EngD position: Designing a framework for the digitalization of condition-based maintenance for Lock Complexes of RWS (Case o...

The aim of this project is to design a framework for the SHM system of the Hengelo Lock Complex. You will investigate how the condition of the lock is currently assessed and identify triggers that allow for automated, continuous SHM with minimal human interventions.

Your research will cover:

• Analysis of structural and mechanical behaviour of lock components.
• Review of relevant national, regional, and organizational regulations and guidelines.
• Evaluation of current practices and feasible structural health monitoring technologies.
• Cost–benefit assessment of sensor deployment and measurement interpretation strategies.

This is a multifaceted project at the intersection of structural and mechanical engineering, asset management, and Civionics – sensor-based SHM of civil infrastructure.

Context and Supervision
The project is sponsored and hosted by Rijkswaterstaat, the executive agency of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Rijkswaterstaat designs, constructs, manages, and maintains key infrastructure in the Netherlands.

You will be supervised by:

• Dr. Farid Vahdatikhaki (University of Twente)
• Dr. Roland Kromanis (University of Twente)
• Mr. Sukon Wu (Rijkswaterstaat)

You will work closely with Rijkswaterstaat to deliver a tailor-made design artifact with real-world impact. The project will start in January 2026 and is based in Enschede/Hengelo.

Project Management Officer / Project Support Officer (PMO/PSO)

About the project

DECIDE – Democratizing AI: Empowering Citizens through Transparent Decision-making is a large-scale, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research initiative coordinated by the University of Twente and funded under the NWO Nationale Wetenschapsagenda – Research on Routes by Consortia (NWA-ORC) programme.

The project brings together over 50 academic researchers from 10 Dutch knowledge institutions, 10 PhD candidates, 2 PostDocs, and 30 societal partners to co-develop a new generation of transparent, citizen-empowering AI systems. DECIDE addresses urgent societal challenges at the intersection of AI, democracy, and citizen empowerment, with applications in domains such as healthcare, mobility, education, law, ethics, and public governance.

Through collaborative research and co-design with citizens, DECIDE aims to redefine how AI systems are developed and used—shifting from top-down, opaque technologies to bottom-up, transparent tools that support responsible decision-making and strengthen democratic values. website.

As PMO/PSO, you will be the operational and procedural backbone of the DECIDE project. You will work closely with the project leader Prof. dr. ir. Mieke Boon, two PostDocs, the interuniversity Project Management Team, the consortium partners and societal stakeholders. Your role in this is to support the implementation and coordination of the project management structure, internal processes, policies, and procedures.

This is a unique opportunity for someone with a passion for inter and transdisciplinary collaboration, societal impact, and responsible AI, who thrives in complex environments, and wants to contribute to creating a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive culture within this project to realize its academic ambitions and societal impact.

Key responsibilities:

• Support the Project Leader, the Consortium Steering Committee (CSC) and the Leadership Team (LT) in their strategic and operational decision-making;
• Set up a central, online project management system to act as the main repository for project-related documentation and as a platform for information sharing;
• Organize and facilitate consortium meetings, reporting cycles, and dissemination activities;
• Coordinate and monitor project progress, deliverables, and milestones across 6 work packages (WPs) and 4 uses-cases (citizen empowerment scenario’s, CESs);
• Set up and maintain project structures, procedures, and documentation (e.g., reporting, risk management, budget tracking);
• Ensure compliance with funding regulations, data management, and ethical standards;
• Serve as the first point of contact for NWO, consortium partners, and external stakeholders;
• Organize and facilitate internal and external communication through DECIDE website and other social media;
• Contribute to knowledge utilization and impact activities, including workshops, exhibitions, and stakeholder engagement.

A 2-year postdoc position on Quantum Photonics for Security

We are looking for a postdoc candidate to work on low-loss silicon nitride integrated photonics for security applications. You will setup, test and optimise the quantum communication link and add the authentication chips that were recently developed in the group. Where possible we’ll use integrated photonics nanofabrication techniques to make these waveguides in the UT’s Nanolab, analyse the results and make proof-of-principle demonstrations in the domain of quantum optics. The work is expected to lead to high-quality scientific publications, showcasing advances in secure quantum communication and integrated photonics.”

Your home base will be within the Adaptive Quantum Optics (AQO) chair [www.utwente.nl/aqo] in the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology at the University of Twente.

Your supervisor will be Prof. Pepijn Pinkse (AQO). We work closely together with our UT colleagues in the ANP department and from Saxion.

Assistant Professor in Surface Interaction Design and Engineering

Join us at the University of Twente, where cutting-edge research meets real-world impact. We are seeking a visionary Assistant Professor to pioneer new frontiers in Surface Interaction Design and Engineering -a field at the intersection of materials science, mechanical engineering, and human-centered design.

From smart coatings and tactile interfaces to micro-scale tribology and bio-inspired surfaces, your work will help redefine how materials behave, perform, and connect. If you're passionate about pushing boundaries, collaborating across disciplines, and mentoring the next generation of engineers and designers, we want to hear from you.

About the Position
As an Assistant Professor, you will be and integral team member of the vibrant, interdisciplinary Funcitonal Surface Engineering and Design group within the MS3 department of the Faculty of Engineering Technology (https://www.utwente.nl/en/et/ms3/research-chairs/fused). You will help us drive innovation in surface interaction design. Building on the pillars of topology, materials and metrology, your research will span topics such as tribology, adhesion, wettability, micro/nano-engineering, and human-material interfaces. You’ll bridge fundamental science and applied engineering, contributing to solutions that impact industries ranging from healthcare and robotics to aerospace and consumer technology.

You are expected to contribute to and take responsibility for research and teaching development in the following ways:

• Develop your own research identity in surface interaction design and engineering.
• Deliver high-quality research and disseminate the results in high quality international refereed journals and conferences.
• Build relevant and necessary networks to attract external funding (national science foundation, EU, government and industry)
• Teach, inspire and supervise students in the Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering programmes at both Bachelor and Master levels.
• Supervise and mentor EngD and PhD researchers.
• Design and deliver engaging courses in English.

PhD position on: “Sustainable Membranes through advanced foaming”

Within Membrane Surface Science (MSuS), part of the Department of Membrane Science & Technology (MST, www.membrane.nl), and Molecular Nanofabrication, part of the department of Molecules and Materials, both of the University of Twente, the Netherlands, we have a vacancy for a PhD student.

The project will focus on the production and characterization of new and sustainable membranes. Membranes play a critical role in the production of safe drinking water and in the treatment of human waste streams. However, membranes themselves are nearly always produced using costly, harmful and environmentally unfriendly aprotic solvents such as N-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP). This project will investigate a highly novel approach allowing the production of the next generation of advanced membranes without the need to use any organic solvents. Here, the complexation of positively and negatively charged polyelectrolytes will be the basis for a new method for the fabrication of membranes, requiring only water as a solvent. The porous structure of the membrane will be guaranteed by using a advanced foaming approach, that will also allow control over the membrane porosity and pore size. There will be a strong focus on connecting material properties to membrane performance.

The project is part of a larger NWO-VICI project, and as such the recruited PhD student will be expected to closely collaborate with at least 2 other PhD students and one postdoc within the project. While this PhD project will focus on sustainable membrane production, others will focus on advanced functionalities and on upscaling of these most promising membranes. This team oriented research project is intended to be a highly collaborative environment. Moreover, the project will be well integrated in the MSuS and MnF groups, allowing extensive collaboration and knowledge exchange.

As part of the PhD program, you would have the opportunity to receive further education within the Twente Graduate School and within various graduate education programmes in the Netherlands. Furthermore, you will be expected to actively contribute to the teaching program, e.g. by supervising BSc and MSc assignments or by acting as teaching assistants in courses taught by department staff members.