Doctoral Position in Climate and Agronomic Impacts of Biogas Slurry
ETH Zurich
Switzerland
Doctoral Student Position – Climate and Agronomic Impacts of Biogas Slurry
100%, Zurich, fixed-term
The Global Health Engineering GHE group is based within the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH. Our interdisciplinary team includes environmental engineers, economists, and social scientists working on engineering solutions for environmental and human health challenges in resource-constrained settings. Our research is guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on SDGs 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
Project background
Through The Malawi Dairy Biogas Project (MDBP), Switzerland aims to distribute 10,000 biogas digesters to smallholder dairy farmers, enabling them to convert cow manure into clean biogas for cooking and bio-fertilizer for crops. This initiative reduces reliance on firewood, curbs deforestation, and mitigates methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. Farmers benefit from improved sanitation, higher crop yields, lower energy costs, and enhanced household health by eliminating toxic fumes from traditional cooking. The project supports Malawi’s climate goals under the Paris Agreement through technology transfer and rural capacity-building for sustainable energy and agriculture and helps mitigate Switzerland’s own carbon targets.
Job description
The resulting product from the biodigestion process is biogas effluent or slurry, which is a nutrient-rich liquid that can be used by farmers to improve crop yields. However, the slurry poses climate challenges due to its continued release of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and methane. The current climate mitigation models for biogas offsets do not currently account for continued release from the slurry. Furthermore, the effluent is bulky, difficult to apply, and unfamiliar to farmers. The guiding research questions for this work are:
- What are the current practices and barriers to slurry utilization among farmers participating in the MDBP? (Quantitative and qualitative analysis)
- What is the methane potential related of stockpiled slurry and how do these values impact the CO2-equivalent calculations for the reactors? (Quantitative assessment and modeling)
- What are the crop and soil-related impacts of slurry use in agriculture? (Field trials at research stations and farmer level)
Profile
Essential Qualifications
- Master’s degree in environmental engineering, bioengineering, agricultural engineering or equivalent.
- Experience with agricultural field trials, biogas, wastewater treatment or similar biological systems.
- Strong analytical skills with laboratory experience.
- Willingness to work with farmers in Malawi for up to six months annually.
- Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Adaptability and resilience when research plans require modification.
- Curious mindset, positive attitude, and passion of research.
Preferred Qualifications
- Interest in carbon crediting, carbon offsets, and the world of carbon finance.
- Competency in using a programming language (R, Python, Julia, JavaScript) for data cleaning, analysis, and visualisation.
We are looking for a candidate who is as committed to scientific discovery as they are to sustainable energy and agriculture.
Workplace
We offer
We are a small and committed team of about ten people with a collegial culture. We value transparency, openness and believe it is important to share our knowledge with others in formats beyond just publications. We reflect on our work and constantly improve it. We believe that the world can be improved by publishing the work openly. We do not just mean results, we share data, code, and designs under permissive licence so anyone can reuse and build upon our work without restrictions.
Working, teaching and research at ETH Zurich
We value diversity
In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish.
Curious? So are we.
We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:
- One-page motivation letter detailing previous research experience and relevant field/laboratory skills.
- CV including publication list.
- Contact details of two professional referees.
Dates
- 2025-10-13: due date for submission of application
- 2025-10-20: notification about passing first selection round (three selected candidates)
- 2025-10-27 to 2025-10-31: a week reserved for a personal, technical, and a group interview
- 2025-11-07: final notification about selection
Ideally, the candidate will be able to start 5 January 2026, though we will consider each candidate’s personal situation.
Interview Process
- The interview will be remotely unless it is feasible for you to come to our offices in Zurich.
- The personal interview will be 45-minutes-long and attended by Jakub Tkaczuk and Elizabeth Tilley.
- We will organise an informal call with our PhD students where you can ask any questions that you may have about how it is to work in our group.
Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.
Further information about Department can be found on our website. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Tilley by email (no direct applications).
About ETH Zürich
ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.
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