Young Researcher Opportunity at ZAG, Slovenia

ZAG is offering postgraduate training opportunities for young researchers. Research areas and mentors are presented below. Research area: Sustainable use of resources in construction Sustainable use of resources is an important aspect in construction, where society and industry are facing the problem of CO2 emissions and significant energy consumption. The photocatalytic decomposition of CO2 to energy-rich compounds offers both a solution to excessive CO2 concentrations and the use of renewable energy sources (sunlight).

In the field of photocatalysis, one project is currently underway at SM462 and one is due to be completed in 2024. The development of a method to evaluate photocatalytic CO2 reduction using the existing GC-MS system will be one of the first tasks of the MR. In future work, MR will focus on the preparation of new materials based on Nb2O5 and Nb2O5-TiO2 heterostructures. By developing new photocatalytic materials and understanding the links between synthetic parameters and material properties, he will contribute to the development of the field with the aim of increasing the efficiency of photocatalysis and eventually transferring knowledge into practice.

Research area: Safety, resilience and adaptability of the built environment The MR training programme develops highly qualified young researchers to carry out complex thermomechanical analyses of wood structures exposed to fire, in collaboration with world-leading institutions. The researcher will build on existing knowledge of wood ignition, heat transfer, pyrolysis, charring and flame propagation, which has traditionally only been studied under standard stove conditions. The key focus is on the decay and cooling phases of fire, which are often overlooked in fire design, but are crucial for timber structures. The aim of the programme is to develop advanced fire testing techniques using high performance radiant panels and reduced scale fire testing, with accurate quantification of temperature boundary conditions.

The project will integrate structural analysis with multiphase computational models to improve performance-based fire design methodologies, leading to safer and more resilient timber buildings. The findings will support engineering guidelines and standards, benefiting researchers, engineers, architects and policy makers, while promoting wood as a sustainable building material and increasing the global competitiveness of timber construction. The conditions for a young researcher are: has not completed a PhD or obtained the title of Doctor of Science, have a second-level degree in a relevant technical or natural science discipline, has not yet been employed as a young researcher, not more than 4 years have elapsed since the end of your studies; and meets the conditions for admission to a doctoral programme. Description of works and tasks Carrying out the school requirements for the doctoral degree Carrying out research in projects under the guidance of a mentor Demonstrated ability to carry out individual research independently Contributing to the drafting of terms of reference and opinions in the field of action Work on the certification of the conformity of construction products By order of the Supervisor, all the tasks for which he/she is qualified More information and registration A more detailed description is available on the website of the Employment Service of the Republic of Slovenia.

To apply, you must be enrolled in a postgraduate programme in the academic year 2025/2026. Pending the selection procedure, a declaration that the candidate will graduate or nostrify his/her diploma by 15.9.2025 inclusive (documentation must be submitted to the ZAG by this date to be considered as valid fulfilment of the condition) will be sufficient in lieu of a copy of the diploma. For more information, please contact the mentors: andrijana.skapin@zag.si and andrea.lucherini@zag.si. Applicants are requested to indicate their registration number when applying. the posting on the ZRSZ, the job code and title of the post for which they are applying, and the field of research in which they are interested (as described). #J-18808-Ljbffr