The European Training Network POLYSTORAGE “Innovative Polymers for Next-Generation Electrochemical Energy Storage” announces 16 positions for Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) with the option of being awarded a doctoral degree. All positions are limited to a duration of 36 months. Within the program, the young researchers are part of a comprehensive network of European as well as Australian universities and companies right from the beginning. They are offered the possibility to work on real-life technical issues, to act across multiple European countries and organisations, and to present their results at workshops in front of industrial users and Stakeholders.
About POLYSTORAGE (www.polystorage-etn.eu):
The development of advanced storage technologies to enable the integration of sustainable energy sources in the electric grid represents a major challenge for our society. In the last years, lithium-ion batteries attracted great attention and became the most known and widespread battery systems in our society. However, since they contain toxic and/or scarce metals, e.g., cobalt and nickel, as well as flammable solvents, the development of more environmentally friendly and safer battery technologies represents a priority. Additionally, this technology is limited when flexibility, low cost, or even higher energy density are important. POLYSTORAGE will tackle these limitations by developing highly innovative polymer electrolytes and polymer active materials for advanced post-lithium batteries.
Polymers are currently applied in lithium-ion batteries mostly as additives and/or binders. The next generation of energy storage technologies needs new polymer innovations to solve current technological issues. In particular, novel polymer electrolytes, being compatible with advanced electrode materials (e.g., Na, K, Ca, Mg, Li-metal, Na-air) and displaying high ionic conductivity and mechanical stability, as well as innovative redox-active polymers for the use as active materials in emerging polymer-based battery technologies (polymer redox-flow batteries (pRFBs) and hybrid organic batteries) are urgently needed. The new polymers will be optimized for processing in semi-automatic or fully automatic pilot lines and the best performing system will be scaled up and integrated in real cell configurations by an industrial partner.
The main scientific and technical objectives are:
Synthesis of innovative polymer architectures with multiple functionalities (ionic/electronic transport, ionic/mechanical properties, and redox performance/high solubility).
Investigation of the supramolecular organisation using cutting-edge techniques (high-res 3D imaging, cryo-TEM, cryo-STEM) to enable in-situ characterisation of the materials.
Development and integration of significantly improved polymer electrolytes and polymer active materials for advanced battery technologies.
Realisation of a semi-industrial redox flow battery system optimized for the new polymer-based chemistry
Upscaling of selected polymer electrolyte systems, which will be integrated in lab-scale prototype cells, and basic proof-of-concept engineering of a pilot plant.
The multidisciplinary aspect of POLYSTORAGE is reflected in the high number of research areas within the proposed program including polymer chemistry, ionic liquids, supramolecular self-assembly, polymer physics, advanced characterisation, electrochemistry, energy storage technologies (e.g., Na, K, Mg, Ca, hybrid organic, pRFBs, Na-air), and engineering. The ESRs will benefit from a comprehensive training program featuring inter-sectorial and multidisciplinary technical courses, rich transferable skills training and international secondments with a strong focus on industrial experience. The POLYSTORAGE researchers will be capable of leading interdisciplinary research activities with a unique expertise. In this context, the POLYSTORAGE training network will serve as a European platform for outstanding doctoral training in the field of innovative polymers for next-generation electrochemical energy storage.
The positions will be hosted at the following institutions:
Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany) – 2 PhD positions (ESR 1, ESR 2)
University of the Basque Country (Spain) – 1.5 PhD positions (ESR 3, ESR 9*)
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) – 1 PhD position (ESR 4)
Uppsala University (Sweden) – 2 PhD positions (ESR 5, ESR 6)
Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium) – 1 PhD position (ESR 7)
Politecnico di Torino (Italy) – 1 PhD position (ESR 8)
IMDEA Energy (Spain) – 1.5 PhD positions (ESR 9*, ESR 10)
LITHOPS S.R.L. (Italy) – 1 PhD position (ESR 11)
University of Pau (France) – 1 PhD position (ESR 12)
Aalto University (Finland) – 1 PhD position (ESR 13)
National Institute of Chemistry (Slovenia) – 1 PhD position (ESR 14)
E22 Energy Storage Solutions (Spain) – 1 PhD position (ESR 15)
Deakin University (Australia) – 1 PhD position (ESR 17)
*ESR 9 will be a shared employment of the University of the Basque Country (18 months) and IMDEA Energy (18 months).
**ESR17 will be paid by Australian funds.
The POLYSTORAGE consortium is supported by both academic and non-academic partner organisations:
Scania CV AB (Sweden)
Toyota Motor Europe (Belgium)
Evonik Creavis GmbH (Germany)
TCI Europe (Belgium)
Calix - Europe SARL (France)
Chemspeed Technologies AG (Switzerland)
NETZSCH Gerätebau GmbH (Germany)
University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Solvionic S.A. (France)
Repsol S.A. (Spain)
Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Calix Limited (Australia)
Available projects:
Details of each project can be found at www.polystorage-etn.eu. Here you can find a short summary of the 16 ESR positions:
ESR 1
Title: Micelles of redox-active amphiphilic diblock copolymers for water-based polymer redox flow batteries
Host institution and PhD enrolment: Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany) (https://www.uni-jena.de/)
Planned start of employment: 01.05.2020
ESR 2
Title: Solid polymer electrolytes for hybrid organic polymer batteries
Host institution and PhD enrolment: Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany) (https://www.uni-jena.de/)
Planned start of employment: 01.03.2020
ESR 3
Title: Synthesis of naturally inspired redox polymers
Host institution and PhD enrolment: University of the Basque Country (Spain) (http://www.polymat.eu/)
Planned start of employment: 01.03.2020
ESR 4
Title: Development of hybrid organic batteries with solid polymer electrolytes and redox polymer electrodes
Host institution and PhD enrolment: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) (https://www.kit.edu/english/)
Planned start of employment: 01.05.2020
ESR 5
Title: Polymer coatings of ceramic electrolytes and fabrication of all-solid-state post-lithium-ion batteries
Host institution and PhD enrolment: Uppsala University (Sweden) (http://www.uu.se/en)
Planned start of employment: 01.03.2020
ESR 6
Title: Synthesis of ABC-type block copolymers for increased mechanical stability and ionic mobility
Host institution and PhD enrolment: Uppsala University (Sweden) (http://www.uu.se/en)
Planned start of employment: 01.05.2020
ESR 7
Title: Development of redox-active block copolymers featuring good electrical and ionic conductivities as new materials for organic radical cathodes
Host institution and PhD enrolment: Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium) (https://uclouvain.be/)
Planned start of employment: 01.03.2020
ESR 8
Title: Development of advanced all-solid-state polymer electrolytes using innovative rapid and solvent-free procedures
Politecnico di Torino (Italy) (https://www.polito.it/)
Planned start of employment: 01.05.2020
ESR 9
Title: Development of redox-active colloids/suspensions for semi-solid redox flow batteries
Host institutions: University of the Basque Country (Spain) (http://www.polymat.eu/) (01.03.2020 – 31.08.2021);
IMDEA Energy (Spain) (https://www.energy.imdea.org/) (01.09.2021 – 28.02.2023)
PhD enrolment: University of the Basque Country (Spain)
Planned start of employment: 01.03.2020
ESR 10
Title: Development of conjugated porous polymers with enhanced electrochemical properties
Host institution: IMDEA Energy (Spain) (https://www.energy.imdea.org/)
PhD enrolment: University of the Basque Country (Spain) (http://www.polymat.eu/)
Planned start of employment: 01.05.2020
ESR 11
Title: Polymer-electrolyte optimisation and feasibility study on the industrialisation of the production process
Host institution: LITHOPS S.R.L. (Italy) (https://www.faam.com/eng/)
PhD enrolment: Politecnico di Torino (Italy) (https://www.polito.it/)
Planned start of employment: 01.05.2020
ESR 12
Title:Control of the hierarchical self-assembly of ion-containing block-copolymer blends and exploration of the morphology-electrochemical-properties correlation
Host institution and PhD enrolment:
University of Pau (France) (https://www.univ-pau.fr/en/home.html)
Planned start of employment: 01.03.2020
ESR 13
Title: High-resolution morphological characterisation and 3D imaging of self-assembly polymer electrolytes and Copolymer micellisation
Host institution and PhD enrolment:
Aalto University (Finland) (https://www.aalto.fi/en)
Planned start of employment: 01.05.2020
ESR 14
Title: Hybrid organic polymers for post-lithium-ion batteries
Host institution: National Institute of Chemistry (Slovenia) (https://www.ki.si/en/)
PhD enrolment: University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) (https://www.uni-lj.si/eng/)
Planned start of employment: 01.03.2020
ESR 15
Title: Polymer-based redox flow battery system and characterisation
Host institution: E22 Energy Storage Solutions (Spain) (https://energystoragesolutions.com/)
PhD enrolment: University of the Basque Country (Spain) (http://www.polymat.eu/)
Planned start of employment: 01.05.2020
ESR 17
Title: Ionic-liquid polymer electrolytes for sodium-air batteries
Host institution and PhD enrolment:
Deakin University (Australia) (https://www.deakin.edu.au/)
Planned start of employment: 01.03.2020
ESR 17 will be Paid by Australian funds.
Selection process
Applicants submit the required documents via the application platform at www.polystorage-etn.eu as well as to the responsible supervisor:
- The requested information include the filled application form (see www.polystorage-etn.eu), a motivation letter, a detailed CV (Europass format preferred), transcripts of bachelor and master degree (including class ranking if possible), and two potential referees. Candidates may apply for one to maximum three positions and indicate their preference in the application form. During the registration, applicants will need to prove their eligibility (cf. ESR definition, mobility criteria, and English language proficiency).
- General guidance for applicants: The ESR positions will also be advertised locally at the respective institutions and local recruitment sites. These local/individual advertisements will have further details including local PhD admission criteria and application deadlines.
- Among the applications, the supervisor will prepare a short-list of 5 (min. 3).
- After the deadline interviews will be conducted, when possible face-to-face, if not, through videoconference and the candidates will be ranked by the supervisor.
- The candidate ranking will be presented to the Recruitment & Gender Equality Committee for the final decision.
- For transparency, a recruitment report will be edited by the supervisor, detailing the number of candidates (general profile), reasons for not have been selected. The supervisor will inform all the non-successful candidates by mail.
- Required documents:
- Application form (can be downloaded from the application platform on www.polystorage-etn.eu)
- Motivation letter
- Curriculum vitae of at most 3 pages. Europass C.V. format preferred (https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/documents/curriculum-vitae)
- Transcripts and certifications from university: Bachelor and master degrees, including class ranking if possible
- Contact data of two potential referees, who may be contacted for a recommendation letter