6 PhD positions (4 years) for the PhD Graduate School WERA on the topic "Phosphorus Recovery from Wastewater"

Term limitation:

4 years

Beginning:

01.07.2026

Location:

Kaiserslautern

Scope:

Full time

Remuneration:

E 13 TV-L

Administration and Services:

Mechanical and Process Engineering

With about 17,000 students, more than 300 professorships and around 160 degree programs, the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) is the technical university of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. As a place of top international research, it offers excellent working conditions and career opportunities. Those who study, research or work at RPTU experience a cosmopolitan environment and shape the future.

Are you interested in the sustainable use of natural resources and would like to learn the basics for efficient recycling methods as part of a PhD study?Then the PhD Graduate School WERA „Wertstoff Abwasser“ (Valuable Wastewater) is a good place for you. The RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau is looking for 6 motivated PhD students as of 01.07.2026 (or earlier).

In WERA, 13 cooperative research projects on the recovery of the important raw material phosphorus (P) from wastewater are being worked on together using novel natural scientific and engineering approaches through to technical implementation. In WERA, various processes, such as the synthesis of tailor-made adsorbers and innovative separation units for phosphorus recovery will be developed, combined in process chains and validated on a wastewater recycling pilot plant. Suitable methods for process analysis and characterization will be extended and the chemical-physical relationships will be studied using molecular and thermodynamic simulations. The research findings of WERA can be transferred to many other fields of the circular economy.

PhD study in WERA takes 4 years in a close cooperation between PhD students and interdisciplinary professors team. WERA’s study concept includes summer schools, keynote lectures given by internationally renowned scientists, topic-specific courses and interdisciplinary workshops as well as offers for visit of international research institutes. Due to a comprehensive scientific education of WERA you will obtain a highly qualified expertise in the promising fields of resource recovery and environmental technology.

The following PhD topics are available, which are explained in more detail by clicking on the topics (on ):

In Chemistry:

Supervisor: Prof. Stefan Kubik

In Process Engineering:

Supervisor: Prof. Fabian Jirasek

Supervisor: Prof. Sergiy Antonyuk

Supervisor: Prof. Erik von Harbou

In Wastewater Engineering:

Supervisor: Prof. Heidrun Steinmetz

Supervisor: Jun.-Prof. Carlo Morandi

Your area of ​​responsibility:

Your requirements profile:

Prerequisite for the PhD position is an Master's degree (or equivalent) in engineering, chemistry or physics.

We offer:

Health promotion

Family Service Center

Vocational Training

Flexible working hour

Jobticket

Retirement provision

Sport & Fitness programms

Culture & Leisure offers

Local recreation in the Palatinate Forest

RPTU stands for diversity among all employees. We welcome applications from all interested parties, regardless of their ethnic and social origin, age, religion, gender, disability and sexual orientation or identity. Preference will be given to severely disabled persons and persons equivalent to them if they have the appropriate qualifications and suitability.

The RPTU aims to increase the proportion of women in areas where women are underrepresented. Applications from researchers from abroad are expressly encouraged. The position can also be filled on a part-time basis.

Your application:

We look forward to receiving your detailed application:

• Letter of motivation that prioritizes one of the PhD topics of WERA
• Curriculum Vitae
• Copy of your degree certificate (Bachelor, Master or equivalent) with full academic transcripts directly to the supervisors of PhD topics (contact see ). You can contact the spokesperson Prof. Sergiy Antonyuk () for general questions about PhD Graduate School

by 31.01.2026 at the latest.

Please submit your application using the "Online Bewerbung" button below or via our application portal ().

Your contact at Department 3 Human Resources is .

For technical questions, please contact Ms. Prof. Sergiy Antonyuk (Tel.: 0631 205 3524, e-mail: ).