Project tasks and objectives: The scientific objectives include: 1) To study the state-of-the-art of the recycling processes currently present for inorganic and PSK and the related patents (at worldwide level); 2) To analyse the regulations and policies in force in the PV field in Europe; 3) To develop and optimize the recycling processes to recover metals, supports and plastics on a lab scale; 4) To carry out a feasibility analysis of the proposed technology.

The DC will acquire a broad range of knowledge of the state of the art in related fields, such as recycling processes currently present for inorganic and PSK panels, regulations and policies in force in the PV field in Europe, development, optimization and validation of processes that allow the recycling of the IPVs panels (Inorganic, PSK). Furthermore, DC will acquire knowledge in the field of feasibility analysis.

The DC will also be involved in dissemination through social media promotion of the network, such as project webpages, LinkedIn groups, YouTube video channels and blogging.

Place of employment: Sapienza University of Rome/Eco Recycling office and operative site, Italy: 36 months

Place planned mobility: during these 36 months the following mobility plan is foreseen for the DC:

• UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA: 3 months from M17 with the purpose of Fabrication of inorganic IPVs focusing on substrates and metal electrodes.
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA TOR VERGATA: 4 months from M30 with the purpose of Fabrication of PSK-based IPVs with focusing on substrates and metal electrodes.

Supervisory team: Emanuela Moscardini (Eco Recycling), Edgardo Saucedo (UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA), Francesca Brunetti (UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA TOR VERGATA)

Starting date: Middle september, 2025.

Duration of the work contract: 36 months/full-time contract 

Target degree: PhD degree from Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

PHD IN CHEMICAL PROCESSES FOR INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENT | SAPIENZA

Approximate gross salary: the candidate will be given a full-time fixed-term contract. This contract will correspond to 12 monthly salaries and a Gross Annual Income of 32160€. Consequently, the monthly net salary will be approximately 1900€. Furthermore, plus family allowance if applicable as defined in Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Network call.

Eligibility: Recruited researchers can be of any nationality. Doctoral Candidate must be eligible to be enrolled into Doctoral Program at SAPIENZA University and have not been awarded a doctoral degree. The researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc) in the country of his/her employer (SAPIENZA University, Italy) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to his/her recruitment. 

The applicant must be in possession of Master of Science (MSc) diploma at the beginning of the employment.

English language requirements: Proficiency in written/spoken English is mandatory. 

Application 

Closing date: 17.04.2025

The applicant must submit the following documents through the mail amministrazione@ecorecycling.eu, only a clear copy of the documents will be considered:

• Certified copies of the bachelor's and master's degree certificates with the Diploma Supplement (DS) as approved by the EU Commission for degrees completed in European universities (when applicable) Official translations into English (if the original documents are in a language other than English)
• Curriculum Vitae/CV (preferably in Europass format)
• List of publications (if any) your contributions in the publication
• References: Contact details of 2 or more referees included in the CV
• Motivation letter: maximum 1 page where you introduce yourself and present your qualifications; you may include also your previous research fields and main research results. Please emphasize your future goals career-wise
• Proof of residence: Statement and certificates/documents demonstrating your residence(s) in the last 4 years

During the validity period of this application, Eco Recycling will proceed to form a commission for the evaluation and selection of the figure through interviews.  This figure will be enrolled in the doctoral course in Indutrial Chemical Processes (41st Cycle) of the La Sapienza University.

Additional information

Working and living conditions in Italy at SAPIENZA University and Eco Recycling company- Eco Recycling is a company (President Prof. Luigi Toro, CEO Emanuela Moscardini) that was founded in 2008 from the collaboration of university researchers, “La Sapienza” University and two SMEs operating in the field of environmental technologies and the IT sector. It is expert in the development and implementation of innovative processes and plants for the recovery of value elements from secondary raw materials from WEEE, waste, residues and complex minerals and decontamination of complex matrices. Eco Recycling has an industrial experimental platform on which are located the prototype and demonstration units dedicated to the treatment of different types of WEEE, waste, residues and complex minerals. Furthermore, in this platform the company has several laboratory-scale equipment that it uses to optimize innovative technologies. The company owns several patents mainly relating to the treatment of batteries and photovoltaic panels that have reached the end of their life. The core team is made up of engineers, industrial chemists and technicians with solid experience in the R&D sector, in the design and construction of plants.

Eco Recycling will take a PhD without a scholarship, and it will pay for the doctorate. The PhD student will have a company tutor.

The Sapienza University of Rome is a public research university located in Rome, Italy. It was founded in 1303 and is as such one of the world's oldest universities, and with 122.000 students, it is the largest university in Europe. Due to its size, funding, and numerous laboratories and libraries, Sapienza is a major education and research centre in Southern Europe. The university is located mainly in the University city, which covers 44 ha (110 acres) near the Tiburtina Station, with different campuses, libraries and laboratories in various locations in Rome.