Postdoctoral Researcher Position in Renewable Composite Materials
InnoRenew CoE seeks highly motivated and qualified applicants for a postdoctoral position in its Renewable Materials Composites (RMC) research group. The RMC group advances innovations in renewable materials and composites that improve sustainability and health of the built environment. The Postdoctoral Researcher will conduct research related to lignocellulosic-based composite materials. The position is located in Izola, Slovenia.
Position overview
The Postdoctoral Researcher will perform research in material development and innovation with a focus on bio-based composite materials for use in structural and nonstructural building applications. Bio-based composite materials utilize resources such as wood, plant-based biomass, natural fibers, lignin, fungi, and carbonized biomass. The Postdoctoral Researcher will develop innovative concepts that lead to enhanced performance of bio-based composite materials within the built environment. The Postdoctoral Researcher is expected to take an active role in proposal writing and develop their own research agenda aligned with the RMC group’s research, development, and innovation (RDI) plan and InnoRenew CoE’s research objectives. The Postdoctoral Researcher should maintain state-of-the-art knowledge in composites to assess the potential for new products and advance current composite materials.
Required qualifications
- PhD in wood science, material science, chemistry, biomaterial engineering, or related area
- Experience in bio-based materials with a focus on improving performance
- At least 3-years of experience in composite material development
- Research record demonstrating expertise in composite-related fields
- Experience in product design and optimization
- Understanding of fundamental bio-based material properties
- Experience implementing and working on interdisciplinary research projects
- Experience in writing research grant/funding proposals
- Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English
Preferred qualifications
- Experience conducting research on bio-based composites for high-performance applications
- Knowledge of adhesive chemistry and development of bio-based adhesives
- Experience in advanced chemical, mechanical, and analytical testing related to fiber and nanoparticle raw materials and related composites
- Knowledge of composite material performance within sustainable building systems
- Leadership experience in an academic or professional environment
What we offer
InnoRenew CoE was established through the InnoRenew project, funded by the European Commission and the Republic of Slovenia. InnoRenew CoE is an interdisciplinary research institute focused on renewable material use in sustainable built environments.
- Position offers a 2-year contract with option for renewal based on performance
- Position offers a competitive salary with possible performance-based raises
- Position offers the opportunity to work on a prestigious H2020 project
Start date:
September 1, 2020 is the earliest expected start date, but this can be flexible, depending on the successful applicant.
How to apply:
Interested applicants should email the following documents (PDF format) to coe@innorenew.eu:
- Curriculum vitae
- Motivation letter (maximum one A4 page)
- Short summary of research interest (maximum one A4 page)
- Certified copy of doctoral degree diploma/certificate and official transcript, with translations if the originals are not in English
Review of applications will begin on August 14, 2020 and continue until the position is filled.
Please contact Dr. David DeVallance (devallance@innorenew.eu) via email for questions related to the expected duties of the Postdoctoral Researcher position.
InnoRenew CoE’s employment opportunities, policies, activities, services, and facilities do not exclude any person on the basis of race, color, age, sex, gender, religion, national origin, or disability. InnoRenew CoE complies with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); therefore, applicants’ personal data will only be shared with InnoRenew CoE staff directly involved in the selection and recruitment of personnel and never with third parties. By submitting an application, you agree that the data you provide therein will be reviewed and processed by the relevant InnoRenew CoE staff.
InnoRenew CoE reserves the right to leave the position open, extend the application period, and consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.
For additional information, contact InnoRenew CoE at coe@innorenew.eu or visit their website: http://innorenew.eu
PhD/Assistant Researcher position – Healthy buildings for ageing well
InnoRenew CoE seeks highly motivated and qualified applicants for a PhD/Assistant Researcher position to work in the interdisciplinary field of psychogeriatrics/gerontology and environmental psychology as related to interior design, buildings, construction, and architecture. The successful candidate will be part of InnoRenew CoE’s Human Health in the Built Environment research group (Izola, Slovenia) and enroll separately as a doctoral student in the Renewable Materials for Healthy Built Environments doctoral program at the University of Primorska (Koper, Slovenia).
The number of Europeans over 65 continues to increase, and these older adults are projected to become a third of Europe’s population by 2080. Concern for older adult physical and mental well-being will also increase and joint care facilities will become a focal point. Many emotional and psychological challenges for older adults and their formal and informal caregivers will need to be addressed, especially those compounded by loneliness, lack of community, and incompatible living environments.
Tasks and goals
The research focus of this position is to assess the state of joint care facilities in selected European regions and evaluate the well-being of older adults using them, identify best practices for constructing care facilities, and attempt to identify connections between occupant well-being and the quality of care facilities’ buildings and environment. The above goal is intended to be achieved by:
- Developing expert knowledge in psychogeriatrics, older adult care, environments that are healing (theory and practice), and building construction for care facilities (current and future trends)
- Designing and conducting studies that will advance knowledge in these fields and be applicable in practice
The Assistant Researcher will participate in two high-profile international research projects, the InnoRenew Horizon2020 project and the pharaon Horizon2020 project, and will be expected to be active in scientific publishing and participate in academic conferences, networks, and other relevant associations.
Required qualifications
- Master’s degree in psychology, public health, or related field
- Excellent communication skills in English
- Eligibility to enroll in doctoral studies in Slovenia
- Eligibility to work in Slovenia
- High motivation to carry out interdisciplinary research projects
- Strong written and oral communication skills in English
- Ability to interact with the healthcare industry and other researchers
Preferred qualifications
- Experience in psychogeriatrics
- Knowledge of theory and practice in healthy built environments
- Participation in research projects (industrial or grant-funded)
- Ability to formulate and communicate new research ideas and prepare research proposals
What we offer
InnoRenew CoE was established through the InnoRenew project, a flagship project funded by the European Commission and Republic of Slovenia. For this position, we offer:
- One-year contract with option for renewal (recommended duration for doctoral studies is four years)
- Competitive salary with possible performance-based raises
- Opportunity to work on two prestigious H2020 projects
How to apply
Interested applicants should email the following documents (in English and as PDFs) to coe@innorenew.eu
- Curriculum vitae
- Motivation letter for this position
- Summary of previous research experience (master’s thesis, for example)
- Certified copy of master´s degree certificate/diploma and official records transcript, with translations if the originals are not in English or Slovene
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
For further information about the research topic, please contact Assist. Prof. Michael Burnard at mike.burnard@innorenew.eu.
InnoRenew CoE’s employment opportunities, policies, activities, services, and facilities do not exclude any person on the basis of race, color, age, sex, gender, religion, national origin, or disability. InnoRenew CoE complies with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); therefore, applicants’ personal data will only be shared with InnoRenew CoE staff directly involved in the selection and recruitment of personnel and never with third parties. By submitting an application, you agree that the data you provide therein will be reviewed and processed by the relevant InnoRenew CoE staff.
InnoRenew CoE reserves the right to leave the position open, extend the application period, and consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.
PhD position – Data-driven optimization for sustainable network design
The InnoRenew CoE is seeking highly motivated and qualified applicants for a PhD researcher position (Assistant Researcher) to work in the field of computer science and optimization. The successful candidate will be part of InnoRenew CoE’s ICT research group (Izola, Slovenia) and as a doctoral student will enrol in the Computer Science doctoral program at the University of Primorska (Koper, Slovenia).
Using networks to model real-world problems is a powerful tool, as they provide an efficient abstraction that can be used to analyse the structure of the task at hand. Ranging from sensor networks to supply chains, there is an underlying complex network for a wide array of different everyday applications. Sustainability plays an important role in the design of these networks when considering various optimisation questions such as energy minimisation or the reuse of waste materials. The objectives and constraints of these optimisation problems are generally strongly influenced by a large amount of available measured data.
Tasks and Goals
The focus of the research is to analyse the underlying structure of selected real-world problems and design efficient network representations for them. The above goal is intended to be achieved by:
- Collecting and studying available data related to the problems, identifying crucial underlying information;
- Using the extracted information, efficient solution methods should be developed for problems arising in these networks. Mathematical programming and metaheuristic approaches can both be used for this purpose;
- Showing the efficiency of the developed tools and methods by implementing simulation environments.
The methods and tools developed above will be adapted for real-world data in connection with interdisciplinary projects. The successful candidate will also contribute to applications for grant-funded research projects and publish their research in high-level international journals and prestigious conferences in the field.
Required qualifications
• Master’s degree in computer science, information technology, mathematics, or related area
• Strong command of at least one major high-level programming language (e.g. C++, Java, Python)
• Solid background in algorithm design and data structures
• High motivation to carry out interdisciplinary research projects
• Ability to solve complex problems with the development of methodical and analytical approaches
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English
• Ability to interact with industry and other researchers
Preferred qualifications
- Experience in implementing graph algorithms
- Strong operations research background
- Knowledge of optimization and modelling software
- Participation in applied research projects (industrial or grant-funded)
- Ability to formulate and communicate new research ideas and prepare research proposals
What we offer
The InnoRenew CoE was established based on a flagship project funded by the European Commission and the Republic of Slovenia.
- 1-year contract with option for renewal (recommended duration for doctoral studies is four years)
- Competitive salary with possible performance-based raises
- Opportunity to work on a prestigious H2020 project
How to apply
Interested applicants should send:
- Curriculum vitae
- Motivation letter for this position
- Summary of previous research experience (master’s thesis, for example)
- Certified copy of master´s degree certificate and official transcript of records, and their translations, if the originals are not in English.
All materials should be in English and submitted in PDF format.
Please send application via e-mail to: coe@innorenew.eu
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For further information about the research topic please contact Dr. Miklós Krész (miklos.kresz@innorenew.eu).
InnoRenew CoE’s employment opportunities, policies, activities, services, and facilities do not exclude any person on the basis of race, color, age, sex, gender, religion, national origin, or disability. InnoRenew CoE complies with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); therefore, applicants’ personal data will only be shared with InnoRenew CoE staff directly involved in the selection and recruitment of personnel and never with third parties. By submitting an application, you agree that the data you provide therein will be reviewed and processed by the relevant InnoRenew CoE staff.
The InnoRenew CoE reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.
Working with us
Research at the InnoRenew CoE is focused on supporting restorative solutions for the built environment through renewable materials research and sustainable building research that creates positive impacts for the environment, building users, and society. While working with us, you will conduct cutting edge research with researchers from around the globe, collaborate with industry members, interact with the public, and support policy development for a sustainable future.
Working in Slovenia
Slovenia is a beautiful country to live and work in with easy access to the rest of Europe. The InnoRenew CoE is located on Slovenia’s welcoming coast that is dotted with historic cities, wineries, olive groves, and stunning vistas. The food is great, the people are open and welcoming, and the lifestyle is as active or relaxed as you want it to be, with many outdoor activities to take part in or cafés to relax in.