Are you looking to take your education and career to the next level? Do you have a passion for research and a desire to make meaningful contributions to your field of study? If so, a Postdoctoral Fellowships may be the perfect choice for you.
Attention all aspiring scholars and researchers! The Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany is accepting applications for our prestigious funded PhD programs. Apply to the Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany’s PhD program today and take the first step towards a rewarding and fulfilling academic career.
1. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
Climate and land use change have significant impacts on terrestrial ecosystems. Effective management and adaptation strategies to global change require reliable forecasts of matter and energy flows. The Institute of Bio- and Geosciences – Agrosphere (IBG-3) addresses this challenge by enhancing the limited understanding of complex system responses to environmental stress to improve the prediction of hydrological and bio-geochemical processes in terrestrial systems. Your work will foster the integration of process-based models and machine learning to achieve model-based predictions in soil systems close to real-time.
2. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
In this position, you will be an active part of our ESDE research group and take over responsibility for developing novel solutions to air quality forecasting with machine learning models. As a starting point of your thesis, you will extend and enhance our air quality forecasting tool MLAir ( https://gitlab.jsc.fz-juelich.de/esde/machine-learning/mlair ) so that it can be applied to a variety of air pollutants and in regions outside of central Europe. You shall also improve computational aspects of the model deployment and evaluation. During your PhD you will work togehter with a large and growing network of scientific AI experts from around the world.
3. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
The electrocatalytic interface engineering department led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Simon Thiele focuses on synthesis, manufacturing, analysis and simulation of functional materials to find an optimum structure on small scales from the micrometer to the nanometer scale. The investigated materials and systems play an essential role in sustainable technologies like water- and CO2-electrolyzers, as well as in fuel cells.
4. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
Would you like to contribute to the energy transition in Germany through your work? Then the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (for Renewable Energy) (HI ERN) is the right place for you! The HI ERN forms the core of the close partnership between Forschungszentrum Jülich, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for Materials and Energy, and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg at the Erlangen site. The collaboration relates to the areas of innovative materials and processes for photovoltaic energy systems and hydrogen as a storage and carrier medium for CO2-neutral energy. Support us researching and developing solutions for the climate-neutral, sustainable, and cost-effective utilization of renewable energies.
5. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
As PhD student you will be responsible for patient evaluation in an ongoing clinical study collecting digital biomarkers in patients with Parkinson’s disease as well as support digital biomarker deployment in a planned clinical studies in oncology patients. In parallel, you will work on development of analysis pipelines for digital biomarker data and apply machine learning algorithms and advanced statistical methods to relevant clinical neuroscience questions. In addition, working in a team you will contribute to the further development of a digital biomarker platform allowing for collection of sensor-based data in real-life (i.e. using smartphone-embedded sensors).
PhD Career: What are the Career Option?
6. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
At the Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Energy Systems Engineering (IEK-10) we focus on the development of models and algorithms for simulation and optimization of decentralized, integrated energy systems. Such systems are characterized by high shares of renewable energies and increasing sector coupling, which leads to high spatial and temporal variability of energy supply and demand as well as a high degree of interdependence of material and energy flows. Our research at the IEK-10 aims to provide scalable and faster-than-real-time capable methods and tools that enable the energy-optimal, cost-efficient and safe design and operation of future energy systems.
7. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
Would you like to actively shape the structural change in the Rhenish mining area together with us? With us you have the chance to join the newly founded Institute for Sustainable Hydrogen Economy (INW) with your ideas right from the start. Together with the H2 demonstration region, the INW forms the “Helmholtz Cluster for sustainable and Infrastructure-Compatible Hydrogen Economy” (HC-H2). Here, scientific foundations are laid in the field of innovative hydrogen technologies in order to advance research and development approaches with high sustainability potential and attractive economic prospects. You will be part of the institute`s department INW-1. In INW-1, the focus is on the elementary processes on the catalyst surface during the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of hydrogen storage molecules. If you are interested in the topics of energy transition, sustainability and chemical hydrogen storage, then you are in your element here. Become part of the team and make the world a bit more sustainable!
8. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
Would you like to actively shape the structural change in the Rhenish mining area together with us? With us you have the chance to join the newly founded Institute for Sustainable Hydrogen Economy (INW) with your ideas right from the start. Together with the H2 demonstration region, the INW forms the “Helmholtz Cluster for sustainable and Infrastructure-Compatible Hydrogen Economy” (HC-H2). Here, scientific foundations are laid in the field of innovative hydrogen technologies in order to advance research and development approaches with high sustainability potential and attractive economic prospects. You will be part of the institute`s department INW-1. In INW-1, the focus is on the elementary processes on the catalyst surface during the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of hydrogen storage molecules. If you are interested in the topics of energy transition, sustainability and chemical hydrogen storage, then you are in your element here. Become part of the team and make the world a bit more sustainable
9. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
An intact visual pathway, from the optic nerve via subcortical centers to the visual cortex, is a prerequisite for successful transmission and processing of the visual input of a retina implant. Thus, the aim of the present project is to study adaptations in the brain of blind rats using several in vitro and in vivo imaging methods.
10. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
Would you like to contribute to solutions to climate change and resource scarcity? Work with us at the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences – Plant Sciences (IBG-2). We develop novel bioeconomy concepts for the intensification and sustainability of plant production as well as the use of the produced biomass in integrated biorefinery processes. The IBG-2 has a globally leading position in plant phenotyping, focusing on dynamic plant-environment interaction combined with technology development, engineering, digitization and bioinformatics. One key aspect of the research at the IBG-2 targets alternative biomass, cell wall and secondary metabolite biochemistry and its interaction with biomass conversion techniques in integrated biorefinery processes. Through our work we target the development of plants and processes for future climate and production conditions, while reducing the environmental footprint. This PhD project is embedded in the DFG project FAIRAgro (www.fairagro.net).
11. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
We are working on scalable electronic architectures based on semiconductor spin quantum bits (qubits) to make the vision of a universal quantum computer reality. For scaling up the number of qubits into the millions, it is crucial to move parts of the control electronics closer to the qubits. To achieve this, we design and implement cryogenic integrated circuits for qubit control and readout in state-of-the-art CMOS technologies. Since qubits are extremely sensitive and operate in temperatures at low millikelvin levels, the requirements on power consumption, noise and area are severe. For this reason, it is necessary to develop new and groundbreaking architectures and circuit topologies. Modeling electronics and their interfaces to qubits in this challenging environment is an essential part of this.
12. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
In pursuit of better energy storage solutions, IEK-9 is researching novel battery systems such as metal-air utilizing environmentally friendly, cheap, abundant materials (e.g. Zinc or Iron). The leap to practical application of metal-air batteries won’t happen without deep understanding of the degradation processes occurring at different conditions and modes of operation. The failure mechanism of a cell is often manifested by changes in the morphology of active material. However, besides the anode, such a cell consists of electrolyte, cathode (membrane providing oxygen for reaction), current collector and separator. This makes the whole system more complex. Even a slight change to pH or molarity of electrolyte, might drastically alter its behavior, and up to now – there is no comprehensive study quantitatively linking the environmental variables (pH, molarity) with observed morphology and electrochemical information.
13. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
The multidisciplinary Institute for Advanced Simulation – Materials Data Science and Informatics (IAS-9) brings together disciplines ranging from data analysis and machine learning to materials simulation, research data management and software development under one roof. In doing so, we extract new information from simulations and experiments, identify patterns, structure, and trends in microscopy data, and ultimately improve our understanding of why materials, processes, or general systems work the way they do. In addition, we benefit from a strong connection to the Ernst-Ruska-Centre for Electron Microscopy and to the Jülich Supercomputing Center. One part of our research activity is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of materials science and electron microscopy.
14. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
The multidisciplinary Institute for Advanced Simulation – Materials Data Science and Informatics (IAS-9) brings together disciplines ranging from data analysis and machine learning to materials simulation, research data management and software development under one roof. In doing so, we extract new information from simulations and experiments, identify patterns, structure, and trends in microscopy data, and ultimately improve our understanding of why materials, processes, or general systems work the way they do. In addition, we benefit from a strong connection to the Ernst-Ruska-Centre for Electron Microscopy and to the Jülich Supercomputing Center. One part of our research activity is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of materials science and electron microscopy.
15. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
The PhD thesis project aims to develop novel nanobiotechnological approaches for the manipulation of conductive cable bacteria fibers with the goal of obtaining a new material for biodegradable electronic circuits. The core conductive structure of Cable Bacteria are the periplasmic protein fibers, for extraction of which the intact cable bacterium filaments should be treated chemically and mechanically. The extracted fibers will serve as the raw substance for the protein fibers-based material. The quality of the fibers’ extraction and reproducibility of the method should be evaluated using such methods as SEM, TEM, and AFM. On the next stage, the assembly of the fibers should be performed using the self-assembly, shear-coating, and other biochemical and mechanical approaches. Electrical and electrochemical characterizations will be conducted to evaluate the material performance.
PhD Career: What are the Career Option?
16. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
The electrocatalytic interface engineering department led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Simon Thiele focuses on manufacturing, analysis, and simulation of functional materials to find an optimum structure on small scales from the micrometer to the nanometer scale. The investigated materials and systems play an essential role in sustainable technologies like water- and CO2-electrolyzers, as well as in fuel cells.
17. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
You will be part of the top-class scientific department “Chemical Hydrogen Storage” at the renowned HI ERN. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Peter Wasserscheid and Dr.-Ing. Michael Geißelbrecht, our department researches and develops a wide range of topics related to chemical hydrogen storage along the entire process chain. In particular, issues in the field of the LOHC technology are addressed across different scales. These topics include the development of tailor-made catalysts, the development and modeling of reactors, and the realization of demonstrators. The department is a world leader in the field of LOHC technology. Become part of this innovative research team!
18. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
Organic Electrosynthesis has recently emerged as a powerful application for future sustainable chemical processes, Its selectivity and efficiency however rely on developing dedicated catalytic materials. Due to the poor time resolution of offline analytical methods, conventional try-and-error experiments are generally non-informative concerning monitoring electrode process transients and thus inapplicable for high-throughput experimentations, essential for the complexity of reaction parameters to optimize. You will be part of a team to advance and utilize a unique platform for online real-time analysis employing Mass Spectrometry for the investigation of selective and efficient chemical CO2 utilization in electrochemical processes.
19. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
We are offering a PhD position dedicated to the advancement of cryo-STEM imaging methods at the interface of structural biology and material science electron microscopy at the Forschungszentrum Jülich. Cryo-EM has become a very powerful method to visualize ice-embedded samples including purified proteins at close to atomic resolution. Single-particle cryo-EM as well as cryo-ET are based on conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) exposures taken in underfocus. In this project, we aim to further develop the imaging capabilities based on 4D-STEM including differential phase contrast as well as ptychography in order to apply them to vitrified biological specimens.
20. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
SiC Fiber Reinforced-SiC Matrix Ceramic Matrix Composites (SiC/SiC CMC) are advanced structural materials developed for future gas turbine engine technology. Environmental Barrier Coatings (EBC) are required for the mitigation of oxidation and volatilization reactions of underlying SiC/SiC CMC in the engine atmosphere. State-of-the-art EBC systems comprised of a bond coat which provides oxidation resistance and a second volatilization barrier as a topcoat layer. The high-temperature limitation in these EBC/CMC systems currently stems from the low melting temperature of the bond coat material.
21. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
IBG-2 plays a globally leading role in retrieving and interpreting solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) measured with imaging and non-imaging sensors at different spatial scales (from leaf up to satellite observations) to monitor the dynamics in vegetation photosynthesis. In this context, the offered PhD position is embedded in a collaborative project together with partners from the German Aerospace Center (PBA) and Bonn University (RSRG). The main goal of the collaborative project is to derive leaf biochemical and canopy structural information from optical and LiDAR data and use this information in the 3D Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model to disentangle the functional (photosynthetic) and structural (architectural) contributions to forest canopy SIF derived from remote sensing observations.
22. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
You will join our research team, the Simulation and Data Lab Quantum Materials, and carry out cutting-edge research to extend a scientific software (libNEGF) used to simulate quantum transport in nano-electronic devices. You will be part of a pan-European Center of Excellence (EoCoE) co-funded by the EU with the ultimate goal of advancing large scale “in silico” simulations with application to energy production and transport. You will play a key role in enhancing code scalability on European pre-exascale and future exascale systems (LUMI, LEONARDO, JUPITER, etc.), implementing novel parallel algorithms and ensuring the overall scalability of the code.
23. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
In the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences – Agrosphere (IBG-3) we conduct research to improve our understanding of biogeochemical and hydrological processes in terrestrial systems. Specific studies focus on environmental controls on biogeochemical cycling of elements, the analysis of exchange processes and nutrient dynamics in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. A combination of experiments, modelling and innovative observation technologies is used to bridge the gap between model, process and management scale. Its research contributes to the sustainable and resource-conserving use of soils and water and to the quantification of the effect of climate and land use change on terrestrial ecosystems.
24. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
At the Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Materials Synthesis and Processing (IEK-1), we work in a dynamic and international team of over one hundred materials scientists, chemists, physicists, mechanical engineers and technical staff on the development of advanced energy converters and high-performance storage devices (in particular oxide ceramic fuel cells, solid-state batteries, thermal barrier coatings for gas turbines and gas separation membranes). The focus is on inorganic materials processed as functional layers from powders or via the gas phase. For this purpose, we use scalable, industry-relevant processes that ensure rapid transfer of our research results to industry. Thus, our work contributes significantly to closing the gap between basic science and application.
25. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
PEM electrolysers are promising energy converters for producing hydrogen with energy from wind and solar power plants, as they can react particularly quickly to fluctuations in the grid. In order to develop long-lasting electrolysers, stable catalysts for water splitting are needed in particular. The aging behavior of electrodes in PEM electrolysers is therefore to be investigated in a German-Korean cooperation project.
PhD Career: What are the Career Option?
26. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
As a PhD candidate you will be part of the Helmholtz Young Investigator Group “ClimStress – Climate stress impacts on forest emissions and aerosol pollution” at the Institute for Energy and Climate Research – Troposphere (IEK-8) within Forschungszentrum Jülich. Globally, forests emit more than 80% of volatile organic compounds, which are reactive drivers of atmospheric chemistry and precursors to air pollutants. Since climate change stresses forests (through stressors like, e.g., drought, heat, or herbivory), their volatile organic compound emissions are changing, with potential impacts on climate and air quality. The goal of this project is to enhance our understanding of the future impact of forest emissions under climate change on atmospheric chemistry.
27. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
We look for excellent candidates who are interested in experimental work on van der Waals heterostructures for the engineering and characterization of exotic superconducting phases. Heterostructures will be fabricated on-site and studied in our state-of-the-art scanning tunneling microscopes.
28. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
The aim of this doctoral project is to develop physical simulation models for memristive devices. In particular, a compact model that describes the switching behavior of gradual switching VCM cells has to be developed. Based on the models, design rules for the usage of memristive components shall be concluded. Various commercial simulation tools and self developmed environments are available at the institute for this purpose. The work is being done as a part of a team of PhD students covering the range from atomistic calculations and modeling of compact models to circuit design.
29. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
The department “Computational Molecular Medicine” follows an interdisciplinary and integrative approach, combining INM-9`s theoretical expertise in protein modelling, simulation, free-energy calculations and in silico molecular investigations with practical approaches from the fields of experimental biochemistry and organic synthesis. These physics-based approaches are combined with machine learning methods in order to derive relationships and correlations between molecules on the basis of multi-omic data. Finally, the Computational Molecular Medicine department also contributes to INM-9`s efforts to move to the systemic level. The goal is to relate events at the molecular level to real biological reactions.
30. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
One of the outstanding scientific challenges is the construction of an architecture and development of a methodology that can enable useful quantum computing. The mission of the newly founded Institute for Functional Quantum Systems, located in Aachen & Jülich (PGI-13, www.funqs.de), is to create the technological and scientific basis to make this a reality. We use superconducting qubits that operate at temperatures close to absolute zero and are controlled by high-speed signals. We focus on developing the quantum devices, improving their coherence and materials, and implementing quantum gates and algorithms. A key requirement is to preserve high quality quantum operations as we scale. Overcoming these exciting challenges lies at the interface between scientific research and engineering insight.
31. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons requires verification of whether states are complying with corresponding agreements.. At the Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Nuclear Waste Management (IEK-6), we develop approaches and procedures for international nuclear material safeguards, especially in the context of nuclear waste management. Become part of our interdisciplinary team and further develop data science and digital methods for safeguards applications.
32. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
The Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Stratosphere (IEK-7) and related universities are building a series of Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometers (SHS) for remote sensing of the Earth atmosphere. The activities are part of the International Satellite Program in Research and Education (INSPIRE) and a European Union funded activity to study innovative technologies in space. Scheduled launch dates for these novel instruments are from 2023 to 2026. The scientific objectives of the measurements are addressing open science questions related to the dynamics of the Upper Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere. This region couples Earth`s lower atmosphere and nearer space and is facilitating both the influence of the atmosphere onto the ionosphere and hence our space assets as well as upper-atmosphere influences onto the lower atmosphere.
33. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
The transformation of the energy sector is a major challenge of the 21st century. The techno-economic systems analysis (IEK-3) uses large models to investigate the question, of which technologies energy systems need to be composed in order to become both, cost-efficient and environmnetally friendly. Become part of our international research group and gain insights into the future of the energy sector. Not only you can use your expertise to create prognoses on the future capacity expansion, but also get an overview of different technologies and their synergies.
34. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
You want to apply your data science knowledge to the societal challenges of our modern world? Then the devision of Bioinformatics IBG-4 at the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences at Research Centre Juelich is the right place for you. The IBG-4 develops methods and algorithms to achieve a fundamental understanding, especially of high-dimensional data in the bio-economy. The IBG-4 focuses on knowledge management and data integration, classical bioinformatics and machine learning, in particular for the prediction of phenotypes on biological questions concerning transcriptional reprogramming of plants during abiotic stress response, identification of metabolic pathways for secondary metabolites and understanding plant cell wall biosynthesis. As Helmholtz School for Data Science in Life, Earth and Energy (HDS-LEE), we aim to educate and train the next generation of data scientists during their doctoral thesis in close contact to domain-specific research in three application domains: Life and medical science, earth science, energy systems and material science.
35. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
The Peter Grünberg Institute for Quantum Control (PGI-8) at the Forschungszentrum Jülich specializes in novel optimization strategies for emerging quantum technologies. These emerging technologies aim to provide transformative changes to our society, including how we think about information, and unlocking vast calculations for the natural sciences, logistical problem solving, and high-performance computation. Our group has pioneered the application of quantum optimal control methods to quantum computation and many-body quantum systems. This includes the development of physical models and model reduction techniques as well as algorithmic advances of in-situ optimization and machine learning to tackle the complex processes inherent to scalable quantum devices. Are you looking for a new challenge? Our team is looking forward to receiving your application!
PhD Career: What are the Career Option?
36. Fully Funded PhD Program
About PhD Position
Would you like to contribute to the energy transition in Germany through your work? Then the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (for Renewable Energy) (HI ERN) is the right place for you! The HI ERN forms the core of the close partnership between Forschungszentrum Jülich, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for Materials and Energy, and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg at the Erlangen site. The collaboration relates to the areas of innovative materials and processes for photovoltaic energy systems and hydrogen as a storage and carrier medium for CO2-neutral energy. Support us researching and developing solutions for the climate-neutral, sustainable, and cost-effective utilization of renewable energies.