PhD candidate: chemical modification of starch

Welcome to Maastricht University

At Maastricht University, we believe scientific research should do more than advance knowledge—it should drive positive change. As a PhD candidate in this project, you’ll contribute directly to solving one of today’s most pressing challenges: reducing our dependence on fossil-based and non degradable plastics plastics.

This PhD position gives you the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of polymer chemistry, green synthesis, and sustainable materials development. You’ll be part of a growing interdisciplinary research community working across sectors and borders to realise the ambitions of the European Green Deal—starting from something as humble as the waste from potato industry.

About the project

This PhD position is part of the Interreg Flanders–Netherlands project bioZet, a cross-border collaboration between academic institutions and industry partners that aims to create biodegradable, bio-based materials from sidestream potato starch—a residual by-product from the food industry that often goes unused.

Our collective ambition is to convert this local, renewable resource into valuable alternatives for traditional plastics, resulting in materials suited for:

• Seed coatings for agriculture
• Paper enhancement and bio-based packaging
• Rheological modifiers in industrial formulations
• Biomaterials for 3D printing in healthcare

The project goes beyond scientific innovation: it helps build regional value chains, boosts circular use of biomass, and strengthens cross-border cooperation between the Netherlands and Flanders. In doing so, bioZet contributes to European climate targets—while anchoring the impact locally.

Your role in the project

As PhD candidate at Maastricht University, your task is to develop starch-based polymers through green chemical modifications tailored to specific applications. You’ll synthesise and characterise starch derivatives using advanced analytical methods, and collaborate closely with industrial partners who will test your materials in real-world settings. Based on their feedback, you’ll further optimise the molecular structure and processing conditions.

Your research will be supervised by Associate Professor Katrien Bernaerts within the Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM)—a multidisciplinary institute dedicated to sustainable materials research. Her group focuses on designing polymer materials with tunable properties and recyclability, using functional, biobased building blocks. Your workplace will be the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen, where academia and industry connect in a vibrant innovation ecosystem.

What you’ll do

As PhD candidate, you will:

• Design and perform green chemical modifications of starch to create application-specific polymers;
• Characterise the resulting materials using techniques such as DSC, TGA, DMA, rheology, and spectroscopy;
• Establish structure–property relationships that explain how molecular design impacts material function;
• Interact closely with industrial partners to exchange materials, evaluate test results, and adapt formulations;
• Scale up promising starch derivatives for prototype applications;
• Write and publish scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and present your findings at conferences;
• Contribute to the applied goals of the project by helping translate academic insight into commercially viable solutions.

What you bring

We are looking for a researcher who is excited to work at the interface of fundamental chemistry and real-world application. You don’t need to tick every box—we’re more interested in your motivation, your potential, and your drive to make a difference. Ideally, you:

• Hold a Master’s degree (MSc) in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field;
• Have hands-on experience in organic synthesis, polymer synthesis, and material characterisation;
• Are familiar with or interested in thermal/mechanical techniques such as DSC, TGA, DMA, rheology;
• Enjoy working with structure–property relationships and understanding how molecular design translates to material behaviour;
• Are open to collaborating with industry partners and adapting your research to practical feedback;
• Are creative, result-oriented, and value both scientific rigour and societal impact;
• Communicate fluently in scientific English (spoken and written); Dutch is not required;
• Want to grow as an independent, accountable researcher in a collaborative team setting.

What we offer
As a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Science & Engineering, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €2901,00 in the first year and €3707,00 gross per month in the fourth year (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow. 
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model. 
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students. 
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'. 

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM. 

Faculty of Science and Engineering  
At the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), we focus on themes such as circularity and sustainability, future farming, digitisation and (scientific) instrument development.  FSE's leading projects, like the Einstein Telescope Pathfinder, are sure to grab anyone's attention.  The faculty is a vibrant hub of education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS).  At FSE, over 450 staff members and 3700 students gather to explore e exciting interdisciplinary research and educational programmes. Feel welcome, be part of our team and put your brilliant mind to work!  
 

FSE at the Brightlands Campuses  
Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen, and Venlo, the home of four creative Brightlands campuses, are bustling with 30,000 entrepreneurs, researchers, and students working diligently to solve global challenges. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is active on all four Brightlands campuses, and this is where our impact reaches its peak. To give you an idea of what is happening at each campus: Sittard-Geleen is home to the largest chemical site in the Euregion, while Venlo is a large hub for agri-food innovation. Maastricht is the site of the Health Campus, and Heerlen is the place to be for Smart Services.  
 

Department

The Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM) is a department of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) at Maastricht University. AMIBM is a European cross-border research institute established by Maastricht University and RWTH Aachen University focusing on the development of advanced biobased materials. The mission of AMIBM is to replace traditional polymer building blocks with innovative and sustainable alternatives for the development of novel and environmentally-beneficial materials. AMIBM promotes world-class multidisciplinary research in the field of biobased materials, by training PhD students with the multiple skills needed to be future leaders in the field, and creating the research breakthroughs that will enable the utilization of sustainable and renewable materials for advanced materials applications. The multidisciplinary team draws together scientists with expertise in organic chemistry, biocatalysis, lead finding of new biobased blocks, polymer chemistry, polymer physics, polymer engineering, biobased and biomedical materials, tissue engineering, and industrial and medical applications. More information can be found via https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/research/institutes/amibm/research/ 

Research group Sustainable Polymer Synthesis
Main research focus is on the design and synthesis of sustainable polymer materials with tuneable properties for the circular economy. Sustainability entails biobased building blocks (but no biorefinery) instead of fossil raw materials, green routes for polymer synthesis and processing, as well as chemical recycling/reprocessing methods (biodegradability, depolymerization, dynamic bonds) to make the end-of-life of polymers more sustainable. Structure-property relationships of the resulting polymers are evaluated in several fields of application e.g. stimuli-responsive polymers, coatings, fibres, engineering plastics and biomedical materials. Growing focus on the use of artificial intelligence techniques to support and accelerate the experimental work, e.g. data interpretation and prediction of structure-property relationships.

https://sustainablepolymersynthesis.com/

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Katrien Bernaerts, Associate Professor Sustainable Polymer Synthesis (+31 43 388 2636, katrien.bernaerts@maastrichtuniversity.nl) for more information. 

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD candidate? 

To apply, please click on the Apply now button and submit:

• Cover letter including your motivation, your relevant experience (referring to the “description of the candidate”, above);
• CV;
• Names and contact data of two people who could provide a reference;
• Diplomas/degrees including a grade transcript of previous education.
   

We will recruit until the position is filled. The selection process commences immediately, but will close when a suitable candidate has been found, even if this prior to the final date of the application window.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.