MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship 2023 – Computational Methods in Structural Engineering - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Call for Expression of Interest for a joint application under the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme – Call: MSCA-PF-2023

Hereby OsloMet invites interested experienced researchers of any nationality, who have a PhD degree and maximum eight (8) years of research experience after having obtained the PhD degree, to apply for the EU-funded Marie Skłodowska Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship (call HORIZON-MSCA-PF-2023) to conduct research at OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University for a period of two years.

Department of Civil Engineering and Energy Technology, Faculty of Technology, Art and Design

The department conducts high-impact research on a broad range of topics within national, European, and international projects. Activities cover various R&D areas of major interest in Civil, Structural, and Transportation Engineering and rely heavily on an integrated use of experimental testing, analytical methods and numerical simulation and modelling with a modern holistic approach to research. 

Area of research

Computational methods are computer-based methods used to numerically solve mathematical models that describe physical phenomena. The purpose of computational modeling is to study the behavior of complex systems by means of computer simulations and it can be used to make predictions of the system's behavior under different conditions, often for cases in which intuitive analytical solutions are not available. The evolution of electronic computers together with the tremendous increase of computational power has triggered the continuous development of computational methods during the last decades. Rapid advances in computer hardware have had a profound effect on various engineering disciplines. The applications are numerous and cover a broad field of engineering branches including civil, mechanical, naval, electrical, aerospace, material, biomolecular, among others. Computational structural engineering has evolved as an insightful blend combining both structural analysis and computer science.

Given the development of computational methods and relevant tools during the last decades, new ideas have evolved, outside the scope of prescriptive design codes and the use of computers in structural engineering is nowadays dominant. Very powerful capabilities are now available for the simulation and analysis of structures, yet there are still many exciting research challenges. The field of computational structural engineering will continue to grow and contribute to technological development as we are only at the beginning of the use of computer simulations and we only now begin to understand the extent to which these will influence and enrich the engineering profession and our lives in the future.

There are various fields of application of computational methods in structural engineering, including but not limited to:

• Advanced FEM modelling and simulation of buildings and structures
• Structural vibrations and dynamics
• Computational methods in earthquake engineering
• Optimum design of structures
• Smart structures and systems
• Structural health monitoring and control
• Reliability and probabilistic analysis of structures
• Neural Networks and their applications in engineering. 

Successful candidates will be supervised by Professor Vagelis Plevris, depending on the selected topic and expertise. 

With this call for Expression of Interest, we invite researchers to submit their application accompanied by CV (including publication list) and a one-page project description, that will be the basis for selecting a maximum of two candidates with whom we will collaborate for developing competitive MSCA-PF proposals. The cooperation for the proposal development will be carried out remotely, with regular online communication via email and virtual meeting platforms. Applicants who are successful in getting their proposals funded by the EU, must relocate to work at the Department of Civil Engineering and Energy Technology, at OsloMet main campus, in the centre of Oslo.

Starting Date 

The EU shall inform the results on the MSCA-PF-2023 applications in February 2024. Successful applicants are expected to be available to start the fellowship project from within the two months following the announcement of results and no later than September 2024. 

Main duties of the position

The successful candidate will primarily work on the MSCA fellowship funded project, but will be integrated in the Department, taking part in regular meetings and discussion groups. The candidate will specifically be introduced with the supervisor’s national and international network of researchers. In agreement with the candidate, he/she would be included in other ongoing projects and/or in the development of grant applications processes. 

Expected qualification of applicants 

Candidates must have a PhD in civil, mechanical, structural, earthquake, offshore, transportation or computational engineering. We are primarily looking for experienced researchers who wish to use this period as an opportunity to further develop their research, and to develop longer term research collaborations with OsloMet and other organisations conducting research in the field. The candidates must be eligible for a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship: have a PhD successfully defended by the submission deadline (mid-September 2023), a maximum of eight (8) years research experience after PhD, and not having worked/studied in Norway more than 12 months in the last three years.

We are looking for applicants who have

• Knowledge and skills in modelling and simulation of civil, structural and transportation systems with computational methods and relevant tools.
• A good track record in research and publications
• Commitment to develop a competitive MSCA-PF grant application
• An open, creative and cooperation-oriented nature, with strong abilities for independent academic work
• Excellent command / highly proficient spoken and written English

Assessment and selection of candidates

Evaluation will be based on the qualification and project idea. Interested candidates must submit with their application the following documents:

• CV (including research track record and list of publications)
• A one-page description of the project idea for which a MSCA-PF grant will be applied (no predefined structure, excluding references)

Short-listed candidates will be invited for a virtual interview to select candidates that will be invited to develop the full MSCA-PF application with deadline by mid-September 2023 under the supervision of Associate Professor Jian Dai and with the support of the professional research administration staff at OsloMet. 

Under this call announcement a maximum of five candidates will be interviewed and two candidates will be invited to write applications with the endorsement of OsloMet. Candidates will be informed of the results of the internal pre-selection and invitation to apply within the two weeks following the interview. 

Original documents about your qualification must be presented if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet performs document inspections in order to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and to ensure a fair competition. Proposals will be pre-selected based on internal evaluation and the availability of suitable supervision. All documents that you hand in to OsloMet, including your proposal idea, will be handled in full confidentiality and in strict compliance with GDPR regulations.

Selected candidates must participate in the virtual masterclass on MSCA-PF, a two-day workshop organised by OsloMet on 19-20 April 2023 to provide applicants with detailed information and explanation of the application template to complete their proposal in compliance with the EU Commission requirements.

The postdoctoral position

Successful applicants who obtain a MSCA-PF grant will be offered a position at OsloMet to be hired as postdoctoral researchers to implement their proposed research projects, in conditions as explained below.

We offer:

OsloMet assists in developing competitive MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship proposals. Then, to successful applicants who are awarded the MSC-PF grant, we offer:

• Flexible working conditions
• An inclusive and friendly work environment
• Unique academic network with the possibility for the right candidate(s) to pursue his/her academic goals under the auspices of Associate Professor Jian Dai
• Norwegian language classes
• Onboarding assistance for relocation and other services

It is important for OsloMet to reflect the population diversity, all qualified candidates from any nationality are welcomed to apply. OsloMet is an IA (Inclusive Workplace) organisation and operates in compliance with the Norwegian IA agreement. We make our active endeavour to further develop OsloMet as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required. If there are periods in your career when you have not been working, under education or training, you are also eligible to apply. Questions may be directed to the contact persons (per below).

Remuneration:

The competitive fellowship opportunities are 100% funded and include living and mobility allowances. 

• Type of employment: Temporary position
• Contract type: Full time
• Annual Salary: Approx. EUR 60,000
• Starting day of employment: (expected): TBD between 1 April – 1 Sept 2024
• Number of positions: 1 – 2 
• Working hours: 37.5 hours/week 

OsloMet has implemented the Charter & Code for researchers and been granted the HR Excellence in Research (HRS4) by the EU Commission and is part of the EU network for mobility of Researchers EURAXESS. Practical information about relocation to OsloMet can be found in the link here and EURAXESS Norway

Contact

Jian Dai, Associate Professor, jiandai@oslomet.no

If you have administrative questions to your application, please contact hrtkd@oslomet.no. 

Last day of application

Call closes on 31st January 2023

Reference number: 22/09009