POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER POSITION IN STATISTICAL MECHANICS OF GRANULAR MATERIALS

2 year position at Westlake University in Hangzhou China. Competitive salary ranges from 250k to 350k RMB per year, depending on experience. The project is focused on the statistical physics of granular materials interacting with fluids. Researchers with PhD in Mathematics, Physics, Civil or Mechanical Engineering, or related fields are welcome to apply. Experiences in computational methods such as the Discrete Element Method and Computational Fluid Dynamic methods are highly desirable.

Westlake University is a newly formed university with great support from the local government and the private sector. For more information about the Institute please visit its website https://www.en.westlake.edu.cn .

For more information about the research group please visit https://m3.westlake.edu.cn.

If interested, please contact A/Prof Sergio Torres s.torres@westlake.edu.cn

Invitation – International Workshop on Granular Materials & Extraterrestrial Regolith – Université de Lorraine


Dear Colleagues,

From April 14th to 17th, 2025, we are organizing an international workshop titled “International Workshop on Granular Materials & Regolith” at the University de Lorraine, Metz, France. The theme of the event will focus on: “Granular Materials Fundamentals, Applications, and Concepts for Extraterrestrial Regolith, including the Moon, Mars, and Asteroids.”

The event will bring together specialists and established researchers from academia, government agencies (including NASA, ESA, CNES) and industry. Participants will exchange and discuss ideas and topics related to regolith issues, particularly how knowledge and methods developed for granular media can help to approach extraterrestrial regolith behavior under extreme temperature, thin atmosphere, radiation, meteorite impact and other extreme environmental conditions.

The Workshop will have 10 sessions including 10 invited researchers/specialists delivering keynote presentations and 14 invited Feature presentations,18 quick-talks, and a poster session with more than 40 presentations.

We are pleased to invite you to participate in this event, and we will be grateful if you could circulate the attached flyer to those interested.

More information can be found on the workshop website at: https://regolith-metz.event.univ-lorraine.fr/ or here. We look forward to seeing you at the workshop in Metz, France. Thank you.

With all the best,

On behalf of International Organizing Committee

CoChairs:
Mahdia, Anil and Ramesh

Mahdia Hattab (Workshop Co-Chair),
Professor, Université de Lorraine-LEM3-CNRS/Member ASCE/EMI-GMTC and Member IRN GeoMech,. France.
E-mail: mahdia.hattab@univ-lorraine.fr,

Ramesh B. Malla (Workshop Co-Chair),
Professor, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, U.S.A.Chair, ASCE/Aerospace Division (ASD) -Space Engineering and Construction Technical Committee (SEC TC).
E-mail: Ramesh.Malla@uconn.edu

Anil Misra (Workshop Co-Chair)
Professor, Florida International University, Miami, FL, U.S.A.Chair, ASCE/Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) -Granular Materials Technical Committee (GMTC).
E-mail:  anmisra@fiu.edu

15th International Conference “Modern Building Materials, Structures and Techniques”

May 12-15, 2026
Vilnius, Lithuania
(https://vilniustech.lt/mbmst)

Traditional International Conference Modern Building Materials, Structures and Techniques has been organized since 1991 when the very first forum organized by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University was held in Vilnius, Lithuania. Conference will be organized in 4 parallel sections: Structures, Materials, Geotechnics and Construction technologies.

Confirmed keynote speakers:
Maria Stefanidou. Utilization of industrial by-products for the production of sustainable building materials
Lyesse Laloui. Energy geostructures: a smart exploitation of the renewable energy situated under our cities
José António Silva Carvalho Campos Matos. Implementing Novel Technologies Towards the Sustainable Management of Existing Infrastructures
Klaus Holschemacher. Application of robotics for the production of precast carbon-reinforced concrete members

Abstracts will not be collected. Only full papers will be reviewed.
January 1, 2025 – Opening the full papers submission system.
October 1, 2025 – Deadline for registration and full paper submission for review
November 31, 2025 – Notification of paper acceptance
January 31 , 2026 – Submission of the corrected final papers (corrected according to the review report)
February 15, 2026 – Notification of acceptance of final papers
February 28, 2026 – Deadline for payments for all conference authors of the articles (if not paid until 28th February 2026, the articles will not be published)
May 12, 2026 – Welcome reception
May 13–14, 2026 – The event
May 15, 2026 – Cultural tour

We look forward to seeing you in Vilnius.
Sincerely,
Organizing committee members
Remigijus Šalna and Šarūnas Skuodis

Postdoctoral position at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Title:
Experimental Rock Mechanics, Subsurface Fluid Flow, and Well Integrity Postdoctoral Research Associate

Application Link:
LinkedIn Post: https://lnkd.in/g5RcXiKy
LANL Official Posting: https://lnkd.in/g5KZ-VSr

Please also email your materials to Dr. Meng Meng (mengm@lanl.gov)

Description:
What You Will Do

The Fractured Earth Laboratory in the Energy and Natural Resources Security (EES-16) group at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is excited to announce one opening for Postdoctoral Research Associates. Successful candidates will join a diverse team of scientists who are working to address critical earth science challenges related to energy, the environment, and national security. Specific research topics related to this opportunity include: (1) high pressure high temperature rock mechanics assembly design and operation; (2) cement and well integrity evaluation using acoustic tools under simulated geothermal conditions; and (3) Subsurface fluid flow across fractures.

As a member of our interdisciplinary team, which includes experts in rock mechanics, fluid flow, well integrity, geophysics, geochemistry, the candidate will be at the forefront of developing innovative experimental and modeling methodologies to support finding challenges in energy, the environment, and national security. Our facilities for this work include novel equipment such as our large customized high-temperature high-pressure (HTHP) quad-pore triaxial system, HTHP microfluidic system, triaxial core-flood system with integrated X-ray, fiber optic system based on Fiber Brag gratings (FBGs), fiber optic system based on Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) for distributed strain and temperature sensing, HTHP cement curing vessels and calorimeters, HTHP rheometer, and Parr reactors. Our modeling tools include poro-elastic models, FEM, FDEM, and more.

Our top research goal is to assist with the global transition to zero-carbon energy. The successful candidate is expected to publish results in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and present their work at conferences. The position is for a two-year term, with the option to extend a third year based on performance and funding availability. Non-US citizens and US citizens are both welcome and encouraged to apply.

Continue reading

Announcement Conference EUNSAT2025 with BGE – Lisbon, 1 to 3 September 2025

Conference EUNSAT2025 – 5th European Conference on Unsaturated Soils (https://eunsat2025.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/) – will be at Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal, from 1 to 3 September 2025. This conference is supported by the Technical Committee 106 of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering.

Considering Unsaturated Soils natural link to Bio-Inspired Technology such as Nature-based Solutions and Biocementation, among other topics, the organization has decided to create special sessions related to Biotechnology in Geotechnical Engineering, BGE, and offer a summer course on this topic mainly dedicated to PhD students. Participants outside unsaturated soils technical community are mostly welcome, having the option to register only at BGE. 

Abstracts on any topic related to UNSATURATED SOILS AND ROCKS are welcome, covering topics on traditional geotechnical engineering applications, sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering, environmental problems (engineered barriers to protect the environment, the reuse of waste materials, tailings and mine waste, etc), climate stresses under climate change scenario, energy geotechnics, historic sites, geo-education and bio-inspired technologies in Geotechnics (BGE topics: nature-based solutions, root reinforcement, bio-cementation, fungi reinforcement, hydrophobic materials, among others).

Conference proceedings will be submitted for Scopus indexation.

Abstract submission, until 30th December 2024, is already open through the website (https://eunsat2025.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/). There you can find further information, but you can also contact: info@eunsat2025.tecnico.ulisboa.pt

Rafaela Cardoso – Chair of EUNSAT2025 with BGE

Proposal for a Master’s internship: Optimal sensor placement for parabolic PDEs – a PINN approach

The aim of the project is to propose a measure of the degree of observability of PDEs without resorting to an explicit model reduction technique (i.e. by constructing a model leading to finite-dimensional approximations) and by restricting ourselves to linear or nonlinear parabolic PDEs. Parabolic PDEs cover a wide variety of physics problems, such as the heat equation, the advection-diffusion equation, or the Burgers equation (fluid mechanics, gas dynamics, road traffic, etc.). For this purpose, we will explore the use of PINNs (Physics-Informed Neural Networks [4]). The PINN approach is a new class of neural networks that hybridizes machine learning and physical laws. We will here focus on the advection-diffusion equation (with a source estimation problem) and the Burgers equation with kinematic viscosity (with a state estimation problem).

For further information please see that attached file.

PhD student position (geotechnical engineering) at KTH, Sweden

We are seeking a doctoral student to join the Division of Soil and Rock Mechanics and contribute to the climate adaptation of society’s infrastructure. This fully funded 4 year position is part of a novel interdisciplinary research project focused on developing sustainable solutions for climate adaptation strategies.

The project has high practical relevance and is expected to make an important impact on society’s climate transition. As a doctoral student, you will work closely with both geotechnical engineers and risk philosophers to study how deep uncertainties in climate change predictions influence the reliability of geotechnical structures.

In this role, you will:

  • Explore how uncertainties in climate related parameters affect the suitability of various climate adaptation strategies and geotechnical solutions.
  • Conduct geotechnical analyses to create cost-effective and sustainable engineering solutions, and to develop and test models for decision under deep uncertainty.
  • Work on case studies that connect the research to real-world geotechnical structures.

The employment comes with a competitive salary in line with what is offered to newly graduated engineers working in the Swedish construction industry and there is no tuition fee. The vacancy ad and further details about the project and the employment can be found here: https://www.kth.se/lediga-jobb/767425?l=en

Last day of application is 6 December.

Postdoctoral Researcher Colorado School of Mines – Ground Modeling

We are currently accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher in the area of digital subsurface modeling within the Center for Underground at Colorado School of Mines. The full-time position is initially for two years with the possibility for advancement to the title of Assistant Research Professor. The position will ideally begin January 1, 2025 or soon thereafter.

The research involves: (1) digital 3D ground model development (geotechnical/geological) from sparse data using advances in data science and AI; (2) the application of uncertainty analysis with value of information and other methodologies to optimally improve ground models through site investigation; (3) the integration of surface geological data with subsurface borehole and geophysics data to develop uncertainty-quantifiable 3D ground models; (4) advancing techniques to translate digital ground models into quantifiable risk models for geotechnical construction, e.g., tunnels, dams, excavations. 

The successful candidate should have:

  • A PhD in a related field (civil-geotechnical engineering, geological engineering, geophysics, applied math or statistics, geology, etc.). 
  • Experience with site investigation data, ground model development, uncertainty analysis.
  • Basic understanding of and interest in data science and AI application.
  • The ability to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team, plus the motivation and discipline to carry out self-directed research.
  • Ability and interest in mentoring research students.
  • A record of strong written and oral communication skills.

The selected researcher will work with Professors Mike Mooney in Civil-Geotechnical Engineering and Gabe Walton in Geological Engineering, and will interact with numerous students across multiple disciplines within the Center for Underground.

To be considered for this position, please send a detailed CV, a cover email detailing your research experience and how it will qualifies you for this opportunity, 1-3 recent publications and contact information for three professional references to Professors Mike Mooney (mmooney@mines.edu) and Gabe Walton (gwalton@mines.edu). The review of applications will begin December 1, 2024 and will continue until the fellowship position is filled. Please feel free to contact Mike or Gabe for more information.

Postdoctoral Researcher Colorado School of Mines- Experimental

We are currently accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in experimental soil behavior with application to tunnel design and construction, urban excavations, horizontal directional drilling and ground improvement. The successful candidate will work within the Center for Underground at Colorado School of Mines where we explore behavior of geomaterials (soils, soft rock, transitional materials) in complex civil underground environments, advance new testing equipment and methods, and seek to characterize the behavior of geomaterials during construction. The full-time position is initially for two years with possibility for advancement to the title of Assistant Research Professor. The position will ideally begin January 1, 2025 or shortly thereafter.

The successful candidate should have:

  • A PhD in a related field, e.g., geotechnical engineering, soil mechanics, soil physics, mechanical engineering, underground engineering, mining engineering. Note that consideration will be given to post-Masters candidates with extensive laboratory experience.
  • Experience in the conduct of detailed testing of geomaterials.
  • The ability to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team, plus the motivation and discipline to carry out self-directed research.
  • Ability to mentor research students.
  • A record of strong written and oral communication skills.

The selected postdoctoral researcher will work with Professor Mike Mooney and will interact with numerous students across multiple disciplines in the Center for Underground.

To be considered for this position, please send a detailed CV, a cover email detailing your experience and how it will qualifies you for this opportunity, 1-3 recent publications and contact information for three professional references to Professor Mike Mooney (mmooney@mines.edu). The review of applications will begin December 1, 2024 and will continue until the postdoctoral position is filled. Please feel free to contact Mike for more information.

Postdoctoral Researcher in Geotechnical Engineering at SCUT (China), in Collaboration with UGA and NU (France)

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher position at the School of Marine Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology (SCUT), ranked #187 in the US News 2024 rankings. The successful candidate will contribute to an innovative research project titled: “Seismic Analysis of Offshore Wind Turbines Considering Soil-Foundation Interaction: Deterministic and Probabilistic Approaches.” This project is in collaboration with Grenoble Alpes University (UGA) and Nantes University (NU) in France. The position is full-time and offered for two years. Further details are provided in the attached file: Postdoctoral information.

The application deadline has been extended to November 27, 2024.