PhD scholarship on end-of-life pathways for plastic products: Recycling of waste from 3D printing - DTU Engineering Technology

Do you want to launch your scientific career as an interdisciplinary researcher working on new emerging technologies? Are you interested in improving your skills in both materials science and environmental assessment and applying/testing them in a real industrial case?

If so, we invite you to apply for a 3-year PhD position at DTU Engineering Technology. Your work will tackle the urgent challenge of reducing the environmental footprint of plastics, working at the intersection of research and real-world application. Alongside developing strategies to measure and enable more recycling of specialty plastics, you will collaborate closely with our industrial partners on the specific topic of recycling waste from 3D printing. This will give you real life input for your modelling and allow you to implement and test your model. Your research will be part of a cross-disciplinary team that analyses the characteristics of recycled materials alongside environmental impacts.

Your specific case will be on waste from 3D printing, which can either be recycled or incinerated. Both data and processes will be informed in collaboration with two companies, one “PLA waste producer”, and the other, a “PLA waste receiver and recycler”.

Responsibilities and qualifications

We are looking for motivated candidates that have an MSc degree in engineering (e.g., environmental or mechanical engineering), materials science, chemistry, or a closely related discipline. Your primary tasks will be to:

• Develop quantitative mechanical, environmental and economic criteria for incineration and recycling as an end-of-life pathway.
• Combine these indicators into a broadly applicable framework for the end-of-life routes of specialty polymers in a range of industries.
• Investigate the feasibility and implementation of a fast and mobile measurement system to help companies make the decision of what pathway to follow for a given batch of waste.

Additionally, you are expected to (i) disseminate your research in academic (i.e., journal publications or conference presentations) and corporate settings (ii) participate in supervising B.Eng., B.Sc., and M.Sc. students and (iii) complete a 1-3 month a research stay abroad.

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree. Qualified applicants must also have good communication skills in English, both written and spoken as well as some experience in lab-based research and are expected to contribute to and embrace a collaborative, inclusive culture, engaging actively in inter-disciplinary community building.

Additional qualifications and experience in the following are also viewed positively:

• Life cycle assessment (LCA) or other sustainability assessment method
• Polymer characterization (for example, tensile testing and DSC before and after mechanical recycling of plastics)
• Business case development

Approval and Enrolment

The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education.

We offer

DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms

The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.

The expected starting date is 2026-10-01 (or according to mutual agreement). The position is a full-time position.

Application procedure

Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 31 July 2026 (23:59 Danish time).

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
• Reference letter (1-2pg)

You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.