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12 Fully Funded PhD Positions in Sustainable Phase‑Change Heat Transfer (SurPhase MSCA Doctoral Network)

PhD position

9/14/2026

Opportunity at a glance

  • Programme: SurPhase – Sustainable Surface Engineering for Phase‑Change Heat Transfer

  • Type: 12 fully funded PhD (Doctoral Candidate) positions within a single MSCA Doctoral Network

  • Funding: Horizon Europe – Marie Sklodowska‑Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network (€3.7M)

  • Eligibility: Master's degree (or equivalent) in mechanical/thermal engineering, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, materials, modelling, or AI/data‑driven methods; must satisfy MSCA mobility rule

  • Expression of interest deadline: 31 October 2026 (informal EOI; formal applications follow institutional processes)

  • Expected start: August–September 2027

  • Locations: 4 core academic beneficiaries across Europe (UK, Türkiye, Norway, Italy) plus industrial secondments

Why SurPhase matters

Modern cooling and energy systems rely heavily on boiling and condensation – phase‑change processes that move large amounts of heat efficiently.

However, today's systems face major challenges:

  • Use of high‑GWP refrigerants with significant environmental impact

  • Limited performance and energy efficiency in compact electronics, data centres, and thermal management systems

  • Surface degradation, fouling, and durability issues over time

  • Lack of predictive, physics‑based and AI‑enhanced design tools

SurPhase addresses these challenges by developing next‑generation engineered surfaces and thermal systems that:

  • Enable efficient boiling and condensation with low‑GWP refrigerants

  • Improve heat‑transfer performance, scalability, and sustainability

  • Combine surface engineering, additive manufacturing, multiscale numerical modelling, and artificial intelligence

The network brings together leading academic groups and major industrial partners to train a new generation of researchers in sustainable cooling and phase‑change heat transfer.

Consortium & training environment

Academic beneficiaries:

  • University of Birmingham (UK) – Coordinator

  • Sabancι University (T€urkiye)

  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) (Norway)

  • University of Padua (UNIPD) (Italy)

Industrial & research partners (secondments & collaboration):

  • Ericsson

  • Arç´´elik / Beko Corporate (T€urkiye)

  • Fraunhofer IFAM (Germany)

  • Ansys

  • Hexxcell

Doctoral candidates will benefit from:

  • International and intersectoral secondments across the network

  • Access to state‑of‑the‑art facilities for surface engineering, additive manufacturing, two‑phase flow experiments, and high‑performance computing

  • Structured training in scientific communication, project management, IP, entrepreneurship, and research leadership

  • Participation in network‑wide workshops, training schools, consortium meetings, and international conferences

The 12 PhD projects (DC1–DC12)

The 12 Doctoral Candidate positions cover boiling, condensation, engineered surfaces, CFD, AI, additive manufacturing, and durability.

You can express interest in one or more topics; final applications are submitted via the host institution's official recruitment channels.

DC1 – Flow Boiling on Engineered Surfaces (Sabancι University, T€urkiye)

Focus: Design and test engineered surfaces to enhance flow boiling performance with low‑GWP refrigerants.
Methods: Surface micro/nano‑structuring, flow boiling experiments, high‑speed imaging, heat‑transfer and pressure‑drop characterisation.

DC2 – Additive Manufacturing for Thermal Systems (University of Birmingham, UK)

Focus: Use additive manufacturing (3D printing) to fabricate complex thermal components and heat‑transfer surfaces for boiling/condensation systems.
Methods: Metal/polymer AM, design for additive manufacturing, thermal‑hydraulic testing, performance optimisation.

DC3 – Porous Structures for Boiling Heat Transfer (University of Padua, Italy)

Focus: Develop and evaluate porous structures (foams, lattices, graded porosity) to enhance boiling heat transfer.
Methods: Fabrication of porous media, boiling experiments, characterisation of wettability, capillarity, and critical heat flux.

DC4 – Dropwise Condensation on Engineered Surfaces (Sabancι University, T€urkiye)

Focus: Engineer surfaces that promote stable dropwise condensation for improved heat‑transfer coefficients and energy efficiency.
Methods: Surface chemistry and topography design, condensation experiments, droplet dynamics imaging, long‑term stability tests.

DC5 – Structured Surfaces for Condensation Heat Transfer (NTNU, Norway)

Focus: Design structured surfaces (micro‑/nano‑patterns, grooves, fins) to control condensation behaviour and enhance performance.
Methods: Surface fabrication, condensation rigs, heat‑transfer measurements, flow visualisation.

DC6 – Porous Surfaces for Condensation Control (University of Padua, Italy)

Focus: Investigate porous surfaces for condensation control, including wicking, film‑to‑dropwise transition, and anti‑flooding behaviour.
Methods: Porous coating techniques, condensation experiments, wettability and permeability characterisation.

DC7 – Molecular Modelling of Phase Change (University of Birmingham, UK)

Focus: Use molecular dynamics (MD) and atomistic/mesoscale simulations to understand phase‑change mechanisms at engineered interfaces.
Methods: MD simulations of boiling/condensation, interfacial phenomena, contact‑line dynamics, validation against experiments.

DC8 – CFD of Phase‑Change Heat Transfer (NTNU, Norway)

Focus: Develop and apply computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models for boiling and condensation in complex geometries and engineered surfaces.
Methods: Multiphase CFD (VOF, Euler‑Euler, Lattice‑Boltzmann, etc.), turbulence and phase‑change modelling, HPC simulations.

DC9 – AI for Boiling Heat Transfer (University of Birmingham, UK)

Focus: Apply machine learning and AI to model, predict, and optimise boiling heat‑transfer performance on engineered surfaces.
Methods: Data‑driven modelling, feature extraction from experiments/CFD, surrogate models, design optimisation, uncertainty quantification.

DC10 – AI for Condensation Heat Transfer (University of Padua, Italy)

Focus: Use AI and data‑driven methods to predict condensation behaviour and optimise surface designs for enhanced performance.
Methods: ML models trained on experimental and/or CFD data, pattern recognition in droplet dynamics, design recommendations.

DC11 – Durability of Engineered Heat‑Transfer Surfaces (University of Birmingham, UK)

Focus: Study long‑term durability and degradation of engineered boiling/condensation surfaces under realistic operating conditions.
Methods: Accelerated ageing tests, fouling and corrosion studies, surface characterisation before/after exposure, lifetime modelling.

DC12 – Predictive Maintenance for Thermal Systems (Sabancι University, T€urkiye)

Focus: Develop predictive maintenance strategies for thermal systems using sensor data, AI, and physics‑based models.
Methods: Condition monitoring, anomaly detection, remaining‑useful‑life prediction, integration with digital twins and IoT.

Who should apply

Typical backgrounds (depending on the project):

  • Mechanical / Thermal / Energy Engineering

  • Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer

  • Materials Science and Surface Engineering

  • Chemical Engineering (with focus on transport phenomena)

  • Computational Engineering / CFD / Numerical Modelling

  • AI / Machine Learning / Data Science (applied to thermal systems)

Skills and attributes that strengthen your application:

  • Strong foundation in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer

  • Experience with experimental methods (boiling/condensation rigs, high‑speed imaging, surface characterisation) and/or numerical modelling (CFD, MD, FEM)

  • Familiarity with programming and data analysis (Python, MATLAB, or similar) is advantageous, especially for AI‑focused projects

  • Interest in sustainable energy, cooling technologies, and low‑GWP refrigerants

  • Ability to work in international, interdisciplinary teams and undertake secondments at other institutions and industry partners

English language requirement:

  • Strong written and spoken English is required for research, training, and network activities.

  • Some host institutions may ask for formal proof (e.g., IELTS/TOEFL) if your degree was not in English.

MSCA eligibility rules (must be met at recruitment):

  • You must not already hold a PhD

  • You must hold a Master's degree (or equivalent) at the time of recruitment

  • You must comply with the MSCA mobility rule:

    • In the 36 months before recruitment, you must not have lived or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the recruiting country for more than 12 months

  • Candidates of any nationality may apply

Funding & benefits

SurPhase PhDs are funded under the MSCA Doctoral Network framework.

Successful candidates can expect:

  • A full‑time doctoral research position with a salary according to MSCA regulations and local employment rules (typically 36–48 months)

  • Country‑specific adjustments reflecting differences in living costs

  • International and interdisciplinary research experience across multiple institutions and sectors

  • Research secondments at academic and industrial partner organisations (Ericsson, Arç´´elik/Beko, Fraunhofer IFAM, Ansys, Hexxcell)

  • Specialised scientific training in:

    • Boiling and condensation heat transfer

    • Surface engineering and additive manufacturing

    • Multiscale numerical modelling (MD, CFD)

    • AI and data‑driven methods for thermal systems

  • Transferable skills development: scientific writing, presentation, project management, open science, IP, entrepreneurship, and research leadership

  • Participation in network‑wide workshops, training schools, consortium meetings, and conferences

  • Opportunities to build an international professional and research network across academia and industry

Exact contract length, salary scale, and benefits depend on the host institution and country.

How to apply

  1. Review the 12 project descriptions (DC1–DC12) and identify those that best match your background (e.g., boiling experiments, CFD, AI, surface engineering, additive manufacturing).

  2. Prepare an expression of interest (EOI) including:

    • Your CV (with publications, thesis topic, key techniques, and coding/analysis skills if relevant)

    • A short statement of interest (1–2 pages) explaining:

      • Which project(s) you are interested in (e.g., DC2, DC7, DC9)

      • Why you are a good fit (relevant coursework, projects, techniques, software)

      • How SurPhase aligns with your career goals in sustainable thermal engineering / AI / surface science

    • Optional: names and contact details of 1–2 referees

  3. Submit your EOI via the channel indicated in the SurPhase announcement (typically email to the coordinator or a designated contact, or an online form if provided).

  4. After the EOI stage, shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit formal applications through the host institution's recruitment portal (e.g., University of Birmingham, Sabancι University, NTNU, or University of Padua), following their specific procedures and document requirements.

Because SurPhase is an MSCA Doctoral Network, each PhD will eventually be advertised as an individual vacancy on the respective university's job portal and/or Euraxess. The EOI helps the consortium match candidates to projects before formal calls close.

Recruitment timeline

  • Network funded: 2026 (Horizon Europe MSCA‑DN, 100/100 evaluation score)

  • Expression of interest opened: Mid‑2026 (announced via LinkedIn and network channels)

  • EOI deadline: 31 October 2026 (informal; formal applications follow institutional processes)

  • Expected start: August–September 2027 (project‑dependent)

How we can help

If you're considering SurPhase:

  • We can help you match your profile (e.g., boiling/condensation experiments, CFD, AI/ML, surface engineering, additive manufacturing) to the most suitable DC projects and host institutions.

  • Your mentor can help you craft a targeted statement of interest that clearly links your past work (thesis, projects, techniques, software) to SurPhase goals and the specific project aims.

  • We can review your CV and research statement to highlight the skills SurPhase supervisors value: experimental design, thermal‑fluids knowledge, modelling/CFD, coding, data analysis, and interdisciplinary thinking.

Found a fit? Share your shortlist (e.g., "DC2 Additive Manufacturing", "DC7 Molecular Modelling", "DC9 AI for Boiling") and a draft CV/statement, and we'll help you turn this into a strong, submission‑ready expression of interest before the 31 October deadline.

For more personalized tips or templates contact our team.

www.applywithmentors.com