Ph.D. position at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering

8 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University of Iceland

Department

Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research Field

Physics

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Iceland

Application Deadline

15 Apr 2024 - 11:59 (Atlantic/Reykjavik)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

A Ph.D. position at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik is open for applications. The successful candidate will be part of a research collaboration between the University of Iceland and The National Museum of Iceland focusing on Icelandic vernacular building physics and structural behaviour with the aim of optimizing maintenance and improving preservation. The candidate must have an interest in hygrothermal material properties, measurements, and data analysis, along with an interest in architectural heritage and building preservation. The project is funded for three years by the Icelandic Research Fund of Rannís (www.rannis.is ).

 

Main tasks

 

The project:  Monitoring and Simulation of Hygrothermal and Structural Behaviour of Turf Houses: Towards Preservation and Performance Optimization

The project seeks to further our understanding of Icelandic vernacular building physics and structural behaviour with the aim of improving preservation, restoration, and maintenance. Turf houses are the vernacular buildings of Iceland, and the research will especially focus on turf roofs. The indoor and outdoor climate (temperature and humidity) of the roofs in four turf houses owned by the National Museum of Iceland will be monitored along with the moisture content in the turf and the movement of the load carrying structure. Laboratory studies of the material properties of turf will be used to enhance computer simulations which in return will be used in the data analysis. 3D point cloud analyses will be used to study the movements of the timber structure carrying the turf.

The research group  consists of experts from The National Museum of Iceland and the University of Iceland. Their expertise lies in Icelandic architectural heritage, conservation of heritage buildings, building physics, structural health monitoring, and material science of buildings. There are three PIs; Dórótea H Sigurðardóttir (supervisor), Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Iceland, Björn Marteinsson, Associate Professor Emeritus at the same faculty and Dr. Kristján Mímisson, archaeologist and specialist at The National Museum of Iceland. Other specialists in the Conservation department and the Historic Building Collection at the National Museum of Iceland  will also actively participate in the project.

Requirements

Research Field

Physics

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Master's degree in material science, building physics, building preservation, architectural heritage, or other related field.
• Capability to work independently and in a team.
• Good knowledge of written and spoken English.
• Basic understanding of written Icelandic.
• Good communication skills.
• Skills in computer programming and data analysis.

The hiring is contingent on the candidate applying formally for the Ph.D. program at the University of Iceland at the corresponding department and that the application is approved by the faculty.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Languages

ICELANDIC

Level

Basic

Additional Information
Additional comments

Wages according to the current collective agreement by the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs and the relevant trade union.

The expected start date is no later than September 2024.

The application process is carried out in three steps:

- First all interested applicants send their application. The application and supporting documents must be in English unless otherwise stated below. Applications must include:

• CV (including any publications).
• A research statement (approximately one page of text), explaining why you would like to join us in this project and what you may contribute to the project.
• Transcripts of courses from bachelor's and master's degrees. A copy is sufficient; an official translation is not necessary at this stage. 
• A half page about your research interests and your strengths.
• Contact information (workplace and email address) of two reference persons and their relationship to the applicant. 
• If possible, a digital copy of the master's thesis text (in original language) and/or a selection of any publications or previous theses that the student has written.

- After the deadline, the applications will be evaluated. Suitable candidates may be interviewed remotely (through Zoom, MS Teams, etc.).

- The applicant who is offered the PhD position will have to send a formal application for PhD studentship at the University of Iceland. During this stage, certified copies of educational diplomas and transcripts need to be submitted. Proof of proficiency for non-native speakers of English must also be submitted. More details about English proficiency requirements can be found at https://english.hi.is/node/17996 .

All applications will be answered, and applicants will be informed about the appointment when a decision has been made. Applications are valid in the system for 6 months after the application deadline.

Appointments to positions at the University of Iceland are made in consideration of the Equal Rights Policy of the University of Iceland. http://www.hi.is/haskolinn/jafnrettisaaetlun#markmid2

The University of Iceland has a special Language Policy. https://www.hi.is/haskolinn/malstefna_haskola_islands

The University of Iceland is a growing community of knowledge and is a very dynamic and interesting workplace. Our values are academic freedom, professionalism and equality. The University strives to provide flexibility and encourages participation in the progression of studies and research in all fields within the realm of the University.

The School of Engineering and Natural Sciences employs ca. 400 people involved with teaching and research. The School offers an international working environment, with the number of international employees and students increasing each year. Currently about a quarter of all employees and graduate students are international. The school has around 2000 students and numerous graduate students. The School of Engineering and Natural Sciences is proud of its diversity and reform-minded environment where knowledge acquisition and sharing are paramount.

 

Job percentage: 100%

Application deadline until end of: 15.04.2024

More info provided by

Dórótea Höeg Sigurðardóttir, Lektor / Assistant Professor - [email protected]  

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Iceland

Country

Iceland

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://radningarkerfi.orri.is/?s=36981&oj_Router=1N4IgTg9hAuIFwgPwGcC8BmAbATgB…

Contact

City

Reykjavík

Website

http://www.hi.is

Street

Sæmundargata 6

Postal Code

101

E-Mail

[email protected]

STATUS: EXPIRED