nieuwe cursussen.
• Je ontwikkelt en optimaliseert de onderwijsprocessen, bijvoorbeeld met betrekking tot cursusinschrijvingen, deelnemersadministratie en cursussoftware.