Department of Civil Engineering invites applications for a doctoral student position in Modeling of Sustainable Pavement Materials
Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow, and creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 12 000 students, 400 professors, and close to 4 000 other faculty and staff working on our dynamic campus in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland.
We believe that people from diverse backgrounds can together reach the best results. Diversity is part of who we are. Over 40% of our academic faculty come from outside Finland. We warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply, as we want to ensure the continued diversity and inclusiveness of our community. Aalto is committed to equal and transparent recruitment procedures.
At Aalto, high-quality research, art, education, and entrepreneurship are promoted hand in hand. Disciplinary excellence is combined with multidisciplinary activities, engaging both students and the local innovation ecosystem. Our main campus is quickly transforming into an open collaboration hub that encourages encounters between students, researchers, industry, startups, and other partners. Aalto University was founded in 2010 as three leading Finnish universities, Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics, and the University of Art and Design Helsinki, were merged to strengthen Finland’s innovative capability.
The School of Engineering is an international unit with nearly 70 talented professors and 3400 full-time students. Currently, the Department of Civil Engineering has 19 professors together with lecturers, post-doctoral researchers, doctoral students, and technical staff. In total, the number of personnel is about 110.
We are located at Aalto University campus in Otaniemi, Espoo where several research institutions and organizations have their laboratories. The Department and School have well-equipped research facilities and access to national scientific computing services.
Aalto University School of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering invites applications for a doctoral student position in Modeling of Sustainable Pavement Materials.
The Mineral Based Materials and Mechanics research group seeks a highly motivated and creative doctoral student who will contribute to pavement engineering research. Specifically, the student will work on innovative multiscale/multiphase paving materials (binder, mastic, and mixture) used for sustainable processes. The thematic encompasses multiple material life cycles in its different aspects. The main tasks of the Ph.D. students consist of a dominant modeling component, including numerical simulations (for example, FEM, DEM, Molecular Dynamics, etc.) and data analysis supported by artificial intelligence associated with laboratory experimentation. In addition, the student will have the opportunity of participating in the scientific activities of the prestigious RILEM (International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures) technical committees, which promote excellence in research in the area of construction materials and structures in Europe and internationally.
The selected candidate will work under the supervision of Prof. Augusto Cannone Falchetto, together with the current postdocs and laboratory team in pavement engineering. The successful applicant will have the possibility to cooperate with world-class researchers and attend scientific conferences and meetings.
The doctoral studies at Aalto take approximately four years. The doctoral degree is granted after writing and publicly defending a doctoral thesis (typically based on a student’s publications).
The position is expected to start as early as June 2022 or soon after.
Research Group
The position mentioned above is within the domain of the Mineral-Based Materials and Mechanics research group in the Department of Civil Engineering; see https://www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-civil-engineering/mineral-based-materials-and-mechanics. The group conducts research related to Numerical Methods, Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Rock Engineering and Engineering Geology, Applied Geophysics, and Highway and Pavement Engineering. For more information on the research and teaching of the Department, please, visit https://www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-civil-engineering.
Requirements:
- Master’s degree in Civil, Materials, and Chemical Engineering or closely related fields. Candidates with different backgrounds such as Physics and Mathematics are strongly encouraged to apply
- Grade Point Average (GPA), from the B.S. and M.S. studies (Please, specify the range of GPA of your school in your application – for example, on a 100-basis or 4-basis, etc., and indicate what is the high end of the scale).
- Timely completion of the Master degree
- Skills in applying the numerical methods to solve engineering problems
- Ability to work in a team
- Willingness to learn
- Strongly motivated and ambitious
- Excellent command of English
- Scientific publication experience
The followings are considered as an advantage:
- Knowledge of numerical methods used in engineering, such as Finite Element Method, Discrete Element Method, Molecular Dynamics, Artificial Intelligence, etc.
- Knowledge in chemistry, related testing methods, and simulations
- Experimental experience in asphalt and material testing and microstructural characterization
The applicant for doctoral studies must satisfy the admission requirements of Aalto University: https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoraleng/How+to+apply#Howtoapply-EligibilityofapplicantsoftheAaltoDoctoralProgrammeinEngineering
The position may not be opened if no qualified candidate is found.
Financing, duration, and salary
Aalto University applies the salary system of Finnish universities. Currently, the starting salary for doctoral students is slightly above 2500€ per month and is increased with the progress towards the doctoral degree to over 3100€ per month. The position is contract-based. The financing is subject to the availability of funding.
The position is for two years, with the possibility of extension for another two years. There will be a compulsory midterm review which will be completed during the second year. More info here
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoraleng/Midterm+review+of+doctoral+studies
In addition to the salary, the contract includes occupational health care and retirement benefits. Finland offers a safe and healthy environment for living. Excellent state-subsidized services include affordable daycare, health care, and free schools, ranked among the best in the world. According to many qualities of life indicators, Finland is among the best countries in the world, including being three in a row the happiest country in the world (UN study 2021). We are one of the world’s most reliable and stable nations with a high level of safety. With increased investments in R&D, a strong innovation culture, open data, and an advanced state of digitalization, we are a nation of innovation and entrepreneurship. The Nordic values of equality and cooperation are rooted deeply in our society. Gender equality, flexibility, and low hierarchy are at the core of our Nordic working environment.
For more information
Additional information regarding the post may be obtained from Augusto Cannone Falchetto, e-mail: augusto.cannonefalchetto@aalto.fi (in urgent matters, please call or text at +358 509 114 770).
For submission related queries, contact merja.seppanen@aalto.fi
How to apply
The open applications for the doctoral student position are to be submitted through the eRecruitment system Workday via the link “Apply” no later than March 15, 2022. The evaluation of applications will begin immediately afterward with Zoom interviews at the beginning of April or soon after.
Please note: Aalto University’s employees and visitors should apply for the position via our internal system Workday -> find jobs (not external aalto.fi webpage on open positions) by using their existing Workday user account.
The application for the position should contain:
- A 1-page cover letter motivating the interest for the position
- A detailed 3-page Curriculum Vitae including degrees and publications’ list
- Transcript(s) with grades (in the original language and English)
- English language proficiency proof, as specified in the Admission Requirements
- Certified copy of the master’s diploma. At the application stage, certification is not required; note that its English translation must accompany the certificate in its original language
All material should be submitted in English. The application documentation will not be returned.
Shortlisted candidates will be requested to prepare a short presentation for the interview. The successful candidate will be required to provide all the necessary application documents.