Promovendus: Kansengelijkheid in het onderwijs door brede brugklassen

In dit PhD-project doe je onderzoek naar de manier waarop verschillende middelbare scholen brede brugklassen inrichten en welke invloed dat heeft op kansengelijkheid in het onderwijs. De ontwikkelkansen die verschillende leerlingen in het onderwijs krijgen zijn niet gelijk. Om deze kansenongelijkheid te verminderen werken veel scholen voor voortgezet onderwijs met heterogene brugklassen waarin leerlingen met verschillende basisschooladviesniveaus bij elkaar zitten. De manier waarop scholen heterogene brugklassen vormgeven heeft invloed op de ontwikkeling van leerlingen en daarmee op de mate waarin kansengelijkheid daadwerkelijk wordt bevorderd.

In dit project wordt via zowel kwantitatieve als kwalitatieve dataverzameling onderzocht hoe verschillende scholen in de regio Zuid-Oost Nederland heterogene brugklassen onderwijskundig inrichten. Daarnaast wordt de invloed van verschillende inrichtingsvarianten op de brede ontwikkeling van leerlingen met verschillende achtergrondkenmerken geanalyseerd. Op basis daarvan worden succesfactoren geïdentificeerd voor de inrichting van heterogene brugklassen die bijdragen aan gelijke kansen.

Als promovendus voer je verschillende onderzoeken uit. Je schrijft wetenschappelijke artikelen die resulteren in de voltooiing van een proefschrift aan het einde van je arbeidsovereenkomst. Je werkt nauw samen met de scholen die deelnemen aan dit project en staat in constante verbinding met de onderwijspraktijk. Je wordt voor de duur van het onderzoek lid van het Behavioural Science Insitute (BSI) van de Radboud Universiteit. Als lid van het PhD-programma van de BSI Graduate School volg je cursussen die verband houden met professionele basisvaardigheden, zoals presentatievaardigheden, wetenschappelijke integriteit en gegevensbeheer. We moedigen je ook aan om je werk te presenteren op relevante workshops en conferenties. Je neemt deel aan onderzoeksbijeenkomsten van de afdeling Leren, Onderwijs en Ontwikkeling van het BSI.

Als onderdeel van je PhD positie krijg je een onderwijstaak van 10% en de mogelijkheid om aan de slag te gaan/te werken aan je onderwijsportfolio voor Basis Kwalificatie Onderwijs (BKO).

Postdoc positie: Onderwijs ontwerponderzoek van een programmeerlessenreeks PO

In dit onderzoeksproject ontwerp je een programmeerlessenreeks dat gebruik maakt van Scratch en onderzoek je de effectiviteit ervan. Je onderzoekt welke vormen van ondersteuning computationele denkvaardigheden het beste bevordert. “Denken als een computerprogrammeur” is opgenomen in de curriculumherziening van het Nederlandse primair onderwijs. Dergelijke computationele denkvaardigheden worden aangeleerd in programmeerlessen met het idee dat ze breed toepasbaar zijn. Er is echter weinig bewijs dat leerlingen deze vaardigheden inderdaad kunnen gebruiken in andere contexten. Ondersteuning in de vorm van self-explanation kan dit mogelijk wél bewerkstelligen. Hoe leerlingen het beste de leerstof aan zichzelf moeten uitleggen is echter nog niet bekend.

In twee cycli van onderwijsontwerponderzoek ontwerp je samen met het team een programmeerlessenreeks waarin verschillende vormen van ondersteuning kunnen worden geïntegreerd. Je toetst vervolgens op scholen de effectiviteit van de lessenreeks en van verschillende vormen van self-explanation instructie. Je sluit het project af met het beschikbaar maken van alle lesmaterialen voor leerkrachten en het schrijven van een wetenschappelijk artikel.

PhD Position AI-driven Nanoparticle Design for Drug Delivery

Job description
As part of the European Horizon project "NAP4DIVE: Non-Animal Platform for Nanoparticle-Based Delivery Across the Blood-Brain Barrier," we are looking for a PhD candidate to join our team focusing on the development and validation of an innovative in-silico model for nanoparticle (NP) design and drug delivery. This position addresses the challenge of efficiently predicting and optimizing nanoparticle designs for effective drug delivery to the brain using AI-based solutions.

Position Overview

This PhD position is aimed at candidates with a Master’s degree in data science, computer science, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, or related fields, with a strong interest in machine learning (ML), computational modeling, and biomedical applications. The successful candidate will be based at the Department of Engineering Systems and Services (ESS) at the Delft University of Technology under the supervision of Sepinoud Azimi and Katerina Stankova. This PhD project involves close collaboration with partners across Europe, and candidates will have the opportunity to engage with interdisciplinary teams in the fields of AI, neuroscience, pharmacology, and regulatory science.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, train, and validate a machine learning and deep learning models (NP Design Simulators) to predict nanoparticle properties and efficacy for blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability.
• Utilize explainable AI (XAI) methods to generate reliable guidelines for NP design, ensuring the model results are robust, reproducible, and interpretable.
• Collaborate with experts in drug delivery and nanotechnology to test and refine NP design for targeted delivery to the central nervous system.
• Work independently and contribute collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team environment.

Project Impact

The NAP4DIVE project aims to replace animal testing with reliable non-animal alternatives in the development of CNS therapies. By pioneering a novel NP design simulator and BBB-on-Chip platform, NAP4DIVE will transform drug delivery across the BBB, reducing preclinical costs, increasing human-relevant predictability, and advancing ethical and sustainable biomedical research.

Applications are encouraged from candidates who are motivated to contribute to cutting-edge research in healthcare innovation, computational modeling, and sustainable biomedical solutions.  

Job requirements

• MSc in data science, computer science, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, or related fields.
• Experience in machine learning, especially with neural networks, deep learning, and explainable AI (experience with time-series modeling and simulations of molecular dynamic is a plus).
• Excellent command of Python programming language.
• A strong interest in interdisciplinary research and the application of AI in healthcare and biomedical fields.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment.
• Excellent command of English.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Technology, Policy & Management
The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.

PhD Position in Microstructural and Fracture Characterization of Welded Green Steels

Job description
Green steel is a significant step in upcoming energy transition towards decarburization and sustainable future. We are seeking an ambitious experimental PhD candidate to join EU-funded project MOWSES (https://www.mowses-steel.eu/), which aims to enhance the safe application of green steels in critical European infrastructure by focusing on welded joints.

Future green steels will be manufactured using an increased amount of scrap, likely of lower quality and containing higher concentrations of residual elements. This will modify the chemical composition and thus the response of the material to thermal cycles, such as imposed by welding. There is therefore a need to identify what amount of residual elements can be tolerated in the weld, particularly in the HAZ of future clean steels. The ultimate goal of this project is to create steels with improved weldability, toughness, and strength, even when recycled from lower-quality scrap. Advanced microstructure and mechanical characterization will play a key role for this development, ensuring the steel can meet thorough safety and performance standards.

Your particular focus will be to deeply understand and possibly mitigate fracture nucleation and propagation micromechanisms in welded green steels at various concentrations of residual elements. To address this goal, a multi-scale experimental correlative characterization of microstructural and mechanical properties (e.g., strength and toughness) will be used. You will work closely with various consortium partners, in particular Ocas, Dillinger and University of Ghent.

For this PhD position we are looking for a candidate with master degree in Materials Science or related disciplines, with good knowledge of metallurgy, metal science and experimental mechanics of materials.

Job requirements
It is highly recommended that the candidate is familiar with (or has a strong interest in):

• Microstructural characterisation techniques;
• Thermo-mechanical processing;
• Experimental research, more specifically mechanical testing.

Other job requirements:

• Excellent analytical skills, initiative, inventiveness, curiosity, diligence, and critical thinking;
• Ability to work with scientific and industrial partners;
• Strong communication skills (high English proficiency), team player, and good social behaviour.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Mechanical Engineering
From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.

Postdoc Optomechanical Thermometry

Job description
Temperature sensing is pivotal to numerous advanced applications, from industrial processes to fundamental research. Yet, frequent recalibration remains a significant bottleneck. We seek a motivated postdoc to push the boundaries of temperature measurement by developing integrated optical chips featuring mechanical resonators and innovative readout protocols. Your work will focus on designing self-calibration techniques to enhance accuracy while minimizing calibration demands. You will collaborate closely with leading experts within the PhoQust project (https://phoqus-t.com), contributing to groundbreaking developments in optomechanical thermometry.

Job requirements

• A PhD in Physics, Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Affinity with micro-optics design and simulation tools (e.g., COMSOL, Lumerical).
• Experience or interest in using experimental setups for optomechanical measurements.
• Familiarity or enthusiasm for cleanroom microfabrication techniques, including lithography and etching.
• A strong interest in advancing the fields of optomechanics and integrated photonics.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Mechanical Engineering
From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.