PhD scholarship in Situational Awareness for Resilient Operation of Distribution Grids - DTU Wind

Technical University of Denmark · Kongens Lyngby

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How can the distribution grid be made more resilient?
You have the opportunity to investigate how island operation of the distribution grid can mitigate severe incidents in the power system. Your project will be one of three PhDs in collaboration with DTU Space and DTU Electro. Your project will focus on how improved situational awareness can improve supply of prioritized loads by operating of parts of the distribution grid in island mode during interruptions.Responsibilities and qualifications
You will in the PhD project develop methods for enhancing the ability of microgrids and distribution systems to dynamically transition to and operate as islanded grids that are controlled robustly in a no-single-point-of-failure architecture. The research will investigate how conventional grid measurements can be combined with non-traditional information sources, including information from distributed energy resources or physical surveillance data to maintain a continuously updated understanding of system state, resource availability, and network topology. Operating strategies that can accommodate continuously changing resource situations and stability threats will be devised. To afford manageability of this ever-changing system situation and communication with grid operators and non-grid emergency procedures, a self-representing explainable data model for the coordination with grid operators and other entities.
The outcomes will contribute to the development of resilient distribution system operation concepts and intelligent energy management systems capable of supporting secure islanded operation, faster system recovery, and improved security of electricity supply.
You will be part of a dynamic working environment that will support the growth of your personal and academic skills. You will be part of an international group and will have the opportunity to collaborate with industry and international research groups. You will be involved in our teaching and assist in co-supervision of MSc and BSc students.
A successful candidate will have a solid background in:

Power system engineering and optimization
Data science
Programming tools such as Python
Power system simulation such as PandaPower, PowerFactory
Excellent use of English language
Strong ability to communicate scientific results orally and through scientific publications in international journals

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.Assessment
The assessment of the candidates will be based on the material they submit and one or two stages of interview, online and/or in person. During one of the two stages, the candidates will be asked to review a paper that will be sent to them, and describe its strengths, weaknesses, and potential for future extensions.
The assessment of applications will be ongoing and will start before the application deadline.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. Please see DTU’s salary structure for scientific staff: www.inside.dtu.dk/en/human-resources/during-employment/salary/salary-structures.
The period of employment is 3 years. The position is a full-time position. The desired start date is 1 January 2027 depending on academic approval.
You can read more about career paths at DTU here.Further information
Further information may be obtained from Senior Researcher Henrik Bindner, tel.:+452362786, email: hwbi@dtu.dk.
You can read more about the Department of Wind and Energy Systems at www.wind.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 4 November 2026 (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

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.The Department of Wind and Energy Systems The Department of Wind and Energy Systems is one of the world’s largest centers of wind energy and energy systems research and knowledge, with a staff of more than 400 people from 37 countries working in research, innovation, research-based consulting and education. DTU Wind and Energy Systems has approximately 90 PhD students. The department’s cross-disciplinary research is organized through strategic research programmes that collaborate with Danish and international universities, research institutions and organizations, as well as the wind industry.DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.

PhD project on resilient distribution grids: develop situational awareness and control methods enabling microgrids to operate autonomously as islands during outages. Combining grid, DER, and surveillance data, the project aims to secure critical loads, improve recovery, and strengthen electricity supply resilience.

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