UP IAM is announcing an open position for ASSISTANT

The employment relationship will be contracted for full-working time of 40 hours per week (100%), for a definite period of time of 36 months, with a three-month probationary period. The expected start date is October 1, 2026, or as agreed.

General description of duties and tasks according to the field of work:

• participation in the implementation of domestic and international research projects, programs 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.

Conditions for performing the work:

• Specialization based on a higher education qualification (previous system), a university-level higher education qualification (previous system), or a master’s degree in Wood Science, Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Forestry, Biomaterials, Renewable Materials, or a related discipline.
• Active knowledge of a foreign language.

Required additional functional skills:

• computer skills,
• teamwork skills,
• organizational skills,
• independence,
• reliability.

Other desirable qualifications:

• valid election to the academic/scientific title, or meets the requirements for election to this title at University of Primorska.

Open PhD position: Multiscale characterisation of thermo-hydro-mechanically modified wood using HB-SAXS and synchrotron X-ray techniques

Application deadline: 30^th August 2026

Expected start date: 1^st Oct 2026

The InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM at University of Primorska, is seeking a dynamic and motivated candidate for a doctoral research project focused on understanding how thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processing changes the hierarchical structure and properties of wood. The research will combine advanced characterisation at the new HB-SAXS beamline as well as with experiments at Elettra Synchrotron Trieste facilities and complementary laboratory methods. The candidate will be employed at UP IAM and will enrol in a doctoral study programme at the University of Primorska or at partner university.

Goals and Tasks

The PhD research will investigate structural changes induced in wood by THM densification, from cellulose and cell-wall organisation at the nanometre scale to cellular deformation and macroscopic material performance. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) will be used to study features such as cellulose microfibril orientation, fibrillar organisation, crystallinity, and nanoscale porosity, and to determine how they are affected by wood species and processing parameters including moisture content, pressing temperature, pressure, compression ratio, and treatment time.

A central part of the work will be the development of ex situ and, where feasible, in situ experimental protocols for following THM-modified wood under controlled humidity, temperature, and mechanical loading. These experiments will examine how the wood nanostructure evolves during moisture sorption and desorption, dimensional recovery, thermal exposure, deformation, stress relaxation, and creep. Synchrotron-based measurements may be combined with laboratory HB-SAXS measurements to capture structural changes across relevant time and length scales.

The candidate will integrate scattering results with complementary characterisation, including X-ray imaging or computed tomography, microscopy, density and porosity measurements, moisture-sorption and dimensional-stability testing, and mechanical testing. The overall aim is to establish quantitative process-structure-property relationships that explain how THM treatment modifies wood and how nanoscale structural changes govern its hygroscopic, dimensional, viscoelastic, and mechanical behaviour.

The candidate will be responsible for:

• Conducting literature reviews on the hierarchical structure of wood, THM modification and densification, X-ray scattering, synchrotron methods, moisture-dependent behaviour, and multiscale characterisation of bio-based materials.
• Preparing and conditioning wood specimens and applying controlled THM treatments with systematically varied process parameters.
• Planning and conducting HB-SAXS and synchrotron or laboratory SAXS/WAXS experiments, including sample preparation, experimental setup, calibration, data acquisition, data reduction, and quality control.
• Developing ex situ and in situ measurement protocols and sample environments for controlled humidity, temperature, and mechanical loading.
• Analysing and modelling SAXS/WAXS data to quantify structural parameters such as orientation, characteristic length scales, crystallinity, and nanoscale porosity.
• Performing complementary characterisation using methods such as X-ray imaging or computed tomography, microscopy, density and porosity measurements, moisture sorption and dimensional-stability testing, and mechanical testing.
• Applying design of experiments, statistical and multivariate analysis, and suitable computational tools to establish robust process-structure-property relationships.
• 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

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary international research environment.
• Ability to formulate and communicate new research ideas, including the preparation of research proposals.
• 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.

Desirable (but not mandatory) requirements/skills

• Previous experience with wood science, wood modification, wood physics, hierarchical biological materials, porous materials, or polymer and composite materials.
• Experience with SAXS, WAXS, X-ray diffraction, synchrotron or neutron experiments, X-ray imaging or computed tomography, or related structural-characterisation methods.
• Experience with laboratory preparation and testing of wood or other hygroscopic and porous materials, including controlled-humidity, thermal, or mechanical experiments.
• Familiarity with scattering-data reduction, curve fitting, image analysis, or scientific computing.
• Knowledge of programming and data-analysis tools such as Python, MATLAB, R, Origin, or similar; experience with statistical or multivariate analysis is an advantage.
• Experience or interest in developing in situ experimental setups, preparing beamtime proposals, and working in multidisciplinary user-facility environments.

What we offer:

• Competitive salary with possible performance-based raises,
• No Ph.D. tuition fee,
• Opportunity to work with the new HB-SAXS beamline, participate in synchrotron experiments and international collaborations, and contribute to other ongoing projects of the institute.

Employment opportunities, admissions policies, activities, services, and the facilities of the InnoRenew CoE do not exclude any person based on race, color, age, sex, gender, religion, national origin, or disability. In processing your application, the GDPR will be respected and your information will not be shared outside of the relevant staff at the InnoRenew CoE and the University of Primorska. By submitting your application, you agree that the data you provide be reviewed by these organizations.

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 HB-SAXS. All materials should be in English and submitted in PDF format no later than 30^th August 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).

The InnoRenew CoE 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 at http://innorenew.eu or by e-mailing: coe@innorenew.eu.

Apply now