The Leiden University Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) and the EU DG Joint Research Centre are looking for a :

Leiden/EU DG JRC Joint Doctorate PhD candidate for integrated circular economy modelling (ICM)
Are you an enthusiastic early career researcher who is keen to work on bottom-up and top-down modelling of the impact of a circular economy transition in terms of wellbeing (i.e. value and wealth creation, inclusion and distributive effects, and sustainability)? Are you interested to do a PhD at both Leiden University – CML and the EU’s DG Joint Research Centre in Sevilla? Then this could be the ideal PhD position for you!

Context and key responsibilities
The world is facing a multitude of challenges, from climate change and biodiversity loss to excessive waste and pollution and potential resource scarcity. This is systemically rooted in the linear, extractive nature of material and resource use in present-day society. An acceleration of a transition to a circular economy (CE) and society is urgently needed to tackle these sustainability challenges.

Leiden University leads the work package on modelling in a consortium of over 20 partners that won a 6 year National Science Agenda (NWA) project investigating the transition to a Circular Economy, called ACT! Other WPs include Visioning (including societal engagement), Pathways (for transitions), and Case studies (on furniture, built environment, manufacturing and households/communities). The EU’s DG Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Sevilla further set up a Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Agreement with Leiden on a secure and sustainable supply of raw materials. This work requires the same modelling as in ACT! The Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) of Leiden University and EU DG JRC hence offer a PhD position on Circular Economy modelling in which the PhD candidate works in year 1 and 4 at Leiden University and in year 2 and 3 at JRC in Sevilla.

The modelling suite is developed with another PhD in Leiden, and postdocs at Wageningen University, Tilburg University and Leiden. The work will further benefit from the Joint Doctorate program with EU DG JRC and from close interactions with non-university modelling groups partnering in the project. Short research stays may be organised at TNO and/or the Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving (PBL). Next to this, Leiden has strong interactions with work on global input-output modelling of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The PhD project is expected to cover:

1. Building detailed bottom-up physical stock vintages and flow data for the cases selected in WP4, using established methods from industrial ecology (MFA, LCI, LCA) that can be linked to the sector structure of dynamic models in task 3, typically represented by economic input-output tables (jointly with a Leiden PhD and postdoc)
2. Regional and sectoral specification of changes in distribution of asset ownership and value-capturing potential next to diffusion potentials of circular solutions, focusing on innovations proposed by WP4 (jointly with a WUR postdoc).
3. Developing an integrated micro–macro dynamic modelling suite for policy support by connecting the (usually static) bottom-up datasets developed in Task 1 and 2 to dynamic top-down CGE models, and vice versa (jointly with a Tilburg postdoc and EU DG JRC staff)
4. Using the WP2.3 model in combination with outputs from WP1 and WP3 to develop illustrative circular economy scenarios, feeding results on the best transition paths back to the cases in WP4 (all).

We hence look for quantitatively trained candidates, ideally familiar with life cycle assessment and material flow data, trade and economic/input output data, dynamic modelling, data harmonization, excellent in programming, and an interest to link their work to the more transition and system innovation WPs in ACT.

Preferred starting date is June/July 2025.

Selection criteria

• A completed (research) master degree in industrial ecology, (ecological) economics/ econometrics, or other studies resulting in excellent data and modelling skills
• Proven affinity with sustainability research and/or other environmental sciences;
• A team player with a collaborative attitude and ability to work within an interdisciplinary team composed of innovation specialists, historians, governance specialists and modellers;
• English language proficiency.
• Dutch language proficiency (not required, but given the Dutch cases an advantage);
• Willingness to spent 2 years at JRC in Seville and 2 years in Leiden
• A strong interest in the European project

Where you will work
The PhD trajectory will hosted by the Department of Industrial Ecology of Leiden’s Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML). It will be a Joint Doctorate position with JRC: for 2 years (year 1 and year 4) in Leiden, and 2 years (year 2 and year 3) at JRC in Sevilla.

The Institute of Environmental Sciences CML at the Faculty of Science
CML is part of the Faculty of Science, which is a world-class faculty where staff and students work together in a dynamic international environment. It is a faculty where personal and academic development are top priorities. Our people are committed to expanding fundamental knowledge by curiosity and looking beyond the borders of their discipline; they aim to benefit science and make a contribution to addressing the major societal challenges of the future. The research carried out at the Faculty of Science is very diverse, ranging from mathematics, information science, astronomy, physics, chemistry and bio-pharmaceutical sciences to biology and environmental sciences. For more information about the Science Faculty, click here.

The environmental science research in CML is organized around two major research areas: ‘Industrial Ecology’ and ‘Environmental Biology’. This makes CML one of the few institutes covering both the circular, sustainable economic use of natural resources and natural capital, as well as assessing the environmental impacts of economic activities on natural resources, biodiversity and natural capital. Presently, over 150 FTE (including postdocs and PhD candidates) are employed at CML. CML collaborates with the TU Delft and Erasmus University (Rotterdam) in the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for Sustainability (LDE-CfS).

EU’s Joint Research Centre, Directorate ‘Fair and Sustainable Economy’
The EU’s Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides the Commission with scientific advice and technical support in order to help formulate, implement and monitor a wide range of policies of the European Union. It has six Directorates on various locations in the EU.

Directorate B in Sevilla focuses on research into a Fair and Sustainable Economy. The Joint Doctorate will be hosted by Unit B5 Circular Economy and Sustainable Industry. The unit uses interdisciplinary science and methods to provide evidence that informs circular economy, industrial transformation / transition policies and green investments. For this, a wide range of analytical and modelling tools is used. Specific areas of work include:

• assessing innovative technologies for industrial transformation and shaping the regulatory framework for EU industry along its depollution, decarbonisation, circular economy and resource efficiency transition journey;
• producing scientific, technical, environmental and socio-economic analyses and evidence to support EU policy developments towards a more circular use and sourcing of materials for producers and the provision of greener, more sustainable products and services for consumers;
• providing scientific expertise to enable the assessment of the environmental and socioeconomic performance of economic activities, investments and transition plans.

For more information about the JRC, please consult https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en ; and https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-science-and-knowledge-activities/sustainable-materials_en .

Terms and conditions
We offer initially a one year contract at Leiden University, with at the end a go/no-go evaluation for the full PhD period. Year 2 and 3 will be spent at EU DG JRC in Sevilla, and year 4 again at Leiden University.

• The conditions for year 1 and 4 at Leiden University are:
• A salary ranging from € 2.901.- gross per month in year 1 to € 3707,- gross per month in year 4 following pay scale P of the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities. based on a full-time position. (38 hours), following pay scale P in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Holiday allowance (8%) and an end-of-year bonus (8.3%)
• An attractive pension scheme with ABP, ensuring your financial well-being both now and in the future
• Extensive options for secondary employment conditions: You can explore options such as sabbaticals, paid parental leave, and the individual choices model, which allows you to exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits like an advantageous sports subscription, bicycle scheme, and childcare options
• Hybrid working options: If your role allows, you can enjoy the flexibility of working from home within the Netherlands
• Home-working allowance: You’ll …