Understanding environmental, economic and social sustainability for recovery of products from waste water

Project ID: 
ESR14
Home institution: 
TUDelft
Host institution: 
UGent
Start date: 
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Duration: 
36 months, may be extended up to 48 months
Main supervisor(s): 
Patricia Osseweijer
John Posada
Cosupervisor(s): 
Jo Dewulf
Anna Garfi
Objectives and expected results: 

Objectives

  • Understand the most sensitive issues of sustainability for products and energy recovery from waste water streams, and develop a learning approach for responsible research and innovation from the R&D activities developed within the project;
  • Translate research activities and findings into policy recommendations;
  • Design a model for integral sustainability impact analysis for research design and policy advise.

Expected results

  • Environmental, social and economic impacts assessment of technologies/processes for recovery of products and energy from waste water streams;
  • Analysis of societal challenges for technologies deployment;
  • Approach for interaction with scientists to exchange information on sustainability impacts and challenges as a tool for responsible research and innovation;
  • Model to fully describe and integrate the most sensitive issues of sustainability for products and energy recovery from waste water streams;
  • Identification of sustainability sensitivities and hurdles;
  • Policy recommendations based on findings from the integral sustainability analysis;
Planned secondment(s): 

2 stays of four months each after completion of the 1st and 2nd years of the PhD research (for multicriteria analysis and LCA), and 2 internships at OVAM of one month each in the first and last year.

Specific entry requirements: 
  • The candidate should have a Master degree in any of the following areas and (demonstrable) experience in at least one other: chemical engineering, biochemical engineering, process engineering, waste treatment technologies, environmental engineering, or environmental sciences.
  • The candidate should have an affinity for understanding the broader context of waste treatment technologies, and their socio-economic and environmental impacts, as well as on sustainability issues and on circular economy .
  • The candidate should demonstrate fluency in English and good communication/reporting skills.
  • Willingness to change working location during the investigation (Delft University of Technology, University of Gent and internship and OVAM)
Contact: 

For more information on the project, please contact: Dr. John A. Posada (J.A.PosadaDuque@tudelft.nl).