PhD in LLM for Food Product Development

Your job

Are you interested to combine food science and data science? Do you want to contribute to an accelerated and more accurate development of food products? Then this PhD position may be for you!

Currently, new product development (NPD) of foods is a based on a trial-and-error method. The result a slow development of new food products. A solution could be building predictive decision tools. One of such tools is a large language model (LLM), like ChatGPT. While ChatGPT is good at many things, it is not specifically trained for NPD. Therefore, this project aims to better understand LLM for food NPD from a scientific perspective, which allows effective training in order to build the next generation of LLMs for food product development.

What will you do?
As a PhD student, you explore methodologies to develop LLMs for food systems. Examples are training using, open-source data, literature or patents. Other methodologies are encoding experimental domain knowledge or physical models into the LLM. The work will also include an experimental element, including formulation and characterization of foods; the type of food products and range of instrumental measurements will be selected based on existing data and data required for training. You will work closely with food scientists and data scientists. We expect you to be curious to explore relevant data science techniques and for you to be decisive to make a choice for the programming language you will use.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Food Quality and Design and Physics and Physical chemistry of Foods. You will be supervised by Dr. Maryia Mishyna, Dr. Jack Yang and Prof. Vincenzo Fogliano.
For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language.

Your qualities

For this project we are looking for a highly motivated and skilled PhD candidate with a recent university MSc degree. Specific requirements are:

• an MSc degree in Food Technology, Material science, Soft matter science or related disciplines, WITH proven data science skills;
• or: a MSc degree in Computer science or related disciplines, with a BSc degree or minor in Food Technology;
• proven data science skills is a must. A programming course is insufficient. Proof of data science projects should be given;
• affinity and or experience with interdisciplinary research;
• a keen interest in collaborating with food scientists, physicists and data scientists;
• ability to work independently in a multidisciplinary environment;
• willingness to teach MSc and BSc students.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.
You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Do you want more information?

For more information about the position, please contact Mariya Mishyna, assistant professor, by email: maryia.mishyna@wur.nl.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Rutger Voorrips, corporate recruiter, by email: rutger.voorrips@wur.nl.

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

You can apply up and until 1 April 2025. The first interviews are scheduled shortly after the closing date.

The expected start of PhD project is May/June 2025.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.
We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves and do not appreciate unasked for services from recruitment agencies. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.