Newly discovered · posting date unknown · Found via Official
Doctoral Candidate DC9 (MSCA FAroGels): biodegradable cellulose aerogel insulation for transporting high-value foods
Aerofybers Technologies, a Spanish cellulose-aerogel company, is recruiting a 3-year PhD candidate in the MSCA FAroGels network, with lab work at the IATA-CSIC packaging group in Valencia and PhD enrolment in UPV's Food Science, Technology and Management programme. The project will develop biodegradable, reinforced cellulose aerogel inserts to replace polystyrene and polyurethane foams for shipping temperature-sensitive foods such as premium wines and artisanal cheeses.
- Country
- ES
- Experience
- Experience not specified
- Salary / stipend
- MSCA: living allowance about EUR 3,833.56/month (Spain) + mobility EUR 710/month + family
- Apply by
- 09 Dec 2026
- Job type
- Full-time
- Function
- Research
- Openings
- 1
Who can apply
Master's degree in materials or polymer science, chemical engineering, chemistry, food science and technology, food or agricultural engineering, industrial engineering, biotechnology or a closely related field
Review the original notice to confirm the requirements. Related degrees are not automatically equivalent; the recruiting organisation decides eligibility.
What you’ll do
- Formulate cellulose-based hydrogels and aerogels with PLA/PHB reinforcement layers
- Freeze-dry custom insulation shapes such as bottle cradles, sleeves and modular inserts; evaluate ambient-pressure drying
- Apply moisture-resistant and hydrophobic treatments
- Measure thermal conductivity, compression and recovery, moisture sorption, structure and biodegradability
- Validate insulation prototypes under realistic food transport and storage conditions
- Contribute to the network's packaging design guidelines
- Take part in network training and planned secondments (USC, University of Helsinki, King's College London, Perfat Technologies)
- Prepare reports, presentations and publications
What the employer asks for
- Master's degree (or equivalent) giving access to doctoral studies at UPV in materials/polymer science, chemical engineering, chemistry, food science and technology, food or agricultural engineering, industrial engineering, biotechnology or a related field
- Strong experimental and data-analysis skills
- Desirable: biopolymer or cellulose processing, hydrogel/aerogel preparation, freeze-drying, PLA/PHB composites
- Desirable: thermal-conductivity, mechanical/compression testing, moisture sorption, microscopy, FTIR or rheology
- Proficiency in English
- Must not already hold a doctoral degree
- MSCA mobility rule: not resided or mainly worked/studied in Spain for more than 12 months in the 36 months before recruitment
- Must meet UPV doctoral admission requirements
Selection process
- Eligibility check by the FAroGels project manager
- Scoring of eligible applications by an interview committee
- Interviews of the best-ranked candidates
- Selection and offer
Documents to keep ready
- Detailed CV
- Motivation letter for this DC position
- Degree certificates and transcripts
- Referee details / reference letters as requested
Pay, benefits and perks
- 36-month full-time employment contract with Aerofybers Technologies
- MSCA living, mobility and family allowances
- Social security coverage
- Access to IATA-CSIC facilities and Aerofybers pilot-scale environment
- Structured doctoral training and secondments
About the employer
Aerofybers Technologies S.L. is a Spanish technology company developing and scaling up cellulose-based aerogels for insulation and packaging; the research runs at IATA-CSIC, a food research institute in Paterna (Valencia).
How to apply
Read the full notice and follow the instructions on the original application page.
Application deadline 9 Dec 2026, 23:59 CET; expected start July 2027
Skills for this role
What employers ask for in Research (JRF / SRF / PhD / Postdoc) roles. named in this notice
- Cellulose and biopolymer processing
- Aerogel preparation and freeze-drying
- PLA / PHB composites
- Thermal conductivity measurement
- Mechanical and compression testing
- Moisture sorption
- FTIR
- microscopy
- rheology
- PhD
- Junior Research Fellow
- JRF
- Senior Research Fellow
- SRF
- Postdoctoral
- Research Associate
Prepare for the interview
Questions commonly asked for Research (JRF / SRF / PhD / Postdoc) roles. Practise answers with an example and a number.
- Summarise your dissertation or main research project in two minutes for a non-specialist panel.
- Why this group or lab, and how does your experience fit the project described in the call?
- How did you design your experiments and choose the statistical analysis?
- Which analytical techniques have you used hands-on, and what were their limitations?
- What would be the first three months of work on this project if you were selected?
- Tell us about a result that did not work and what you did next.
Before you apply
- Read the original notice end to endDates, eligibility and the application route are decided by the employer, not by FSD.
- Tailor your resume to this vacancyMatch the keywords in the requirements. Resume Studio shows what is missing.
- Prepare a short research statementOne page on your project experience and why this group or call fits.
- Line up refereesMost calls ask for two or three referees; tell them in advance.
- Check the funding termsFellowship amount, duration, HRA and eligibility (NET / GATE) differ between calls.
Source & editorial check
Apply through the FAroGels application portal. Supervisors: Dr Isaac Benito Gonzalez (Aerofybers), Dr Isabel Hernando (UPV), Dr Amparo Lopez Rubio (IATA-CSIC). Industry-hosted MSCA position; candidates of any nationality welcome.
Original posting: Date not stated
Checked 2026-11-06 · Updated 2026-11-06
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