Kickstart your research career with our interdisciplinary PhD project on operating local energy systems to enhance the resilience of electrical grids. 

We invite you to join our section Energy Technology and Computer Science, where you will have around 20 colleagues with a mix of research and industrial experience. We work with research, innovation, technology implementation, and educational development. Our section is diverse in culture, nationalities, and career paths from both industry and academia. 

This PhD project will be in collaboration with the Business Development section of DTU Engineering Technology and the Department of Electric Energy at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The project will investigate coordinated operation and control of local energy systems such as microgrids and industrial energy parks aiming at enhanced resilience and stability of electrical grid. Control strategies will be developed to provide grid support and ancillary services by these decentralized energy systems to improve grid stability and efficiency. Furthermore, in the case of extreme events, the operation of these energy systems will be coordinated to restore the power supply leading to significant enhancement of grid resilience. Collaborative operation of the local energy systems will be studied to leverage differences in storage capacity and renewable energy sources. Economic feasibility can be achieved through optimal operational agreements leading to grid resilience, energy security and collective benefits. In this regard, aspects such as regulatory and market frameworks and business models for fair value distribution will be analysed.

Responsibilities and qualifications
Your primary research tasks will include:

• Develop and simulate coordinated control and operation strategies for local energy systems to enhance grid stability and resilience
• Validate developed schemes through experimental tests, primarily conducted in the Power Electronic Systems Lab at DTU Engineering Technology
• Analyse regulatory and market frameworks, including business models, to evaluate the economic feasibility of coordinated operation
• Disseminate research findings through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and collaboration with project partners

This research will be conducted under the supervision of Prof. Mehdi Savaghebi and Associate Prof. Kristina Vaarst Andersen (DTU Engineering Technology), in close collaboration with Prof. Hossein Farahmand (Department of Electric Energy, NTNU), who will serve as co-supervisor.

A secondment at NTNU, Trondheim, Norway, is an essential component of the project and will contribute to the interdisciplinary nature of your PhD.

We expect candidates to have demonstrated experience or strong interest in the following areas:

• Control and operation of distributed energy resources and microgrids 
• Ancillary services and stability of electrical grids 
• Power system simulation using tools such as DIgSILENT PowerFactory and MATAB/Simulink 
• Experimental studies of power systems utilizing real-time and hardware-in-the-loop tests 

Insights into regulatory and market frameworks, as well as business models, will be assessed positively. In addition, you should be able to work efficiently as part of a collaborative research team and take responsibility for your individual research objectives.

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Approval and Enrolment  
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education . 

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. 

The primary place of work is the Department of Engineering Technology, DTU Ballerup Campus.

This is a full-time position with the starting date January 1st, 2026 (or according to mutual agreement). The period of employment is 3 years.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here http://www.dtu.dk/english/about/job-and-career/working-at-dtu/career-paths.

Further information
Further information may be obtained from Prof. Mehdi Savaghebi, medi@dtu.dk   

You can read more about DTU Engineering Technology at https://engtech.dtu.dk

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark . Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar ” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU. 

Application procedure 
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 28 September 2025 (23:59 Danish time) . 

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file . The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae 
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
• A 2-page research plan

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it. 

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

About DTU Engineering Technology 
We work at the forefront of university-industry collaboration and develop tools and methods for technology implementation. We are organized into 8 sections all focused on technology implementation, engineering technology and engineering education within a wide range of engineering fields.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.