Open PhD position: Moisture-Activated Densified Wood Dowels for Adhesive-Free Timber Construction

Application deadline: 30^th of June 2026

Expected start date: 1^st of October 2026

The University of Primorska and InnoRenew CoE are seeking a dynamic and motivated candidate to work on a research project focused on the development of moisture-activated densified wood dowels for adhesive-free engineered wood products. The researcher will be employed at UP IAM and become a doctoral candidate at the University of Primorska – PhD study program Renewable Materials for Healthy Built Environments.

Goals and Tasks

The PhD research will aim to develop and evaluate self-tightening densified wooden dowels for adhesive-free timber assemblies, especially dowel-laminated timber and related engineered wood products. The project explores how thermo-hydro-mechanical densification, moisture-induced set-recovery, dowel geometry, and assembly tolerance can be used to improve joint tightness, long-term connection stability, and structural performance without the use of adhesives or metal fasteners.

In addition to experimental work, the PhD candidate will contribute to the development of predictive models describing the behaviour of densified wood dowels and dowel-based timber joints. These models will help connect material-level processes, such as densification, moisture uptake, swelling pressure, and set-recovery, with joint-level and element-scale performance. The modelling work may include statistical modelling, response-surface modelling, analytical modelling of dowel–timber interaction, and numerical simulations of moisture-dependent mechanical behaviour.

The candidate will contribute to a project that establishes process–structure–property relationships for moisture-activated densified wood dowels and links them to timber joint mechanics and element-scale performance. The work will include experimental development, material characterisation, mechanical testing, moisture-cycling studies, and statistical analysis.

The candidate will be responsible for:

• conducting literature reviews on densified wood, wood modification, wooden connectors, dowel-laminated timber, adhesive-free timber systems, moisture-dependent wood behaviour, and modelling approaches for timber connections,
• preparing and characterising thermo-hydro-mechanically densified wood dowels with controlled set-recovery and mechanical behaviour,
• applying design of experiments, response-surface methodology, regression models, mixed-effects models, or other suitable modelling approaches to identify key parameters and optimise dowel design,
• preparing timber-to-timber joint specimens and evaluating their withdrawal, push-out, slip, and double-shear performance,
• supporting the manufacture and testing of dowel-laminated timber prototypes assembled with densified wood dowels,
• investigating the durability of the developed connection system under moisture cycling and selected thermal exposure conditions,
• supporting project management, data management, reporting, open science activities, and communication of project results,
• disseminating research findings through scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and international conferences.

Essential requirements/skills:

• specialization based on a higher education qualification (previous system), a university-level higher education qualification (previous system), or a master’s degree in fields such as Wood Science, Physics, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Forestry, Renewable Materials, or a related discipline,
• ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary international research environment,
• ability to formulate and communicate new research ideas (e.g., research proposal preparation),
• active knowledge of a foreign language,
• valid election to the academic/scientific title, or meets the requirements for election to this title at University of Primorska,
• fulfil the requirements for doctoral students at the University of Primorska. For more details, see:

https://www.famnit.upr.si/en/education/doctoral/renew-mat

https://www.famnit.upr.si/en/education/enrolment.

Required additional functional competencies:

• computer literacy,
• organisational skills,
• ability to work effectively in a team,
• independence,
• reliability.

Desirable (but not mandatory) requirements/skills:

• previous experience with wood science, wood modification, wood physics, timber engineering, timber connections, or engineered wood products,
• experience with laboratory testing of wood, timber joints, structural materials, or other porous/biobased materials,
• familiarity with mechanical testing methods such as bending, compression, withdrawal, push-out, shear testing, or similar,
• experience with experimental measurement techniques such as digital image correlation, 3D scanning, X-ray CT or similar,
• knowledge of statistical software or programming tools, such as R, Python, MATLAB, JMP, SPSS, or similar,
• experience or interest in modelling approaches, such as statistical modelling, response-surface methodology, regression analysis, finite element modelling, hygro-mechanical modelling, contact/friction modelling, or other numerical simulation methods.

General description of duties and responsibilities:

• participation in the development and implementation of domestic and international research projects, programmes, and tasks,
• research and processing of special issues in the field of operation, implementation of analyses, measurements and tests for the needs of the work area,
• writing papers and reports in the field of research and professional work,
• participation in scientific research and professional consultations and meetings,
• preparation, editing and archiving of project documentation,
• preparation of administrative and professional bases for the work of the internal organizational unit,
• participation in the work of professional bodies and in joint projects and tasks as agreed with the management,
• performance of other tasks as ordered by superiors.

What we offer:

• No Ph.D. tuition fee,
• Opportunity to participate in other ongoing projects of the institute.

How to apply:

The applicants should send:

• curriculum vitae (including short descriptions of all prior educations, qualifications, and research or work experiences),
• motivation letter for this doctoral position (maximum one A4 page),
• list of publications (if applicable)

to this email address: coe@innorenew.eu. In the title (subject) of your email please write: PhD position Densified Wood Dowels. All materials should be submitted in PDF format no later than June 30, 2026.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For further information about the research topic, please contact prof. dr. Andreja Kutnar (andreja.kutnar@innorenew.eu) or dr. Lei Han (lei.han@innorenew.eu).

The InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, extend the application period, and consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.

Learn how to apply at http://innorenew.eu/jobs.

Learn more about the InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM at http://innorenew.eu or by e-mailing: coe@innorenew.eu.

Apply now