Are you an early career researcher with the ambition to contribute to energy transition knowledge with societal impact? We seek temporary researchers with transdisciplinary and self-starting research skills to work for a period of maximal half a year on the ‘Rethink Hydrogen’ project.

Your Job: The Rethink Hydrogen: A multidisciplinary Living Lab on large-scale green hydrogen production seeks to hire a junior researcher who can commit to 4 days a week for a period of approximately 6 months in the second half of 2024. This research position focuses on the role and integration of hydrogen with our energy grid. Your research will look at different scenarios for the integration of hydrogen as an energy carrier, based on existing energy transition scenarios. As a researcher, you will support the transdisciplinary ‘Rethink Hydrogen’ team by performing research on energy-system integration of large off-shore hydrogen production. The research outputs and outcomes are input for the Hydrogen Living Lab and collaboration with the HKU. We seek creative and critical thinkers with excellent research and teamwork skills with an interest in the ‘green’ hydrogen value chain and related economic, societal, and environmental challenges and opportunities. The positions are ideal for researchers who are preparing for or extending a PhD trajectory. Your responsibilities will be as follows:

Develop and elaborate on draft research questions and methods in collaboration with the Rethink Hydrogen team.

Develop scenarios for the integration of hydrogen as an energy carrier within the Dutch energy systems, based upon existing energy transition scenarios and different energy system choices.

Assess economic, societal, and energy justice impacts of scenarios.

Identify modeling/visualization approaches for communication of scenario options and impacts.

Co-organize workshops with the Rethink Hydrogen team.

Your Qualities: We are looking for an enthusiastic junior researcher who meets several or all of the following criteria: a master's degree in a subject relevant to either one of the two junior researcher positions (e.g., energy systems, chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science); the ability to review and analyze literature from an interdisciplinary perspective; a professional attitude and behavior that includes reliability, a proactive mindset, integrity, precision, good communication skills, and collegiality; being proactive and self-starting in developing research approaches and in grasping opportunities for the Living Lab; experience in evaluating and mapping energy systems, ideally experience in visualizing results; relevant extracurricular projects that show independent critical research skills would be a plus.

Our Offer: We offer:

A temporary position for 6 months.

A working week between 20 and 36 hours and a full-time gross salary between €2.618,- and €3.298,- (salary scale 6, 7, 8 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU).

8% holiday pay and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.

A pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the employment conditions from the CAO for Dutch Universities, Utrecht University has a number of its own arrangements. These include agreements on professional development, leave arrangements, sports and cultural schemes, and you get discounts on software and other IT products. We also give you the opportunity to expand your terms of employment through the Employment Conditions Selection Model. This is how we encourage you to grow. For more information, please visit

working at Utrecht University .

About Us: A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences, and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow. At the Faculty of Science, there are six departments to make a fundamental connection with: Biology, Chemistry, Information and Computing Sciences, Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Physics. Each of these is made up of distinct institutes that work together to focus on answering some of humanity’s most pressing challenges. More fundamental still are the individual research groups – the building blocks of our ambitious scientific projects. You will be working at the department Pathways to Sustainability in cooperation with the UU faculty of Beta Sciences. See for team members:

Rethink Hydrogen - Pathways to Sustainability - Utrecht University .

More Information: For more information, please contact Udeke Huiskamp at

u.huiskamp@uu.nl . Do you have a question about the application procedure? Please send an email to

science.recruitment@uu.nl .

Apply Now:

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute. If you are enthusiastic about this position, just apply via the "apply now" button. Please enclose:

Your letter of motivation.

Your curriculum vitae.

Optional: the names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of at least two references.

Applications (in English) are welcome. If this specific opportunity isn’t for you, but you know someone else who may be interested, please forward this vacancy to them.

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