PhD position Transition Pathways and Stakeholder Participation Circular Use of Biowaste

Job description

Do you want to contribute to the transition to a circular bioeconomy by stakeholder workshops, pathway development, and research on innovation ecosystems for upcycling biomass waste?

ABEL (Ab Initio Biowaste Loop) project offers a 4-year PhD opportunity as part of an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research project funded by NWO under the National Science Agenda (NSA). This PhD study is in the Energy and Industry group of TU Delft’s Faculty of Technology, Policy, and Management. The project aims to develop new technologies to convert low-grade organic waste into high-performance biomaterials, while improving business, social, and environmental aspects, and to develop circular biowaste strategies, transition pathways, and policy mixes.

ABEL includes collaboration across TU Delft faculties, other Dutch universities, universities of applied sciences, companies, and stakeholders from the biowaste upcycling sector. It comprises 9 PhD positions and 8 Postdoc positions. The PhD researcher will build on innovation ecosystems thinking, transitions, and innovation learning, map the current innovation ecosystem, identify barriers for upscaling biowaste, develop pathways to address these barriers, and evaluate transition learning among stakeholders and project partners.

Collaboration with other researchers and consortium partners is expected, as well as outreach to stakeholders, innovative companies, and policymakers to gather data and validate results. Supervisors are Assistant Professor Jaco Quist and Associate Professor Emile Chappin.

You must have a Master’s degree, or an equivalent degree. Suitable fields include Inter/trans-disciplinary Sciences, Transition or Innovation Studies, Complex Systems Engineering and Management, Engineering & Policy Analysis, Management of Technology, Industrial Ecology, or relevant Social Science disciplines.

The following qualifications will be considered in the assessment, with the candidate profile guiding the research direction:

• Documented experiences and skills in qualitative research, participatory research, or quantitative modelling.
• Strong interest and background in the transition to a circular economy, circular innovation ecosystems, and participatory approaches.
• Ability to thrive in a technical environment.
• Excellent writing, presenting, and communication skills.
• Open-minded team player able to work in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate with stakeholders. The working language is English; strong written and spoken English is required, with Dutch proficiency considered an advantage.

TU Delft is a leading international university combining science, engineering and design, addressing challenges in energy, climate, mobility, health, and digital society. TU Delft embraces diversity and strives to engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish.

Doctoral candidates are offered a 4-year employment period, typically in two contracts. An initial 1.5-year contract with a progress assessment at 15 months, followed by a contract for the remaining 2.5 years if performance requirements are met. Salary and benefits follow the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, ranging from €3,059 to €3,881 gross per month (full-time, 38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.

The PhD candidate will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School, which provides an engaging research environment, supervision, and a Doctoral Education Programme to develop transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customizable compensation package, health insurance discounts, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. If relocation is needed, the university provides support through Coming to Delft Service and a Dual Career Programme to assist accompanying partners.

Interested applicants should apply no later than 5 March 2026 via the application button and upload the required documents: CV, Motivational letter, BSc/MSc diploma (in English) with grade transcripts and an official description of the grading scale. Applications can be addressed to Jaco Quist and Emile Chappin.

The first round of interviews will be on 16 and 17 March, with a second round scheduled for 31 March 2026. English proficiency is required for this PhD program.

For more information about this vacancy, contact Dr Jaco Quist (j.n.quist).

Please note:

You can apply online only. We will not process applications sent by email or post. A knowledge security risk assessment is conducted during recruitment to prevent unauthorized transfer of sensitive knowledge. The assessment is based on information provided by candidates and occurs in the final stages of the selection process. Details are available on our website about knowledge security.