Applicants are invited for a PhD scholarship at the Department of Management Engineering, the Technical University of Denmark for appointment 1 January 2009.

The aim of the project is to develop knowledge and test methods for involving users and their insights in the production of new textile qualities and new types of products. This is expected to create new insights in the conception of and practices concerning textile materials, products, and processes based on user engagement and user oriented knowledge for innovation and design processes.

Description of the project
The research will be based on studies of users and use practices. Also the role of professional users mediating between producers and end users will be included. The outcomes not only aim at designers and product developers, but touch all phases of the product creating process. It is expected to engage users and knowledge of use practices as a resource for a renewal of products, design processes, procedures, and innovation strategies.

The activities will entail:
Identification of places where use practice and use can be made object of observation and dialogue by employing methods inspired by anthropology. These will create a basis for communication between users, designers, architects, engineers and others involved.

Establishing concepts and experience of textile qualities and products, which can support a professional effort when using the flexibility and ambiguity connected to the observation and communication of user practice and needs.

The innovative task in relation to user-driven processes demands new skills and responsibility in management of how product development and design is managed in the companies.

PhD Scholarship Engaging Users in Innovation and Communication of Textile Qualities, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Denmark … read more »

Applicants are invited for a PhD scholarship at the Department of Management Engineering, the Technical University of Denmark for appointment 1 January 2009.

The aim of the project is to analyse road-mapping methods, their contexts and their use as a strategy tool in industrial product development and in public governance of strategic research. A critical analysis of the assumptions and theoretical foundation of road-mapping methods will also be part of the research. Road-mapping is seen as a strategic management tool in strategic research, design and innovation activities.

Description of the project
Road-mapping has gained international recognition as part of a broader discussion of R&D management and governance of strategic research. Road-mapping has been developed as a management tool for aligning strategic research, product development and marketing activities. As such it can be used in different contexts for making decision about research strategies and putting priorities on product development, design ideas and investments in innovation. ?

Much of the scientific literature on road-mapping is rather descriptive and focused on practical use and experiences. There is a need for developing the theoretical foundations as well as the methodology used in road-mapping. Theoretical contributions can be found in the fields of strategic management (with emphasis on learning, decisions and strategising) and innovation economics (with emphasis on path dependencies, clustering of innovations, and trajectories). Also the field of sociology of knowledge and technology might offer relevant contributions with emphasis on the flexibility of interpretations, the building of semiotic networks, and the focus on co-production offers relevant insights into the innovation process.

PhD Scholarship in Road-mapping for Design and Innovation, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark … read more »

A 3-year PhD scholarship is available at Centre for Electric Technology (CET) at Department of Electrical Engineering for appointment as soon as possible.

CET offers outstanding career opportunities, has very strong relations to the industry and focus on developing an intelligent electric power system enabling high a share of renewable energy.

Description of the project
The focus of the PhD is to analyse and develop an optimal voltage/reactive power control aimed for future power systems with high penetration of wind power. A possible solution is to utilize the reactive power control capabilities of active distribution networks (sub-grids e.g. virtual power plants) and at the same time considering the physical and operational constraints of the transmission grid. The focus of the project is the development of a strategic approach for an optimal grid response taking into account the capabilities of the sub-grids with different operational modes. A novel artificial intelligence based tool for optimal reactive power/voltage control should be developed considering the stochasticity of distributed energy resources.

The PhD project will qualify you to become a researcher while developing your understanding of intelligent decision support systems (I-DSS) for modern power systems. You will be part of a strong research team at CET while expanding your personal network and contributing to the world knowledge base of DSS. Continuous dialogue with a network of multidisciplinary researchers will be supported through CET.

PhD Scholarship in Optimal Reactive Power / Voltage Control of Power Systems with High Penetration of Wind Power, Technical University of Denmark … read more »

Applications are invited for a PhD scholarship in the area of attenuation of organic pollutants arising from contaminated sites, in particular integrated process studies of a surface water- ground water system at plume scale. The PhD position will be funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research and the Technical University of Denmark in the research project RISKPOINT.

Project description
The RISKPOINT project aims to develop a complete risk assessment tool that can be used to identify and prioritise clean up and management of point sources of contamination to groundwater.

Management of such systems requires detailed understanding of biogeochemical processes relevant for attenuation processes for organic contaminants like chlorinated solvents. The aim is to obtain detailed process understanding using state of the art field and laboratory methods and develop new tools. The project will be focused at a highly instrumented field site at a groundwater surface interface in a catchment in Denmark. The site will be investigated with respect to hydrogeology, biogeochemical processes and ecological impact on the river system from a contaminant plume. Geophysical characterization as well as advanced reactive transport modeling will be carried out at the site and in the catchment.

PhD Scholarship in Biogeochemical Process Understanding at a Groundwater – Surface Water Interface, Technical University of Denmark … read more »

PhD scholarship in modeling of stochastic processes and signals, in particular the dynamics of motile microorganisms and shot-noise limited localization of fluorescent probes on stretched DNA. A 3-year full stipend for graduate study leading to a PhD in engineering is available in the Stochastic Systems and Signals group at the Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology.

Applicants should have a Master’s degree and a good background in theoretical physics/applied mathematics, in particular in statistical mechanics and computer programming. In return, he/she will receive an all-round training in the analysis and modelling of stochastic systems and signals, in particular

1. data-driven modelling of motile microorganisms (cells and neurites),
2. statistical assessment of the effect of nanostructures on biological properties of cells, such as stem cells, neurons, and neuronal networks, based on experiments performed by partners in Nanoscale (see below),
3. Brownian motion of DNA in nano-channels, and
4. shot-noise limited localization of fluorescent probes along stretched DNA.

PhD Scholarship in Modeling of Stochastic Processes and Signals, Technical University of Denmark … read more »