Junior research scientist in modeling the dynamics of mineral compounds in residual biomass valorization chains

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INRAE presentation

INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment, is a public research organization bringing together 12,000 employees across 272 units in 18 centers across France. As the world’s leading institute specializing in agriculture, food, and the environment, INRAE plays a key role in supporting the necessary transitions to address global challenges.

Faced with population growth, food security challenges, climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss, INRAE is committed to developing scientific solutions and supporting the evolution of agricultural, food, and environmental practices.

INRAE is recruiting researchers by open competition and offering permanent position.

Work environment, missions and activities

You will conduct your research activity within the OPAALE Research Unit (Optimization of Processes for Agriculture, Agrifood, and the Environment, https://opaale.rennes.hub.inrae.fr/) in the TRANSFORM department (https://transform.intranet.inrae.fr/) of INRAE. The aim of the unit is to design and evaluate sustainable and innovative systems for the production and reclamation of food and non-food resources according to a bioeconomy and circular economy approach. The unit comprises 48 permanent staff members and typically hosts an average of 13 PhD students and 14 contract staff. The unit is divided into four research teams and one administrative and financial support team, and it has state-of-the-art analytical and experimental tools. 

As a researcher, you will join the PANDOR team (https://opaale.rennes.hub.inrae.fr/recherche/equipes-de-recherche/pandor), which develops sustainable bio-physico-chemical transformation processes, or cascades of processes, for residual biomass. In collaboration with other unit members, you will develop a “multifunctional” approach to these processes aimed at effectively combining energy recovery and agronomic reclamation of residues to meet the challenges posed by the energy transition and the closing of cycles. 

This approach currently relies on projects combining biogas production through anaerobic digestion and the recovery of nitrogen and/or phosphorus from digestates for fertilizer production or microalgae cultivation. However, multifunctionality is still mostly implemented through the development of complex cascades of processes, the global optimization of which requires extensive experimentation. Additionally, identifying operating conditions that guarantee the sustainability of these value chains remains a challenge. 

Your research project will aim to strengthen this multifunctional “energy/matter/nutrient” reclamation approach through process optimization based on an approach that guides experimentation using numerical simulation. To achieve this, you will conduct your research by (i) developing numerical modelling tools to incorporate the knowledge gained from various reclamation processes of organic and mineral compounds in residual biomass or other waste, to combine it and identify optimization pathways, (ii) generating data through these models for the technical and environmental evaluation allowing the integration of these processes into sustainable value chains, and finally, (iii) experimentally implementing the modelling results on experimental pilot projects to validate or refute your working hypotheses. 

You will benefit from the scientific and technical environment of the team, particularly in bioprocess engineering and dynamic process modelling. You will be able to rely on the modelling expertise of the unit and draw on skills in applied mathematics and fluid mechanics within the unit. You will benefit from collaborations already established with other units of the INRAE institute, long-term partners of the team (REVERSAAL, LBE, TBI Joint Research Units), both in terms of modelling and experimental aspects. On the technical side, you can build on existing work and computer codes, data already acquired during previous projects, and available experimental tools (bioreactors, semi-industrial pilot plant). 

For the analytical and experimental aspects, you can count on the support of the staff in the unit's laboratories and experimental facilities. You will be part of the collective scientific life of the team, the research unit, as well as the department and the institute. You will be involved in the team's projects and networks, and you will be assisted in the development of projects that you propose, both scientifically, technically, and financially. You will subsequently be involved in the elaboration of large-scale collaborative research projects focused on your theme (ANR projects, European projects, priority research programs and equipment, etc.). Finally, you will benefit from financial support from INRAE to accompany your initial work.

Training and skills

Competition open to candidates with a PhD (or equivalent). A PhD or equivalent in the fields of chemical engineering and/or process engineering is strongly recommended. Skills in numerical modelling are highly desirable and ideally applied to the biological and physico-chemical processes involved in the reclamation of organic residues. Additional skills in programming (Python, C++, MATLAB, Scilab, etc.) and in the development of IoT applications (machine learning, etc.) would be an asset for setting up simulations. Candidates should have a good command of English (both written and spoken), and long-term international experience would also be desirable. Successful candidates who have not yet acquired this experience abroad will be required to do so after their probationary period (1st year).

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INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from:

- 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.

For international scientists: please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE. 

How to apply

1. I download the applicant guide Application guidelines CRCN 2025 pdf - 3.93 MB
2. I write down the profile number CR-2025-TRANSFORM-2
3. I apply GO