PhD position in dynamic modeling and control of Small Modular Reactors for Combi

KU Leuven

Four-year doctoral position in the Belgian Energy Transition Fund project FLEX-SMR, developing high-fidelity and reduced-order SMR models and advanced controls for flexible industrial heat and electricity production.

Leuven, Flemish Brabant, BelgiumDepartment of Mechanical EngineeringDoctoral researcherCompetitive salary; exact amount is not stated on the official vacancy page.

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Employment

Vacancy terms

Career stage: Doctoral researcher
Employment type: Doctoral researcher
Contract: Fixed-term
Contract ends: Not stated
Original contract term: 4 years, full-time, with an intermediate evaluation after one year
Schedule: Full-time
Workplace: Hybrid; up to 40% remote working stated
FTE: Not stated
Salary: Competitive salary; exact amount is not stated on the official vacancy page.
Department or school: Department of Mechanical Engineering
Posted: 17 Jul 2026

Role

Responsibilities

Develop and validate a high-fidelity dynamic PWR-type SMR model
Investigate reduced-order, surrogate and AI-based modelling
Develop advanced controls for flexible reactor operation
Collaborate with FLEX-SMR academic and industrial partners

Candidate profile

Qualifications and requirements

Qualifications

Master’s degree in Engineering or equivalent, in nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, energy engineering, applied physics, or related discipline, with at least distinction.
Excellent written and spoken English.

Requirements

Solid background in at least one of numerical modelling, heat and mass transfer, fluid mechanics or reactor physics.
Strong interest in scientific computing and simulation.

Preferred qualifications

Knowledge of reactor dynamics modelling.
Experience with thermal-hydraulic codes such as RELAP5 or ATHLET.
Familiarity with machine learning or reduced-order modelling.

Employment conditions

Four-year doctoral scholarship
Full-time employment for four years
Intermediate evaluation after one year
Flexible working culture with up to 40% remote work

Employment package

Benefits

Competitive salary; exact amount is not stated on the official vacancy page.
Health insurance
Access to university sports facilities
International research collaborations and conferences
Doctoral school training
Up to 40% remote working
Support to apply for an FWO PhD fellowship
4 years, full-time, with an intermediate evaluation after one year
Full-time
Fixed-term

Application

Documents and steps

Documents

Email body with name, preferred form of address, Master degree details and Master thesis title
Academic CV
PDF of diplomas
Motivation statement up to half an A4 page in the email body
Transcript of coursework and grades

Steps

Email Prof. Niels Horsten with the required bullet-point information and motivation statement
Attach academic CV, diplomas and transcript
Use the official KU Leuven application tool if required by the workflow
Do not rely on an online-only submission because the vacancy states it may not be considered
Apply as early as possible and no later than 31 August 2026 23:59 CET

Official evidence

Sources behind this vacancy

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