The candidate will be employed at UP IAM and will enrol in a doctoral study programme at the University of Primorska or at partner university. The employment relationship will be contracted for full-working time of 40 hours per week (100%), for a definite period of time of 36 months, with a three-month probationary period. The expected start date is October 1, 2026, or as agreed.

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Duties and tasks according to the field of work:

• participation in the implementation of domestic and international research projects, programs and tasks,
• research and processing of special issues in the field of operation, implementation of analyses, measurements and tests for the needs of the work area,
• writing papers and reports in the field of research and professional work,
• participation in scientific research and professional consultations and meetings,
• preparation, editing and archiving of project documentation,
• preparation of administrative and professional bases for the work of the internal organizational unit,
• participation in the work of professional bodies and in joint projects and tasks as agreed with the management,
• performance of other tasks as ordered by superiors.

Conditions for performing the work:

• Specialization based on a higher education qualification (previous system), a university-level higher education qualification (previous system), or a master’s degree in Wood Science, Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Forestry, Biomaterials, Renewable Materials, or a related discipline.
• Active knowledge of a foreign language.

Goals and Tasks

The PhD research will investigate structural changes induced in wood by THM densification, from cellulose and cell-wall organisation at the nanometre scale to cellular deformation and macroscopic material performance. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) will be used to study features such as cellulose microfibril orientation, fibrillar organisation, crystallinity, and nanoscale porosity, and to determine how they are affected by wood species and processing parameters including moisture content, pressing temperature, pressure, compression ratio, and treatment time.

The candidate will be responsible for:

• Conducting literature reviews on the hierarchical structure of wood, THM modification and densification, X-ray scattering, synchrotron methods, moisture-dependent behaviour, and multiscale characterisation of bio-based materials.
• Preparing and conditioning wood specimens and applying controlled THM treatments with systematically varied process parameters.
• Planning and conducting HB-SAXS and synchrotron or laboratory SAXS/WAXS experiments, including sample preparation, experimental setup, calibration, data acquisition, data reduction, and quality control.
• Developing ex situ and in situ measurement protocols and sample environments for controlled humidity, temperature, and mechanical loading.
• Analysing and modelling SAXS/WAXS data to quantify structural parameters such as orientation, characteristic length scales, crystallinity, and nanoscale porosity.
• Performing complementary characterisation using methods such as X-ray imaging or computed tomography, microscopy, density and porosity measurements, moisture sorption and dimensional-stability testing, and mechanical testing.
• Applying design of experiments, statistical and multivariate analysis, and suitable computational tools to establish robust process-structure-property relationships.
• Supporting project management, data management, reporting, open science activities, and communication of project results.
• Disseminating research findings through scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and international conferences.

Essential requirements/skills:

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary international research environment.
• Ability to formulate and communicate new research ideas, including the preparation of research proposals.
• Fulfil the requirements for doctoral students at the University of Primorska.
  For more details, see: https://www.famnit.upr.si/en/education/doctoral/renew-mat and https://www.famnit.upr.si/en/education/enrolment.

What we offer:

• Competitive salary with possible performance-based raises,
• No Ph.D. tuition fee,
• Opportunity to work with the new HB-SAXS beamline, participate in synchrotron experiments and international collaborations, and contribute to other ongoing projects of the institute.

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How to apply:

The applicants should send:

• Curriculum vitae (including short descriptions of all prior educations, qualifications, and research or work experiences)
• Motivation letter for this doctoral position (maximum one A4 page)
• List of publications (if applicable)

to this email address: coe@innorenew.eu. In the title (subject) of your email please write: PhD position HB-SAXS. All materials should be in English and submitted in PDF format no later than 30^th August 2026.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For further information about the research topic, please contact prof. dr. Andreja Kutnar (andreja.kutnar@innorenew.eu).

>OPEN CALL AND APPLICATION INFORMATION<