PhD in Power Electronics: Designing All-GaN Voltage Regulators for Space Applications

PhD in Power Electronics: Designing All-GaN Voltage Regulators for Space Applications

Quick Decision

Strong but verify fit. This is a technically specific MSCA Joint Doctorate position designing an all-GaN, low-voltage point-of-load (PoL) regulator for space electronics. The project goes beyond a power transistor: the advertised work includes monolithic closed-loop control blocks, monitoring, protection and reliability. It is best aligned with an electronic/electrical engineering graduate who can demonstrate analog circuit design, power-converter control, semiconductor knowledge and circuit simulation. Ghent’s official vacancy was live on 4 November 2026 and closes 15 December 2026 at 23:59. The initial contract is 12 months; extension to a maximum 48 months depends on a positive evaluation and is described as “in principle,” so four years should not be treated as guaranteed. (Ghent University vacancy)

The vacancy lists an annual MSCA package of €56,640 before employer and employee contributions, plus a €7,920 annual family allowance where applicable. Ghent University’s indicative single-person cost range is €1,200–€1,800 per month. The annual package is equivalent to €4,720 per month before employer and employee contributions; it is not an employee gross salary. Ask HR for employee gross and net pay before comparing it with living costs. Check the Belgium mobility rule, admissions at both universities, joint-degree fees and the year-one review process before committing. (Ghent vacancy, Ghent living-cost guide)

Research Problem and Doctoral Work

What Is Unsolved and Why It Matters

Future space systems need compact and reliable power conversion close to their electronic loads. The advertised research asks whether a low-voltage GaN technology can support a stand-alone PoL voltage regulator with more of its power stage and control integrated on one chip. The central design challenge is to integrate power conversion with the reference, error-amplification, comparison, ramp-generation and local-supply blocks required for a closed-loop regulator, while adding monitoring and protection. BESCAPE’s wider research programme also targets power conversion, distribution, GaN integrated-circuit building blocks and reliability for future space missions. (Ghent University vacancy, European Commission BESCAPE fact sheet)

The vacancy defines a “Level 4” integration concept and names the circuit blocks but does not publish the target input/output voltage, load current, switching frequency, efficiency, thermal limits or radiation qualification requirements. These are important scope questions; they should not be filled in from the network’s broad space objectives. (Ghent University vacancy)

Work, Methods, and Potential Outputs

The doctoral researcher will survey PoL converter architectures and integrated-circuit solutions for space, identify their integration limitations, and develop new circuit- and system-level approaches. The core deliverable is an all-GaN IC using an imec low-voltage GaN technology for a stand-alone PoL regulator. The vacancy specifies monolithic implementation of the closed-loop control and the reference-voltage generator, error amplifier, comparator, sawtooth generator and local supply-voltage generator. Further tasks include temperature monitoring, short-circuit detection and on-chip redundancy for critical circuit blocks. The researcher will work with CMST, imec and the University of Oviedo, present and publish results, and complete planned research secondments of three months at imec in Leuven and six months at Oviedo. (Ghent University vacancy)

The advert expects circuit modeling and simulation, with SPICE, MATLAB/Simulink or Python named in the applicant criteria. Analog/mixed-signal IC design and a PDK workflow are strong assets. Exact design targets, the chosen PDK, tape-out route, measurement facilities and validation plan are not listed. Those unknowns matter because they determine whether the project is mainly a circuit-design effort, a technology/process-integration effort or a broader system-validation study.

School, Programme and Field Context

Ghent University is the employer and host, within the Department of Electronics and Information Systems (ELIS) and the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. The researcher will join the Center for Microsystems Technology (CMST), an imec-associated laboratory. CMST’s public research platforms include smart power, advanced packaging and microsystem integration. The vacancy explicitly says the joint doctoral degree will be awarded by Ghent University and the University of Oviedo. The exact diploma format, joint examination, registration at each university and fee allocation still depend on the written agreement. (About Ghent University, ELIS department, CMST research platforms, Ghent joint-PhD rules, Ghent University vacancy)

Ghent’s latest official ranking overview lists ARWU 2026 #98, THE World University Rankings 2027 #116 and QS World University Rankings 2027 #150, all overall university ranks. These describe institutional standing, not ELIS, CMST or the PhD itself. Ghent’s doctoral-admission process is separate from employment: foreign qualifications undergo an equivalence/admission assessment, a supervisor initiates the application, and PhD researchers enrol as students in addition to staff registration where required. The candidate must also meet University of Oviedo’s admission requirements. (Ghent ranking overview, Ghent admission and enrolment, Oviedo doctoral pre-registration)

BESCAPE is a Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network Joint Doctorate. The European Commission describes Joint Doctorates as integrated doctoral programmes that can lead to a joint or multiple degrees; in this specific case the employer page explicitly names Ghent and Oviedo as the awarding institutions. The grant is scheduled to run from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2031, but those consortium dates do not guarantee this individual appointment for the full period. The vacancy estimates a May–October 2027 start. (BESCAPE grant record, MSCA Doctoral Networks, Ghent University vacancy)

Supervisor and Lab Assessment

The vacancy names Benoit Bakeroot as the application contact and places the candidate within CMST/ELIS. The lab environment is a relevant bridge between integrated circuits, smart power and microsystem design. Recent publication evidence from Bakeroot’s research network points to adjacent strengths in GaN device modeling, integration and reliability:

• A 2025 paper analyzes voltage-dependent terminal capacitances in p-GaN gate HEMTs and extends a compact device model to account for bulk-related capacitance. It supports the local modeling/device-physics context, but it is not a PoL-converter demonstration. (Alaei et al., IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices)
• A 2024 paper characterizes a monolithic 650-V dual-gate p-GaN bidirectional switch, comparing measured layout variants with TCAD and reference-device behavior. It is evidence of integration and characterization expertise, but the voltage class and switch function differ from the advertised low-voltage regulator. (Baratella et al.)
• A GaN integration review first published online on 27 December 2023 and included in a 2024 issue discusses integration platforms and prospects. It is useful field synthesis rather than a project-specific result. (Bakeroot et al., “GaN Power Integration Technology and Its Future Prospects”)

A foundational 2019 paper from the wider technology environment reported co-integrated GaN devices and passives and a 48 V-to-1 V converter with on-chip control. It shows the history of integrated GaN power conversion, but it is older and does not establish the exact low-voltage process design kit or performance targets for DC6. (GaN-on-SOI integrated-circuit study)

Funding, Application, and Living Cost

The employer gives 15 December 2026 at 23:59 as the last application time; project data specifies Europe/Brussels, so verify the portal time zone. The position is full-time with Belgian employment and social-security coverage. The first contract is 12 months. After a positive evaluation, it is “in principle” extended for 36 additional months, up to a maximum total of 48 months. Request the evaluation rubric and extension mechanics in writing; the maximum is not a guaranteed four-year term. (Ghent University vacancy)

The stated annual MSCA package is €56,640 before employer and employee contributions, with a €7,920 annual family allowance where applicable. Dividing the annual package by 12 gives a monthly equivalent of €4,720 before employer and employee contributions, not the employee’s gross salary. The family allowance would average €660 per month if spread evenly, but eligibility and payment schedule are conditional. Ghent University estimates €1,200–€1,800 monthly costs for one person, with rent as the largest expense and additional first-month costs for a deposit, furniture and utilities. Because the package includes employer costs, subtracting living costs from its monthly equivalent would not give an employee budget. Ask HR for the employee gross salary, a net-pay illustration and applicable fees and mobility costs. (Ghent University vacancy, Ghent cost-of-living guide)

Ghent’s 2026/27 published doctorate fees are €591 for first enrolment and €591 for defence for EEA students, and €1,182 for each for non-EEA students; annual re-enrolment is €0. The vacancy does not state whether the project reimburses these amounts. The joint-PhD agreement should clarify which institution charges fees and who covers them. (Ghent 2026/27 doctoral fees, Ghent joint-PhD rules)

MSCA eligibility requires no doctoral degree at recruitment and, in general, no more than 12 months of residence or main activity in Belgium during the 36 months immediately before recruitment. The vacancy also requires admission eligibility at both Ghent and Oviedo. Calculate the mobility period against the expected recruitment date rather than the application deadline. (MSCA Doctoral Networks eligibility, Ghent University vacancy)

Applications go by email to the address listed on the official vacancy by 15 December. The requested package is a detailed Europass CV, bachelor’s and master’s certificates and transcripts with grades, passport or EU identity card, and contact details for two academic referees. Documents must be in English or accompanied by English translations. (Ghent University vacancy)

Applicant Fit and Preparation

Required: a master’s degree in electronic engineering, electrical engineering or a closely related discipline; electronic systems/circuit design and analog electronics; power electronics and DC–DC/switching-converter control; semiconductor-device knowledge; circuit modeling and simulation; and excellent spoken and written English. The candidate must not hold a doctorate at recruitment, satisfy the Belgium mobility test and meet both universities’ admission requirements. (Ghent University vacancy, MSCA Doctoral Networks)

Preferred or advantageous: analog/mixed-signal IC design; PDK schematic, simulation, layout, DRC, LVS and parasitic extraction; Cadence or equivalent design tools; PCB, embedded systems, laboratory measurement and electrical characterization. These are assets, not substitutes for the required circuit/power-electronics foundation. (Ghent University vacancy)

Suggested preparation: present one concrete circuit, converter or semiconductor project with a clear account of personal contribution, simulation assumptions, measured validation and limitations. Prepare a dated mobility calculation and verify document equivalence/admission steps at both institutions before the deadline.

The broader market evidence is positive but not predictive. The European Commission reports 2024 European space-industry sales of €8.8 billion and employment near 66,000; a 2025 Commission communication identifies advanced STEM skill needs in aerospace and other technology sectors. The project’s GaN, analog-IC, converter-control and reliability skills plausibly transfer to space electronics, semiconductor design and power-conversion engineering. This is an inference from the research tasks and sector evidence, not a promise of a job or salary. (European Commission space-sector overview, EU space strategy and skills communication)

Next Actions and Questions to Verify

Before Applying

• Check the no-doctorate and Belgium 12-month/36-month mobility rules against the expected recruitment date.
• Confirm the degree-equivalence and application sequence at both Ghent and Oviedo.
• Ask HR for a net-pay illustration and an explanation of how the €56,640 amount is divided between living and mobility allowances; check family-allowance eligibility.

At Interview

• What are the regulator’s voltage, load, switching-frequency, efficiency, thermal and space-environment targets?
• Which low-voltage GaN PDK, design tools, tape-out route and measurement setup are available?
• What are the year-one evaluation criteria and timeline, and what would prevent the additional 36-month extension?
• How are the imec and Oviedo secondments supervised, scheduled and funded?

Before Accepting

• Obtain the contract-extension criteria and contingency terms in writing.
• Confirm whether the joint award is one joint diploma or two coordinated diplomas, and clarify admissions, registrations, examination and fee responsibilities.
• Confirm the net-pay estimate, social-security treatment and any fee or mobility-cost reimbursement.

Evidence and Sources

Vacancy, network, eligibility and degree structure

• Ghent University BESCAPE DC6 vacancy
• BESCAPE grant fact sheet
• MSCA Doctoral Networks eligibility and allowances
• Ghent joint-PhD rules
• Ghent PhD application and enrolment
• University of Oviedo doctoral pre-registration
• About Ghent University
• Ghent official ranking overview

Department, research group and publications

• ELIS Department of Electronics and Information Systems
• CMST research platforms
• CMST Research Explorer profile
• Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
• Benoit Bakeroot Research Explorer profile
• Benoit Bakeroot publication index
• 2025 p-GaN HEMT capacitance-model paper
• 2024 monolithic p-GaN bidirectional-switch paper
• GaN power-integration review
• Foundational GaN-on-SOI integrated-circuit study
• BESCAPE partner programme overview

Fees, living costs and career context

• Ghent 2026/27 doctoral and joint-PhD fees
• Ghent living-cost guide
• Ghent recommended financial means for PhD students
• European Commission space-sector overview
• European Commission space strategy and STEM-skills communication