Utrecht University, Netherlands invites online Application for number of Fully Funded PhD Degree at various Departments. We are providing a list of Fully Funded PhD Programs available at Utrecht University, Netherlands.
Eligible candidate may Apply as soon as possible.
(01) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position in Algebraic Topology
In this PhD position you focus on learning new math, actively engaging with research questions, and working on papers, all with the ultimate goal of completing your PhD thesis. In these endeavors, you are supported by your supervisor, your additional mentors and other members of our large and lively topology group (of currently thirteen members). Besides working on your own research, you will actively contribute to our topology group by giving talks, organising seminars, and engaging with the other members of the group. The position comes with some teaching responsibilities, consisting mostly of work as a Teaching Assistant, with the possibility to lead a student seminar.
Deadline : 10 March 2025
(02) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position in Marine Palynology
The subantarctic ocean is one of the three main sinks of atmospheric carbon, and as such it acts as a profound mitigation mechanism of antropogenically induced climate change. This ocean zone faces strong oceanographic changes over the past decade –warming, stratification and freshening– all of which impact the carbon sink efficiency. Questions arise regarding the long-term role of the subantarctic carbon sink as negative climate feedback. In this project, you will combine proxy-based oceanographic reconstructions in the subantarctic zone with numerical lagrangian model simulations of iceberg melt to investigate how iceberg discharge affected the subantarctic zone as carbon sink in the past. In the first half of the project, you will generate dinoflagellate cyst, bulk carbonate geochemistry and biomarker records that document in high resolution the oceanographic changes in two existing sediment cores. In the latter half of the project, you will create lagrangian iceberg tracking simulations with the goal to quantify and map freshwater input from iceberg discharge during deglaciation phases. The ultimate goal is to infer paleoceanographic changes in the subantarctic zone during past deglaciation phases.
Deadline : 14 March 2025
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(03) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position in Physical Computing and Learning in Soft Matter
This project aims to explore the emergence of intelligent behaviour in materials composed of simple building blocks, such as water, ions, molecular receptors, lipids, and colloids. Using theory and simulations, we seek to understand how collective interactions lead to self-organised learning behaviours. From understanding the mechanisms for “learning”, leveraging topological defects in liquid crystals for information processing, to the hydrodynamic description of water and ion transport through neuromorphic networks, we aim to design materials with learning capabilities. Our approach involves exploring multistability, hysteresis, and non-linearity in soft materials for memory, learning, and computation. By systematically designing simplified models and conditions, we aim to understand and control emergent dynamic properties, and to gain insight into the emergence of cognitive functions and intelligent behaviour across various systems. This will enable us to create learning behaviour in cutting-edge materials. This pursuit may lead to smarter materials capable of storing and processing information, and even performing computations.
Deadline : Open until filled
(04) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position in Gene Regulatory Evolution
We are looking for an enthusiastic colleague who aligns with the following criteria:
- a Master’s degree in Biology or a related discipline – if you did not complete your MSc yet, please indicate in your application letter when you are likely to graduate;
- demonstrable experience in basic molecular biology;
- skills in genomics, computational biology/bioinformatics, and cell culture techniques are an asset;
- proficiency in academic English, both spoken and written.
Deadline : 6 March 2025
(05) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position on Reconstructing Himalayan Precipitation Change
Precipitation in the Himalaya is both a vital water resource for millions of people downstream and a frequent cause of disasters such as flood, landslide, debris-flows and avalanches. Ongoing warming impacts the large-scale atmospheric circulation systems, such as the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) that regulates the Himalayan precipitation patterns. However, instrumental records of precipitation changes in the Himalaya are scarce due to the challenging observational conditions in this area. In this 4-year study, you will reconstruct ISM precipitation changes over the past ~100-1000 years, based on lipid biomarkers and their isotopic composition stored in lake sediments along an elevation transect in the central Himalaya in Nepal. The biomarker records should reveal changes in precipitation amount and source over time and space, and provide unique insights in historical precipitation changes in the central Himalaya and the potential impact of global warming on large-scale circulation patterns such as the ISM.
A personalised training programme will be set up, reflecting your training needs and career objectives. About 20% of your time will be dedicated to this training component, which includes training on the job in assisting in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes of the departments at Utrecht University.
Deadline : 14 March 2025
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(06) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position in Analysing Effective Science Communication of Climate Change
Climate change is one of today’s most pressing issues, but in this polarised world it is unclear how scientists can best communicate about their latest climate science. In this PhD project, you will apply science communication theories to assess the effectiveness of climate communication within the EMBRACER project. As part of that project on feedbacks in the climate system, you will analyse its outreach programme. Do we reach the people we want to reach? What is the effect of our communication on our audiences? Are the words and visuals that we use impactful? And how can climate scientists communicate about climate change feedbacks in a hopeful way? Answering these questions will help advance the knowledge-base of climate science communication.
Deadline : 14 March 2025
(07) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD on Responsible Development of Digital Innovation in Mental Healthcare
During the development of many new products and services, insufficient thought is given to how these innovations could scale in a socially responsible way. Who can use these products, who is left out, what characteristics are important? We assume that innovators, together with a broad group of stakeholders, must think about important conditions for successful scaling at an early stage of the innovation process. At the moment, there is a need for a better understanding how to approach responsible scaling.
In the project you will learn about how innovations can improve local day-to-day practice in mental healthcare, and about the systemic conditions to facilitate this local implementation, such as regulations, participation of prospective users in decision making, governance, funding, etc. For this, a new theory for responsible scaling needs to be developed, resulting in diffusion pathways allow for contextualisation and tailored implementation. These pathways should include various societal perspectives and values (ethics, public values, company’s interests) from the very start. They should also be able to align with – or recommend changes for – institutional boundaries in the (mental) healthcare system.
Deadline : 28 February 2025
(08) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position in the Field of Climate Tipping
The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest rainforest. It contributes to massive amounts of CO2 storage and rainfall production for South America. Amazon dieback could be dramatic for the continent, but might also have global effects. For instance, it could lead to additional atmospheric CO2, changes in moisture transport into and/or out of the region, and alterations to large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. At the Copernicus Institute, the Amazon rainforest and its spatially cascading transitions have been studied for years using custom made data analysis and modelling methods.
The AMOC plays an important role in the global climate system, influencing temperature and rainfall patterns globally. A collapse of the AMOC would dramatically change Earth’s climate, leading for example in cooling of Europe, changes in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and precipitation changes in the Amazon rainforest. At IMAU, the potential of tipping of the AMOC has been studied for many years using, amongst others, models of different complexity, ranging from conceptual box models to state-of-the-art Global Climate Models (GCMs).
Within the NWO-Summit project EMBRACER, two PhD candidates will build synergies between the approaches taken at IMAU and the Copernicus Institute and address AMOC-Amazon interactions in detail, in particular the role of atmospheric teleconnections and of changing spatial heterogeneities in both the AMOC and the Amazon. In the specific sub-project at the Copernicus Institute, GCM output will be used for performing atmospheric moisture tracking in order to study spatially heterogeneous interactions between the Amazon and the AMOC. It will be determined how changing spatial heterogeneities in the moisture recycling patterns following AMOC collapse affect cascading tipping points in the Amazon rainforest, and vice versa. For example, a spatially heterogeneous reaction-diffusion model for the Amazon rainforest will be developed. Specifically, the role of spatial heterogeneities in the interactions between AMOC and the Amazon rainforest will be analyzed.
Deadline : 14 March 2025
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(09) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position on Climate Dynamics
The AMOC plays an important role in the global climate system, influencing temperature and rainfall patterns globally. A collapse of the AMOC would dramatically change Earth’s climate, leading for example in cooling of Europe, changes in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and precipitation changes in the Amazon rainforest. At IMAU, the potential of tipping of the AMOC has been studied for many years using, amongst others, models of different complexity, ranging from conceptual box models to state-of-the-art Global Climate Models (GCMs).
The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest rainforest. It contributes to massive amounts of CO2 storage and rainfall production for South America. Amazon dieback could be dramatic for the continent, but might also have global effects. For instance, it could lead to additional atmospheric CO2, changes in moisture transport into and/or out of the region, and alterations to large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. At the Copernicus Institute, the Amazon rainforest and its spatially cascading transitions have been studied for years using custom made data analysis and modelling methods.
Within the NWO-Summit project EMBRACER, two PhD candidates will build synergies between the approaches taken at IMAU and the Copernicus Institute and address AMOC-Amazon interactions in detail, in particular the role of atmospheric teleconnections and of changing spatial heterogeneities in both the AMOC and the Amazon. In the specific sub-project at IMAU, existing GCM simulations in which AMOC undergoes a collapse will be analysed to understand its effects on Amazon rainforest, collapse, and similarly understand the effects of Amazon removal on the AMOC. Based on these results, specific aspects of AMOC-Amazon interactions will be studied, by performing dedicated GCM simulations.
Deadline : 13 March 2025
(10) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD: Solid Oxide Electrolyser Performance for Green Hydrogen Production
You will be involved in the experimental study and performance evaluation of a 10-kilowatt Solid Oxide Electrolyzer (SOEC) system. This system will be tested under various operating conditions to understand its long-term durability, efficiency, and performance characteristics. Your primary focus will be on ensuring the performance of the electrolyser under dynamic operating conditions and assessing how different scenarios, such as ramp-up and ramp-down processes, impact the stack’s longevity and efficiency.
You will help assemble the SOEC system, which includes the stack (provided by various project partners) and all associated components. Once the system is set up, you will carry out electrochemical performance tests, including but not limited to measuring IV curves, analysing the system’s efficiency under different current loads, and conducting dynamic tests to simulate real-world operational scenarios. You will also examine the stack’s durability by running long-term tests, during which they will evaluate its stability, degradation patterns, and overall performance in terms of efficiency over time.
As part of the experiments, you will investigate the impact of various operational scenarios—such as fluctuating load demands, temperature changes, and ramp rates—on the electrolyser’s performance and lifespan. This will include measuring the electrolyser’s response to changes in load (ramp-up/ramp-down) and assessing its performance under transient conditions to better understand its real-time dynamics.
The role also involves reporting experimental findings in detail to both internal teams and external project partners. You will work closely with the fabrication and modelling teams to provide feedback on system performance and suggest potential improvements or modifications to the system’s design and operation for better efficiency and longevity. Additionally, you will collaborate with other researchers and students across the project to ensure that knowledge is shared and that the work is aligned with the broader goals of the HyPRO initiative.
Deadline : 28 February 2025
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(11) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD: Social Cognition and Reading Behaviour in a Digital World
This project is part of the national research programme (Nationale Wetenschapsagenda) ‘Becoming literate in a digital age: Adapting reading education in the Netherlands’. The educational system currently fails Dutch students. Nearly 25% of 15-year-olds in the Netherlands do not reach a minimum of reading comprehension and struggle significantly in their ability to evaluate and reflect on written texts.
The ultimate goal of the programme as a whole is to understand which types of reading education aid students, especially those who are at risk of a delay in their development as readers, to acquire the ability to process written information and to engage in reading behaviour in a digital world. The model that we develop will serve as foundation for the development of teaching methods and materials that can be considered by other projects in the programme.
Deadline : 16 February 2025
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(12) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD: Child Health through Artificial intelligence Models and Predictions
We are looking for two PhD candidates for the NGF AiNed Fellowship project ‘CHAMP: Child Health through Artificial intelligence Models and Predictions’.
Deadline : 16 February 2025
(13) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position in Player-Centric Video Game AI
We are looking for an enthusiastic new colleague who meets several or all of the following criteria:
- a Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field, with the ability and willingness to learn new skills as required for the PhD project;
- demonstrable experience with common AI frameworks/libraries (e.g. PyTorch, scikit-learn, Keras) and the associated programming languages – experience with approaches of generative AI (local LLMs/visual generation) is an asset;
- demonstrable experience with contemporary game engines (e.g. Unreal, Unity, Godot) and/or modding existing games;
- a solid understanding of player experience, game mechanics, what makes play difficult, interesting, and unique;
- a strong interest, motivation and enthusiasm for independent as well as team-based scientific research (including collaborative development, evaluation and writing);
- experience and interest in working with data (e.g. cleaning, analysing, drawing conclusions, and transforming complex data for scientific insights as well as interactive application);
- excellent spoken and written English communication and interpersonal skills.
Deadline : 16 February 2025
(14) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD position in Optimisation for Intelligent Charging of Electric Vehicles
In this research project, you will be working towards developing optimisation models that prescribe effective charging strategies for heterogeneous fleets of electric vehicles. Objectives to be modelled are, for example, the fact that the charging needs of the vehicles should be satisfied while considering the constraints imposed by the Low Voltage and Medium Voltage grid segments. For this, you will consider the power flow relations for a combined Medium-Voltage Low-Voltage network. At the same time, additional aspects such as the urgency of the charging needs and/or fairness among charging vehicles should be considered. Charging strategies are to be prescribed for a heterogeneous fleet of electric vehicles, including electric cars and shared cars, electric busses and electric trucks.
To be able to scale up the optimisation model proposed, you will also be investigating advanced decomposition methods and/or relaxation approaches for linear programming models. As input to your models, you will be analysing realistic datasets on charging profiles of various types of electric vehicles. With these data, you will analyse the performance of your optimisation models.
This PhD project is part of an European research project. As such, within the project you will have the opportunity to collaborate with other European universities and researchers. Also, as part of the PhD programme, you will have the opportunity to take technical courses on topics such as optimisation and data analysis, as well as courses on personal development.
Deadline : 19 February 2025
About Utrecht University, Netherlands – Official Website
Utrecht University is a public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Established 26 March 1636 (385 years ago), it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. In 2018, it had an enrolment of 31,801 students, and employed 7,191 faculty and staff. In 2018, 525 PhD degrees were awarded and 6,948 scientific articles were published. The 2018 budget of the university was €857 million.
Utrecht University counts a number of distinguished scholars among its alumni and faculty, including 12 Nobel Prize laureates and 13 Spinoza Prize laureates. Utrecht University has been placed consistently in the top 100 universities in the world by prominent international ranking tables. The university is ranked the best university in the Netherlands by the Shanghai Ranking of World Universities 2019, ranking 13th in Europe and 49th in the world.
The university’s motto is “Sol Iustitiae Illustra Nos,” which means “May the Sun of Righteousness Enlighten Us”. This motto was gleaned from a literal Latin Bible translation of Malachi 4:2. Rutgers University, having historical connections with Utrecht University, uses a modified version of this motto.
Utrecht University is led by the University Board, consisting of prof. dr. Henk Kummeling (Rector Magnificus), prof. dr. Anton Pijpers (Chair) and prof. mr. Annetje Ottow (Vice Chair).
Close ties are harboured with other institutions internationally through its membership in the League of European Research Universities (LERU), the Utrecht Network and the European University Association (EUA).
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