PhD on Scalable Wide-Area EMT Simulation and Automated Stability Assessment KU Leuven in Belgium

KU Leuven and EnergyVille are offering a fully funded PhD position on scalable wide-area electromagnetic-transient (EMT) simulation and automated stability assessment for future transmission systems.

The project is hosted within the ELECTA research group of the Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT) at KU Leuven, with work connected to EnergyVille and the research team led by Prof. Jef Beerten. The group works on power systems, smart grids, HVDC, LVDC, renewable integration, and stability of converter-dominated networks. The position sits at the intersection of electrical engineering, numerical methods, and scientific computing.

The research topic addresses a key challenge for future power systems: as inverter-based resources such as offshore wind, battery storage, HVDC systems, and other converter-connected technologies become more common, EMT phenomena become increasingly important for system stability and operation. However, EMT simulation workflows are often too computationally demanding for large-scale national or regional transmission systems. This PhD aims to help make EMT-based stability assessment as systematic and routine as traditional RMS-based studies.

The successful candidate will develop scalable EMT simulation methodologies for large transmission systems, investigate model reduction, dynamic equivalencing, and network partitioning, and build parallel and high-performance computing approaches for EMT analysis. The project also includes automated workflows for large-scale stability assessment and contingency screening, as well as the identification and analysis of converter-driven stability phenomena involving HVDC systems, renewable generation, and battery storage. The methods will be validated on realistic utility-scale transmission-system models.

The ideal applicant holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Scientific Computing, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline, and has excellent academic results. A solid background in power systems and an interest in dynamics and stability are important, together with strong skills in numerical simulation, algorithm development, and scientific programming. Good English communication skills are required. Useful assets include knowledge of power electronics, HVDC systems, and inverter-based resources; experience with PSCAD, EMTP, RTDS, OPAL-RT, PowerFactory, or MATLAB/Simulink; programming experience in Python, Julia, MATLAB, or C/C++; and an interest in high-performance computing and parallel algorithms.

The offer is a fully funded 4-year PhD position at KU Leuven and EnergyVille, with access to state-of-the-art simulation infrastructure and realistic utility-scale models. The student will work with leading researchers and interact with transmission system operators and industrial partners, with opportunities for international conference participation and publications in high-impact venues. The working location is Genk, Belgium (EnergyVille), with the employer listed as KU Leuven.

Applications should be submitted via the KU Leuven application portal. Candidates must provide a CV, academic transcripts, a motivation letter, and a brief technical statement (maximum half an A4 page) explaining their motivation and the main computational challenges associated with wide-area EMT simulation and automated stability assessment. The application deadline is 2026-09-16.