Overview
Doctoral Student Position – Climate and Agronomic Impacts of Biogas Slurry
About company
ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.
Overview Of Role
Through The Malawi Dairy Biogas Project (MDBP), Switzerland aims to distribute 10,000 biogas digesters to smallholder dairy farmers, enabling them to convert cow manure into clean biogas for cooking and bio-fertilizer for crops. This initiative reduces reliance on firewood, curbs deforestation, and mitigates methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. Farmers benefit from improved sanitation, higher crop yields, lower energy costs, and enhanced household health by eliminating toxic fumes from traditional cooking. The project supports Malawi’s climate goals under the Paris Agreement through technology transfer and rural capacity-building for sustainable energy and agriculture and helps mitigate Switzerland’s own carbon targets.
Job Description
The resulting product from the biodigestion process is biogas effluent or slurry, which is a nutrient-rich liquid that can be used by farmers to improve crop yields. However, the slurry poses climate challenges due to its continued release of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and methane. The current climate mitigation models for biogas offsets do not currently account for continued release from the slurry. Furthermore, the effluent is bulky, difficult to apply, and unfamiliar to farmers. The guiding research questions for this work are:
What are the current practices and barriers to slurry utilization among farmers participating in the MDBP? (Quantitative and qualitative analysis)
What is the methane potential related of stockpiled slurry and how do these values impact the CO2-equivalent calculations for the reactors? (Quantitative assessment and modeling)
What are the crop and soil-related impacts of slurry use in agriculture? (Field trials at research stations and farmer level)
Ideal Person Specifications
Experience with agricultural field trials, biogas, wastewater treatment or similar biological systems.
Strong analytical skills with laboratory experience.
Willingness to work with farmers in Malawi for up to six months annually.
Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Adaptability and resilience when research plans require modification.
Curious mindset, positive attitude, and passion of research.
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