PhD Openfast

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike. 

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located. 

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again. 

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

2 - Position description

The Faculty of Engineering, Department Industriële ingenieurswetenschappen, is looking for a PhD-student with a doctoral grant. 

More concretely your work package, for the preparation of a doctorate, contains: 

The VUB Acoustics and Vibrations Research group has a core focus on wind energy as a member of OWI-lab. Our vision is to bring methodological advancements all the way to application in industry. This is achieved by working closely together with the different wind farm operators within the Belgian offshore zone: e.g. Parkwind, Norther, Otary. The main focus of the department is on performance monitoring and health monitoring of the different machine components. To this end, multiple dedicated measurement campaigns have been performed throughout the Belgian offshore zone.

    
Project detail

The European Green Deal aims to reduce emissions by 55% in 2030 compared to 1990. To this end, a target is set to have an installed capacity of offshore wind of least 60 GW in 2030. This results in larger wind farm concessions being constructed with denser lay-outs. To enable the construction of wind energy in deeper sea basins, the transition towards floating offshore structures is moreover gaining attention. A final challenge arises from to the intermittent nature of wind energy, making balancing supply and demand more difficult. With an increasing amount of renewables, more balancing actions will therefore become needed. These actions are at present day not considered during the wind farm design.These advancements result in different research questions.

In this PhD, the main focus will be on three particular ones:

(a) the impact of inflow and turbine setpoint changes (e.g. grid curtailments) on wind  turbine component loading

(b) the effect of wind turbine spacing on wind turbine farm loading

(c) the differences in loading between bottom-fixed and floating wind turbines in various sea states and inflow conditions

This research is further facilitated by the extensive database of offshore measurements collected by VUB in the Belgian offshore zone, consisting of readily available turbine measurements (scada) and dedicated measurement campaigns (strain gauges, LiDAR). These measurement campaigns can serve as a validation for the developed simulation models in open-source toolboxes such as OpenFAST.

For this function, our Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene) will serve as your home base. 

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

• Master degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mathematical engineering, or Fluid Dynamics

• Experience with or eagerness to learn in one or more of the following will also be an advantage: OpenFAST, wind turbine scada...
• Background in programming (Python)
• Proficiency in English
• Being willing to do (offshore) experimental work is a plus

• You have not performed any works in the execution of a mandate as an assistant, paid from operating resources, over a total (cumulated) period of more than 12 months.

• As a (non-)EEA national, meet the conditions for obtaining a valid permit for VUB and comply with the VUB residence requirements. More info here.

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

You’ll be offered a full-time PhD-scholarship, for 12 months (extendable up to max. 48 months, on condition of the positive evaluation of the PhD activities), with planned starting date 1 Feb 2026. 

You’ll receive a grant linked to one of the scales set by the government.

IMPORTANT: The effective result of the doctorate scholarship is subject to the condition precedent of your enrolment as a doctorate student at the university.

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

• Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
• An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike; 
• A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
• Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in  all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques; 
• Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps; 
• The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
• And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

Then apply, at the latest on 12 Dec 2025, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• your CV;
• your motivation letter;
• your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Our application process is as follows (subject to change):

• step 1: an initial selection based on your application file; 
• step 2: a job interview.

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Prof dr. ir. Jan Helsen at jan?.helsen@vub.be or on

+32 479 85 58 79.

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.

Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.