PhD Opportunity: Bio-inspired Carbon-Sequestered Lightweight Plaster for Sustainable Buildings at KU Leuven

KU Leuven, ranked among the world’s top 50 universities and recognized as Europe’s most innovative university, invites applications for a PhD position in the Department of Materials Engineering at the Bruges campus. The successful candidate will join the multidisciplinary interfacial engineering research (iR) group, which collaborates across chemical, electromechanical, and civil engineering to advance materials interfaces in areas such as stimuli-responsive materials, energy storage, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage.

This PhD position is part of the FWO-funded ECOSPHERE project, aiming to develop a new class of sustainable building materials by directly converting CO2 into functional carbonates. These carbonates will serve as carbon-negative, high-performance fillers in coatings and plasters. The research will focus on improving CO2 capture efficiency using novel chemicals and converting CO2 to functional carbonates for lightweight, insulating gypsum plaster applications. The project sits at the intersection of green chemistry, carbon capture and utilization, building materials, and sustainable construction technology.

Eligibility and Requirements: Applicants must hold or expect to obtain a European Master’s degree in Engineering Technology, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Nanoscience, Sustainable Materials, or a closely related field, ranking within the top 10% of their class. Candidates should demonstrate a strong interest in CO2 capture, green chemistry, mineral binders, and/or novel solvents, and possess excellent English communication skills. Experience with SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, DSC, NMR, deep eutectic solvents, plaster materials, or building material formulation is advantageous. Prior research or industry experience and peer-reviewed publications are a plus. Communication skills in Dutch are a major advantage.

Funding and Offer: The successful candidate will be hired as a full-time PhD researcher on a one-year contract, renewable up to four years upon positive evaluation. The position is fully funded by the FWO project ECOSPHERE and includes access to state-of-the-art facilities, structured PhD mentoring, and the opportunity to contribute to high-impact sustainable technologies with real industrial relevance. The main workplace is the Bruges campus, with a dynamic and supportive research environment.

Application Process: Interested candidates should apply online via the KU Leuven job portal. For more information, contact Prof. dr. Veerle Vandeginste at [email protected]. KU Leuven is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity, and encourages applications from all qualified individuals.

Application Deadline: 28 February 2026

For further details and to apply, visit the official job posting.