As one of three PhD candidates in the STREAMLINED project, you will be appointed within an interdisciplinary consortium working on the development of new analytical technology for nanoplastics. Together, the three PhD candidates will build an integrated workflow that connects representative sampling, sample preparation, multidimensional characterization, automated method development and chemometric data analysis. Each candidate will take ownership of one work package, while collaborating closely with the other PhD candidates, academic supervisors and consortium partners.

PhD 1 (appointed at UvA): Sampling and sample preparation for nanoplastics in aquatic environments

• Develop and evaluate sampling and sample-preparation strategies for nanoplastics in aquatic matrices, including the use of reference materials, filtration, ultrafiltration, cloud-point extraction, digestion strategies and preconcentration workflows.
• Assess recoveries, matrix effects and method robustness in relevant water samples, and contribute to the development and validation of sampling protocols that are compatible with downstream separation and characterization methods.

PhD 2 (appointed at VU): Multidimensional characterization of nanoplastics

• Develop size-based separation methods for nanoplastics, using techniques such as hydrodynamic chromatography and field-flow fractionation, with a focus on robustness, resolving power and compatibility with molecular characterization.
• Design and implement an interface that couples liquid-phase nanoplastic separations to Py-GC/MS, enabling the correlation of nanoplastic size distributions with molecular composition in a single analytical workflow.

PhD 3 (appointed at UvA): Chemometric data analysis and automated method optimization

• Develop chemometric and computational strategies to extract meaningful chemical information from complex multidimensional datasets generated by the STREAMLINED analytical workflow.
• Create and apply automated method-development strategies, including Bayesian-optimization approaches, to optimize separation, modulation and data-processing conditions and improve the robustness and accessibility of the methods.

Across the project, you will collaborate intensively with academic researchers and public and private partners, contribute to validation and implementation of the developed methods, publish your work in peer-reviewed journals, present your results at scientific and consortium meetings, participate in relevant secondments, and contribute to teaching activities within the department. The three work packages follow the STREAMLINED structure on sampling strategies, structural characterization, and data-analysis algorithms and optimization.

• A degree at MSc level in a field relevant to STREAMLINED, such as analytical chemistry, separation science, mass spectrometry, chemometrics or data science;
• Excellent communication skills in oral and written English;
• Candidates with demonstrated experience with sampling strategies (PhD1), (multi-dimensional ) separation science methods such as PyGC-MS, FFF and/or LC-MS (PhD2), data analysis strategies, machine learning and optimization methods such as Bayesian optimization strategies (PhD3) are strongly preferred.
• Ability to use theoretical concepts relevant for the above-mentioned techniques to design your work, interpret results and propose next steps and/or ability to develop these.
• Motivation to take ownership of your topic and independently tackle scientific challenges.;
• Willingness to work with researchers from different disciplines and with public and private consortium partners.

In your application letter, please specify how your experience in the relevant field adds value to the STREAMLINED project and the analysis of nanoplastics to advance material development and environmental analysis.

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is ultimately between 1 August and 1 September 2026. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and ranges between €3,059 (1st year) to €3,881, scale P. This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile Promovendus is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at both Science Park (UvA) and the O2 building on the VU campus we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime);
• multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• partly paid parental leave;
• the possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• a pension at ABP for which UvA/VU pays two third part of the contribution;
• the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here or here VU employment conditions.