MSCA Doctoral Network BESCAPE - Fully Funded PhD Position in Contactless Power Transmission at the University of Mons University of Mons in Belgium

MSCA Doctoral Network BESCAPE PhD position at the University of Mons

This is a fully funded PhD opening within BESCAPE (“Advanced Wide Bandgap-based Power Processing and Management for Future Space Exploration”), a Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network / Joint Doctorate focused on advanced power conversion, control, and power distribution for future space exploration missions. The position is hosted by the Electrical Power Engineering Unit (EPEU) at the University of Mons in Belgium, with a joint degree pathway involving the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and industrial mentoring from Thales Alenia Space Belgium.

The specific doctoral project, DC8: “Innovative Contactless Power Transmission system to transfer energy from spinning solar arrays to satellite platforms in space”, centers on designing and implementing a high-frequency contactless power transfer (CPT) drive system using a multi-turn rotating transformer. The research aims to transfer energy from solar arrays to the power conditioning unit of a satellite platform and will involve developing electrical, magnetic, and thermal models, exploring advanced control strategies, and building and validating a proof-of-concept prototype.

This opportunity is well suited to candidates interested in electrical engineering, power electronics, electromagnetics, magnetic component design, control of power converters, and space systems. The project includes secondments at Thales Alenia Space Belgium for satellite power-unit design training and at UPM for finite element analysis modelling, advanced multi-winding CPT structures, and required PhD courses for the joint degree.

Funding is provided through the Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Networks programme under the BESCAPE project (Grant Agreement No. 101312786). The package includes a competitive salary with a Living Allowance, Mobility Allowance, and Family Allowance where applicable, together with a full employment contract and social security coverage under Belgian legislation.

Eligibility highlights include a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field; strong English proficiency; and MSCA mobility rules, meaning applicants must not have lived or carried out their main activity in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 36 months before recruitment. Applicants must also not already hold a doctoral degree and must satisfy the admission requirements of both UMONS and UPM.

The application deadline is 30 September 2026, 23:00 (Europe/Brussels). Applications are submitted by email with a Europass CV, academic certificates and grade lists, a valid ID or passport, and contact details of two academic referees.