Job opportunities

Several research grants are available at the Control Department of The Engineering Faculty of Mons (Belgium)

PhD grants

a) Vehicle positioning with high security requirements

This research is dedicated to the development of state estimation techniques for vehicle positioning. A special attention will be paid to interval methods and the design of methods ensuring a high-integrity level, in the framework of railway applications.

This research will be achieved in collaboration with the Signal Processing Department at FPMs and the industry.

Starting date: from January 2009
Duration : 4 years
Salary: about 1600 euros/month (after taxes)
Skills: background in control and signal processing (and in particular state estimation and stochastic processes), knowledge of software environments such as Matlab, good level of English (oral and written), French is optional.

b) Modeling, optimization and control in aquaculture

This research project is dedicated to modeling and control of biofiltration in a large-scale aquaculture plant (i.e. biological water treatment). Other researchers in the group will focus attention on fish nutrition and modeling of biomethanisation (biogas production from organic waste).
Besides biofilter modeling and control, our task will also be to assemble the other partial models (nutritution and biomethanisation) and to develop an overall optimization of the aquaculture plant.

This research will be achieved in collaboration with several research groups at the University of Louvain and the industry.

Starting date: from January 2009
Duration : 3 years (+ a possible extension of 6 months)
Salary: about 1600 euros/month (after taxes)
Skills: background in mathematical modeling, numerical simulation techniques and control, knowledge of software environments such as Matlab and LabView, some background in biochemical engineering is not required but is an advantage, good level of English (oral and written), French is optional.

c) Modeling, optimization and control of the activated sludge process

This research project is dedicated to the design of control strategies for the activated sludge process (single and alternate phase), also taking account of the process design (resulting possibly in recommendation on integrated design and control). Some modeling aspects will also be covered, particularly concerning the secondary settler.

This research will be achieved in collaboration with the University of Liège, and the industry.

Starting date: from January 2009
Duration : 1+ 3 years (the continuation of this project after the first year requires the approval of a funding agency)
Salary: about 1500-1600 euros/month (after taxes)
Skills: background in mathematical modeling, numerical simulation techniques and control, knowledge of software environments such as Matlab and LabView, some background in biochemical engineering is not required but is an advantage, good level of English (oral and written), French is optional.

Post-doc grants

a) Post-doc in the field of nonlinear modeling and control of biological systems

Various subjets of investigation are available in the area of nonlinear modeling and control of biological systems (metabolic modeling, metabolic flux analysis, systems biology) and biochemical processes (bioprocesses, environmental systems). Our group has several pilot plants for the cultures of bacteria, algae and animal cells.

Submission (after agreement) of an application file before January 30, 2009, for a job start (after approval of the funding agency) in between October 2009 and February 2010.

Duration : 6 months to 1 year
Salary: 1850 euros/month

b) Post-doc in the field of nonlinear modeling and control of Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) processes

This research project is dedicated to modeling, optimisation, state estimation, and control of Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) processes used for the separation of fine chemicals. Our group has a semi-industrial plant for real-life testing.

Submission (after agreement) of an application file before January 30, 2009, for a job start (after approval of the funding agency) in October 2009.

Duration : 1 year
Salary: about 1750 euros/month

Information and candidatures: Alain.VandeWouwer@fpms.ac.be