4 PhD positions in BlueVantage: water reuse, wastewater treatment, micropollutants and PFAS at Wageningen University & Research Wageningen University & Research in Netherlands

Wageningen University & Research’s Department of Environmental Technology is recruiting 4 PhD candidates for the BlueVantage research programme. The projects sit at the intersection of environmental science, water reuse, wastewater treatment, microbiology, chemical engineering, biofiltration, ion exchange, anaerobic treatment, micropollutants, PFAS, and agricultural water reuse.

BlueVantage is a large consortium with scientific and societal partners focused on finding safe and sustainable ways to reuse water, recover resources, and improve circular water systems. The four PhD topics are: anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater; ion exchange for ammonium removal; biofiltration for removal of micropollutants from concentrated streams; and evaluating water reuse in agriculture under future effluent requirements.

Across the projects, students will work on laboratory experiments, modelling, data analysis, and collaboration with consortium partners. Depending on the project, the research may involve microbial consortia, reactor design, separation processes, LC-MS/MS and HRMS analysis, plant-pot experiments, risk assessment, and predictive modelling in Python, Julia, or Matlab.

Supervision is provided by researchers including Prof. Adriaan Mels, Dr. Dainis Sudmalis, Dr. Miriam van Eekert, Dr. Paula van den Brink, Dr. Jouke Dykstra, Dr. Thomas Wagner, Dr. Nora Sutton, Dr. Milou van de Schans, and Dr. Stefan van Leeuwen. The work is embedded in the Department of Environmental Technology and, for one project, Wageningen Food Safety Research.

The positions are fully funded PhD jobs with a salary starting at €3,059 per month and rising to €3,881 per month in year four, based on a 38-hour work week. The contract is temporary for 18 months and can be extended for the project duration if performance is good. WUR also highlights a course programme tailored to the candidate and research team.

Eligibility highlights include an MSc degree in a relevant field, strong English at C1 level, and availability to start on 1 September 2026. Some projects prefer microbiology, physical chemistry, process modelling, laboratory experience in complex matrices, or experience with micropollutant/PFAS analysis and plant systems. Collaboration, communication, and interest in both fundamental and application-inspired research are important.

The application deadline is 25 May 2026. Applicants must apply through the WUR vacancy page, submit a CV and motivation letter (maximum 3 pages total), and complete the mandatory online form linked in the vacancy. Only applications submitted through the website will be considered.