Nantes Université MSCA-PF 2024 - hosting offer at the GEPEA

Nadine Allanic, Professor from the GEnie des Procédés Environnement – Agroalimentaire (GEPEA) at Nantes Université is looking for postdoctoral candidates interested in applying for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) in 2024.

• Key words

polymer processing, recycling polymers, thermorheological

• What is a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship?

MSCA Postdoctoral fellowships support the career development of researchers for enhancing their individual competence diversification in terms of skills at multidisciplinary level and intersectoral experience. The MSCA-PF grant provides a competitive salary plus mobility and family allowances if applicable, as well as research, training and networking costs. This call to interest concerns the European Postdoctoral Fellowships (12 to 24 months of duration in Europe + optional placement in private sector in Europe of 6 months). For more information: MSCA-PF.

• Team description

GEPEA lab (comprising of 200 people with 70 permanent researchers) is internationally known for its interest in development of ecotechnologies and processes for bioresources in connection with many industrial fields, chief among others is to the challenge of energy transition. In GEPEA, researchers which work on IUT Nantes are specalists of thermal optimization of polymer processing with research activities concerning a large variety of materials (plastic, rubber, composite, in-situ polymers) and many processes (extrusion, injection, compression, thermoforming, drying, etc.). GEPEA has a large technological platform for recycling polymer and composites, develop biomaterials and efficient processes.

• Profile of the supervisor

Nadine ALLANIC is Professor at Nantes Université in Engineering Sciences. She teaches thermal sciences in the Institute of Technology of Nantes. Her current research activities are concentrated in thermo-rheological behaviour of polymer flow and Multiphysics optimization of forming process.

More information: https://cv.hal.science/nadine-allanic

• Research project

In GEPEA lab, by conducting several previous studies and research projects, we have shown the interest of developing a thermo-rheological cell to have really access to the thermal measurements of the melt polymer flow in extrusion and injection. We have overcome many difficulties to have robust and sensitive measurements while having an easily computable geometry hardware. In addition, having reliable polymer melt temperature measurement, and by using a thermal balance, we can access viscous dissipation and identification by innovative methods the viscosity (without needing pressure signals). This method could be transferred to real-time production estimation and should be an important step of progress in process monitoring.

The postdoctoral fellowship deals with the optimizing polymer production consistency by using this in-line original thermo-rheological tool to reduce waste and improve quality of process by autoself adaptative solutions.

• What are the eligibility criteria?

Candidates must hold a PhD at the call deadline (11 September 2024) and have 8 years maximum of full-time research experience after the PhD.

“Mobility rule”: candidates must NOT have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.

Candidates can be from any nationality.

Although not an eligibility criterion, a good track record is recommended.

• What’s in it for me?

1. Selected candidate will have access to online training programme and one-to-one proposal preparation sessions with our experienced European Officers.
2. Selected candidate will have the opportunity to come to Nantes for two days in the beginning of July to meet his supervisor and to start working on the writing of the project. The grant awarded for this stay will cover travel, hotel and subsistence expenses for 2 days and 3 nights (up to 1000€ for the EU countries and up to 2000€ for the non-EU countries). Nantes Université does not cover the visa fees.

• I’m interested. What should I do?

If you are interested and have the required background, apply by sending the application form to the European office (europe.drpi@univ-nantes.fr)

More information on the dedicated webpage

Registration for this scheme does not imply automatic funding. Applications will be examined in the light of the MSCA PF evaluation criteria, both by your potential supervisor and by the experienced European Officers. Selected candidates will be ranked and the short-stay grant will be distributed among them within the limits of the available budget.

You should expect feedback for your application by May 31^st.

• Brief description of Nantes Université

Nantes Université is a higher education and research institution created in 2022. This new institution has adopted a new University model unprecedented in France by bringing together a university, a university hospital (CHU de Nantes), a technology research centre (IRT Jules Verne), a public scientific and technological institute (Inserm) and higher education establishments (Centrale Nantes, École des Beaux-Arts Nantes Saint-Nazaire, École d’Architecture de Nantes).

Nantes Université is a sustainable and committed institution and one of the driving forces behind societal development. With a global and outward-looking culture, it promotes innovativeness and openness: open science, open research, open education, open innovation. Nantes Université has received the HR Excellence in Research Award and is already involved in various European projects, notably MSCA actions.