The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI is the largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences within Switzerland. We perform cutting-edge research in the fields of future technologies, energy and climate, health innovation and fundamentals of nature. By performing fundamental and applied research, we work on sustainable solutions for major challenges facing society, science and economy. PSI is committed to the training of future generations. Therefore, about one quarter of our staff are post-docs, post-graduates or apprentices. Altogether, PSI employs 2300 people.

For many years the Laboratory for Waste Management has conducted multi-disciplinary research on safety and design of geological repositories for radioactive waste and flows relevant to nuclear reactor technologies using a unique combination of experimental infrastructure and modelling capabilities.

For a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) project we are looking for a

PhD Student for MiningBrines DC16: Pore-scale reactive transport modelling for utilization of geothermal reservoirs

Your tasks

The project “Reactive transport modeling (Hydraulic Chemical) at the pore scale and upscaling to reservoir scale” develops advanced pore scale reactive transport modeling capabilities by extending an in house lattice Boltzmann based transport solver to explicitly resolve microstructural evolution in reservoir rocks driven by mineral dissolution and precipitation. These simulations quantify how coupled flow, transport and chemistry processes cause dynamic changes in pore geometry, in transport properties, and reactive surface area under geothermal conditions.

Building on these high resolution models, the project establishes robust upscaling strategies to transfer pore scale process understanding to geothermal reservoir scale reactive transport formulations, while preserving key mechanistic controls.

To improve computational performance and multiphysics couplings, the work integrates AI/ML methods (e.g. neural networks, neural operators) to accelerate both pore scale simulations and the associated upscaling workflows, enabling realistic simulations, efficient parameter exploration and reduced order model generation.

Expected outcomes:

Implement Lattice Boltzmann (LB) solver for modelling processes at pore scale in 2D/3D realistic multimineral pore structures (synthetic and tomography driven)
Develop surrogate models to accelerate simulation of chemistry and couple with LB
Quantify the impact of reactions and microstructural evolution on permeability and transport properties relevant to resource extraction, and derive mechanistic correlations for upscaling
Integrate AI/ML-assisted sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification to evaluate prediction reliability and account for input data variability.

You will be enrolled at the University of Bern and receive your PhD title from University of Bern. This position is part of the Marie Sklodowska Curie Action (MSCA) Doctoral Network (DN) “MiningBrines” (Multidisciplinary Integration and Networking for Increased sustainability and multi-resources valorization of Geothermal BRINES. You will have the status as a “SERI-funded MSCA DN Grantee”. As part of the MSCA DN, you will visit the Instituto Nazionale die Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Vesuviano (INGV) in Naples, Italy, the Geological and Mining Bureau (BRGM) in Orléans, France, the GFZ Helmholtz-Zentrum für Geoforschung in Potsdam, Germany and Collaboration Betters the World (CBTW) in Germany for ca. 2 months each. You will collaborate closely with the other MiningBrines research projects and participate in network training and workshops.

Your profile

Required Qualifications:

Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline
Strong motivation for interdisciplinary research
Excellent command of spoken and written English (mandatory)

Desirable Skills:

Programming skills (e.g. python or C). Familiarity with machine learning techniques is a plus
Background in porous media flows or CFD. Experience with the lattice Boltzmann would be beneficial
Geochemical modelling and reactive transport fundamentals

Horizon Europe MSCA Mobility Rule:Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host organization (Switzerland) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date – unless as part of a compulsory national service or a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention. Horizon Europe MSCA Eligibility Criteria: Doctoral Candidates (DC) must, at the date of recruitment by the host organization, have not been awarded a doctoral degree. Applicants must be eligible to enroll on a PhD program at University of Bern.

We offer

PSI: Our institution is based on an interdisciplinary, innovative and dynamic collaboration. You will profit from a systematic training on the job, in addition to personal development possibilities and our pronounced vocational training culture. If you wish to optimally combine work and family life or other personal interests, we are able to support you with our modern employment conditions and the on-site infrastructure.

MiningBrines: An international network of 32 academic and industrial partners across multiple disciplines offers an innovative doctoral training program to address Europe’s strategic need for sustainable access to critical raw materials, energy gases and renewable energies. You will benefit from an interdisciplinary training in geosciences, biogeochemistry, artificial intelligence and socio-economic analysis. The position is funded for 36 months with a competitive salary, allowances, and additional funding for technical training and conference participation.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their application online and send:

their CV
a letter of application
a 1-page critical summary of an article of their choice
the name of two contact persons (former teachers or supervisors, who are asked to send a support letter)
academic credentials

All the application documents must be submitted via email to miningbrines@benkei.eu.

The email subject must be “Application for DC16 position”.

Application Deadline (date and time zone):April 30th, 5PM CET

Applications and enclosures received after the deadline will not be considered.

Expected starting date: 1 October 2026

Please avoid any questions on the status of the selection process. We will inform you as soon as there is an update.

Candidates whose application is not compliant with the requirements above will not be considered. Applications and enclosures received after the deadline will not be considered.

More information and other vacant positions within the MiningBrines project can be found via the <euraxess website>.

For further information, please contact Dr Nikolaos Prasianakis, nikolaos.prasianakis@psi.ch

Paul Scherrer Institute, Human Resources Management, Serdal Varol, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland