The UFZ
The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with its 1,100
employees has gained an excellent reputation as an international competence
centre for environmental sciences. We are part of the largest scientific
organisation in Germany, the Helmholtz association. Our mission: Our research
seeks to find a balance between social development and the long-term
protection of our natural resources.
The job
The UFZ offers four PhD positions in the framework of the PhD college
“Fostering pollutant-sink functions of blue-green infrastructures: towards
local urban water cycles in climate-resilient cities - CLEANER”. The aim of
CLEANER is to identify the control options for biodegradation of urban
pollutants in blue-green infrastructures – tree trenches and wetland roofs -
and develop technical solutions based on the joint research within the PhD
college (seewww. ufz.de/cleaner for more information).
Project start: 1 st May 2023.
Your tasks
You develop carbon-based sorbents and strategies for their implementation
in urban percolation systems to improve retention and biodegradation of
contaminants in urban runoff.
You apply sorbent-filled laboratory percolation systems to quantify
effects of sorbent properties, hydraulic residence times, speciation
(incl. particle-bound contaminants), and microbial biomass on the
retention and biodegradation efficiency of the test compounds
You investigate mechanisms of microbe-sorbent interactions and
biodegradation efficiency of sorbed contaminants in laboratory experiments
and an urban (tree trench) test site.
You collaborate with all other PhD candidates of the CLEANER project,
You present results at international conferences and prepare publications
in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
We offer
Excellent technical facilities which are without parallel
The freedom you need to bridge the difficult gap between basic research
and close to being ready for application
Work in inter-disciplinary, multinational teams
Excellent links with national and international research networks
Excellent support and optimal subject-specific and general training with
our HIGRADE graduate school
Remuneration in accordance with the TVöD public-sector pay grade 13
Your profile
A MA degree (or equivalent) in environmental microbiology, environmental
biotechnology, environmental chemistry, or related fields.
Profound knowledge of environmental microbiology and environmental
chemistry.
Self-driven personality able to work both independently and in a team
Prepared to work in an interdisciplinary environment
Very good written and oral communication skills in English.