PhD Position: Sustainability Assessment of Pharmaceuticals

1. Introduction

Would you like to contribute to more sustainable solutions in healthcare? Then come and join us as a PhD Candidate, and help us develop, support and apply of methods to determine the environmental sustainability of pharmaceuticals.

2. Job description

Pharmaceuticals are essential for human well-being. However, the production and use of pharmaceuticals can harm the environment, for example through the use of solvents and the emission of greenhouse gases in the production phase, and the emission of pharmaceutical residues in the use phase.

The EU PharmEco project aims to revolutionise pharmaceutical manufacturing towards sustainability by integrating environmentally friendly technologies/processes and harmonised sustainability assessment methods into healthcare industry practices. As a PhD candidate at Radboud University’s Department of Environmental Science, you will evaluate existing tools and develop new methods to assess the environmental impacts of alternative pharmaceutical synthesis routes. These synthesis routes will be assessed within the context of the safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) framework. Within this context, it is also possible to contribute to other sustainability aspects, such as the assessment of environmental risks during the use phase of pharmaceuticals.

You will work closely with project partners from around Europe, participate in relevant conferences and workshops, and contribute to project deliverables. You will have the opportunity to further develop and improve your skills set by attending courses offered by the Graduate School of the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Science (RIBES) and other institutes. You will communicate your findings through publications in peer-reviewed journals. Part of your workload (10%) will consist of teaching activities at our institute, assisting staff members in their courses at the BSc and MSc levels (in English) and supervising thesis research.

3. Profile

• You should hold an MSc in one of the environmental, natural or engineering sciences, in which you have acquired knowledge and skills in the fields of life cycle assessment and/or chemical risk assessment.
• You have analytical modelling skills, motivation and good communication skills.
• You especially have a good command of oral and written English. Experience with environmental modelling and data analysis is a plus.  

4. We are

As a PhD candidate, you will be appointed at the Department of Environmental Science of the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences. The focus of the Department is on quantifying, understanding and predicting human impacts on the environment. In our research, we cover multiple pressures, species and spatial scales, searching for overarching principles that can ultimately be applied to better underpin environmental management and biodiversity conservation.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract (1.0 FTE) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract).     
• You will receive a starting salary of €2,901 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,707 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Support Service. The Dual Career Programme assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. Our Family Support Service helps you and your partner feel welcome and at home by providing customised assistance in navigating local facilities, schools, and amenities. Also take a look at our support for international staff page to discover all our services for international employees.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Rosalie van Zelm. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application.

The first interviews will take place on Tuesday 11 February. You will preferably start your employment on 1 April 2025.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates.