Wood Science

A PhD position is available in the Wood Physics Group (Prof. Dr. P. Niemz. More information about us: http://www.ifb.ethz.ch/wood; earliest starting date: October 1, 2009. Title of the project: „ Multiscale experimental characterization of wood under moisture and mechanical loading“.

PhD position in Wood Physics 2 (60%)

Research project

The investigations belong to a project with a total of five dissertations (see also http://www.ifb.ethz.ch/wood/jobs). Goal of the PhD project in the Wood Physics Group is to investigate the material behavior of spruce wood at different hierarchical levels under mechanical load and under moisture-induced stress. Therefore, swelling tests with free and hindered swelling and also cyclic mechanical loading tests have to be performed. The changes at the different structural levels (e.g., between earlywood and latewood) have to be analysed. Preliminary work (within the framework of students’ projects and two dissertations) has already been carried out in our working group.

The methodological approaches and the experimental techniques are different with regard to the structural scale. Besides standard testing procedures to determine swelling and stress at the macro level, neutron radiography, X-ray microtomography and diffractometry can be applied on the meso scale, and particularly electron and light microscopy at the micro scale. The experiments will provide a data basis for a multi scale modeling of the material behavior (which is no more the task of the doctoral student).

What we offer

The project offers the opportunity to work in a young and motivated team and the prospect of obtaining a PhD from ETH Zurich. The position is funded for three years. The gross annual salaries correspond to the guidelines of the Swiss National Science Foundation (currently about CHF 39‘600,-/€ 26‘200,- for the first year, CHF 42‘600,-/€ 28‘200,- for the second year, CHF 45‘600,-/€ 30‘200,- for the third year).

Your background

We are looking for a candidate holding a university degree at the MSc level (or equivalent) in a relevant field of expertise (wood science, wood technology, material science, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or in a related field) with at least good grades and good English skills.

For further enquiries about the position contact Prof. Dr. P. Niemz (niemzp@ethz.ch)

Please apply online a www.jobs.ethz.ch

If you are interested, please submit your documents such as a letter of motivation, CV, copies of all relevant certificates/grades, a writing sample (e.g., a published article, a chapter from your MA/MSc thesis, a seminar paper) in a single pdf file. The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.