PhD in Thermally Driven Membrane Processes for Water Treatment and Resource Recovery Applications

At the Faculty of Engineering and Science AAU Energy a position as PhD stipend is available within the general study program. The stipend is open for appointment from 1. July 2026 or soon hereafter. The duration of the position is three years.

Your work tasks
In this PhD position you will design and investigate thermally driven membrane processes with a primary focus on water treatment and resource recovery applications. You will combine numerical modelling in tools such as MATLAB and COMSOL with experimental work in the laboratory where you set up and operate test rigs characterize water streams and generate data for analysis and model validation.

The project is embedded in the international research projects BeyondBattRec and SpurUp so you will collaborate with partners across institutions and disciplines contribute to project meetings and present your results to stakeholders. You will be part of the Membranes research group at the Section of Thermal Engineering and take part in the groups academic activities including limited supervision of students and dissemination of your research at relevant conferences.

The position is offered in relation to the research group Membranes for Separation and Heat Transfer Applications and the PhD Student will be positioned to the section for Thermal Engineering.

Your competencies
You have a Masters degree in Energy Engineering or Thermal Engineering and a strong foundation in thermal sciences and thermal system design. You are familiar with thermally driven processes and would like to develop this further in the context of membrane-based desalination water treatment and heat transfer applications.

You are confident working with both modelling and experiments. You can use tools such as MATLAB and COMSOL Multiphysics for numerical analysis and you are used to planning and carrying out laboratory work including setting up test rigs performing water characterization and handling data acquisition in a systematic way.

You communicate clearly in English in writing and orally and you are used to collaborating in international and multidisciplinary environments. You work in a structured and analytical manner take responsibility for your tasks and contribute constructively to teamwork. You are curious open to learning new methods and willing to engage with colleagues and partners across different disciplines and cultures.

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Masters degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1124 of September 19 2025 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time. As part of the PhD study you are among other things required to complete PhD courses corresponding to 30 ECTS gain experience with teaching or other forms of knowledge dissemination and complete an external research stay outside of Aalborg University preferably 3-6 months at a foreign research institution.

Who we are
AAU Energy is a dynamic and internationally oriented research department at Aalborg University dedicated to developing clean and sustainable energy systems. Our research spans electrical thermal and mechatronic energy technologies and we work closely with industry and academic partners to address real-world energy challenges.

The department is located in both Aalborg and Esbjerg and this position is based at the Aalborg campus.
AAU Energy employs approximately 300 staff members from diverse national backgrounds including 39 technical and administrative staff and regularly hosts 20-30 guest researchers from around the world.

We offer advanced laboratory and workshop facilities and a collaborative environment that supports innovation knowledge sharing and professional development.

Learn more about AAU Energy at .

How to apply
Your application must include the following:

• Application stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the position
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Diplomas (bachelors and masters degree diploma including grades)
• Project description (4-5 pages) that:
  describes the applicants initial thoughts and ideas related to the specific project applied for. This includes a brief state-of-the-art (including short list of references) a time schedule and how the applicant intends to shed light on the project objectives
• Other relevant documents

The application must be submitted via Aalborg Universitys recruitment system which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg Universitys website.

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore everyone regardless of personal background and orientation is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions
If you have any questions about the position you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

For professional questions please contact Aamer Ali e-mail phone

Further information
Read more about our recruitment process here.

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline the head of the department with the assistance of the hiring committee will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires ensuring the safety compliance and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science

Salary and terms of employment

When pursuing a PhD at Aalborg University youll receive a stipend which includes both salary
and pension benefits. The base salary starts at a minimum of 31.24275 DKK before taxes with an
additional 1807% added for pension contributions. However the final salary can be negotiated
based on your qualifications and experience with seniority playing a key role in determining the
main salary.
Read more about pension options here.

At Aalborg Universitys Doctoral School engineering PhD students enjoy unique career
development opportunities. These include personalized DISC profile assessments with feedback
career-focused courses and networking events with trade unions employers and other relevant
parties. Learn more about these initiatives at our Career Hub.

The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish).

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish)

There is a mutual probationary period of 3 months for the position.

Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers students and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights new solutions to societal problems and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.