Marie Curie PhD vacancy (DC03) on AI-driven femtosecond laser surface functionalisation of microfluidic microchips
Job Summary
Mondragon Unibertsitatea is a not-for-profit cooperative university based in the Basque Country (Spain), consistently recognised for its close cooperation with industry and its project- and challenge-based approach to research and education. This PhD research will be undertaken at the Faculty of Engineering (Mondragon Goi Eskola Politeknikoa) as a joint effort between two research groups: the Surface Engineering group, specialised in laser-based surface functionalisation, precision and micro-manufacturing and surface characterisation, and the Data Analysis and Cybersecurity group, specialised in artificial intelligence, machine learning and data-driven modelling. The teams work with state-of-the-art laser processing, metrology and computing infrastructure and in close cooperation with industrial partners in the Basque manufacturing ecosystem.
Job Description & Benefits
Mondragon Unibertsitatea seeks a highly motivated PhD candidate for a fully funded, international doctoral position within the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN) project MicroMan4Health (website: https://www.microman4health.eu/) – Data-Centric MicroManufacturing Platform for Added Value in Health Sector. MicroMan4Health pioneers a data-centric micromanufacturing framework for added value in the healthcare/MedTech sector. This shift from process-centric to data-centric micromanufacturing constitutes a paradigm shift in how knowledge, control and value will be created in micromanufacturing platforms for the health sector. The project brings together 26 partners (universities and industry) across 8 countries and integrates more than eight advanced micromanufacturing technologies.
This PhD project (DC03) focuses on the development of an AI-driven framework for femtosecond laser surface functionalisation of microfluidic microchips. The research combines femtosecond laser processing, generative-AI and data-centric design, physics-informed modelling and experimental validation to move from the current “fabricate-then-evaluate” approach towards an inverse-design paradigm, in which a desired microfluidic functionality drives the automated proposal, modelling and validation of micro-scale surface architectures. It builds on Mondragon Unibertsitatea’s expertise in laser-based surface functionalisation and on the industrial knowledge of the associated partner Erreka in microfluidic manufacturing.
The doctoral candidate will:
– Investigate femtosecond laser–matter interaction and surface texturing strategies to generate functional micro-scale surface architectures on microfluidic components.
– Develop a generative-AI-driven, data-centric surface-design framework that incorporates bio-inspired principles, fabrication constraints and experimental datasets to propose and prioritise surface designs.
– Build and validate a hybrid digital twin of the femtosecond laser texturing process to predict resulting surface geometries, surface finishes and stable processing windows.
– Establish experimental protocols and microfluidic demonstrators to quantify functional performance (e.g. wettability control and demoulding behaviour) under controlled and repeatable conditions.
– Contribute to a closed-loop, experimentally-validated learning framework linking process parameters, surface features and microfluidic performance.
The project includes potential international secondments at Erreka (Spain, ~3 months – industrial requirements & validation), the University of Huddersfield (United Kingdom, ~2 months – metrology & data workflows) and KU Leuven (Belgium, ~1 month – complementary micromachining).
The start of the PhD is planned for 1 February 2027 but is negotiable. The offer will include:
– A fully funded, full-time Marie Curie PhD position (36 months) with a remuneration package following MSCA Doctoral Network rules, competitive within the Spanish context and offering a high quality of life in the Basque Country.
– As part of the MicroMan4Health Doctoral Network, participation in several international doctoral training programmes (~12 weeks over 3 years) at different European locations.
– Excellent guidance by both university and industry experts, and access to state-of-the-art laser processing, metrology and surface-characterisation infrastructure.
– Opportunities to network and present your research at international conferences, and to enrol in the doctoral programme of Mondragon Unibertsitatea.
To apply, please send your application as a single PDF file to azabalae@mondragon.edu. Applications should include:
– Motivation Letter: a letter (maximum 1 A4 page).
– Academic CV.
– Transcript of Records: transcripts for your BSc and MSc degrees. If you have not yet completed your Master's degree, include your available credits and scores.
– English Summary of Master Thesis: Maximum 1 A4 page, or 2 pages when including a figure.
– Reference Contact: the contact details of one reference who can provide a recommendation letter upon request.
For more information please contact Dr Alaitz Zabala, mail: azabalae@mondragon.edu and Dr Aitor Duo, mail: aduo@mondragon.edu.
You can apply for this job no later than 15 September 2026.
Mondragon Unibertsitatea strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment and embraces diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, religion, neurodivergence, disability, health or socioeconomic status.
Please be informed that all personal data of the applicants will be collected centrally. We will process personal data collected from you in response to this vacancy, such as your name, photo, address, email address, or personal data contained in your curriculum vitae, recommendation letter or other documents submitted by you in response to this vacancy, for recruitment, selection and audit purposes.
You have various rights in relation to our processing of your personal data. In particular, you have the following rights:
– Right of access: you can request access to your personal data, i.e. the right to get an overview of your personal data that we process.
– Right to rectification: you can request correction of inaccurate data or completion of incomplete data.
– Right to erasure: you have the right to ask us to erase your personal data in certain circumstances.
– Right to restriction of processing: you have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
– Right to object: you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
– In case you object to the processing of your data necessary for recruitment and selection, please be aware that no contractual relation is possible and we will not be able to consider your application.
– Right to data portability: you have the right to ask that we transfer the personal data you provided us to another organization, or to you, in certain circumstances.
To exercise your rights, please fill in the web form made available for this purpose on the following website: [https://admin.kuleuven.be/privacy/en/application-form].
Job Details
Organization Contact
Application Details
Additional Requirements
Skills
Researchers can be of any nationality. At the time of recruitment, researchers:
– Should not have been awarded a doctoral degree (applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but not yet formally been awarded the degree will not be considered eligible).
– Should not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment (MSCA mobility rule).
We are looking for a highly motivated and research-oriented candidate who:
– Holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Production/Manufacturing Engineering, Physics, Data Science or a related field in Science and Engineering.
– Has a strong interest in advanced manufacturing, laser processing / precision engineering and digital, data-driven manufacturing.
– Has experience working with experimental setups and laboratory equipment.
– Possesses practical knowledge of design of experiments (DoE), statistical/data analysis and scientific presentation.
– Has knowledge of programming (e.g. Python) and of machine learning / AI, and ideally of laser processing, optics or surface characterisation (preferred but not mandatory).
– Has an excellent command of English (spoken and written), ideally evidenced by TOEFL or IELTS scores.
We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply, as we believe that different perspectives contribute to better research and innovation.
