Postdoctoral Researcher in Computational Mechanics

Group of Multiscale Mechanics, Department of Thermal and Fluid Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, is looking for an experienced and motivated postdoc in the field of computational mechanics, skilled in programming and image segmentation.

The project is related to multiscale modeling of mechanical and physical properties of thin carbon/boron-nitride nanotube (CNT/BNNT) films. The goal of the project is to calibrate an existing numerical model and reproduce the realistic mechanical properties of the ultrathin CNT/BNNT films. One of the central challenges of the project is the exact reproduction of microstructure of these films. Addressing this challenge would require involving advanced techniques of SEM image analysis (segmentation, statistical feature extraction etc.)

The project is part of a larger collaboration involving the Faculties of the University of Twente and a large industrial company.

PhD Candidate Upscaling drought resilience from species to landscape level

Do you wonder how we can make Dutch landscapes more resilient to drought? Are you fascinated by the spatial and temporal patterns you see on satellite images? If you want to engage in research combining these two to study drought and recovery patterns in Dutch landscapes with forest patches and to be part of a team of researchers, practitioners and societal organisations, then this could be your call.

This research is part of the project COMBINED (Combatting biodiversity loss and improving climate change resilience through evidence-based, integrated, and adaptive landscape governance in the Netherlands). In COMBINED, 24 societal organisations and knowledge institutes, including municipalities, NGOs, businesses, and (applied) universities, team up to simultaneously improve climate change resilience and biodiversity in grassland, forest, and urban landscapes in the Netherlands.

You will combine and upscale knowledge on drought resilience of individual species and communities to the landscape level and monitor the spatio-temporal patterns of drought and recovery in forests and grasslands in peri-urban landscapes based on remote sensing. You will also combine (existing) biodiversity information on the forest and grasslands with remote sensing-based proxies of biodiversity to assess dependency on landscape settings. You will review the ability of existing monitoring strategies based on remote sensing and spatial statistics to evaluate and communicate the effectiveness of measures on biodiversity, climate and related ecosystem services to area managers. You will explore the impact of management practices and the robustness of landscape settings against climate scenarios, i.e. the ability to recover after a drought event.

PhD opening: Intra-wave modeling of coastal nourishment morphodynamics

This research position is part of the NWO-funded SOURCE program: Sand nOURisment strategies for sustainable Coastal Ecosystems. The SOURCE philosophy is that carefully planned sand nourishments in the present will create the required and desired resilient and dynamic multifunctional coastal landscapes of the future.

SOURCE will deliver the scientific knowledge, models and design tools to develop and evaluate nourishment strategies in a multi-stakeholder co-creation process. Our Living Labs are two sand nourishments along the Dutch coast. These will be co-designed, monitored and evaluated by the SOURCE consortium. There will be 12 PhD, Post-Doc and other researchers at 8 academic institutes in total. They will collaborate closely with 25 partners from government organizations, research institutes, nature organizations and industry.

Within the SOURCE program, your project aims to unravel controlling cross-shore sand transport processes at various scales, such as bottom boundary layer processes, vertical turbulence and sand mixing, and effects of wave breaking. To do so you will develop a detailed research model to describe intra-wave cross-shore sand transport and morphodynamics (e.g. OpenFoam). The model will be validated using lab and field data, in particular from new wave flume experiments by a fellow SOURCE PhD. Finally, the research model will be used to inform the development of a more practical numerical model (e.g. Delft3D) that will be developed within another SOURCE PhD project to predict nourishments’ lifetime, spreading and impacts on coastal state indicators.

Being part of the SOURCE team implies close interaction with your UT supervisors as well as fellow researchers within the consortium. Especially, close collaboration is foreseen with knowledge institute Deltares. Regular consortium meetings will accommodate knowledge exchange with our partners, increasing the relevance and impact of our research. Furthermore, you will present your work at (inter)national conferences and publish your findings in journal papers and a PhD thesis.

PhD position in “Urban water quality under drought conditions”

Freshwater of sufficient quality is crucial to sustain life, development, and the environment and lies at the heart of multiple Sustainable Development Goals. All around the world, however, water systems are increasingly under pressure. In urban areas, diverse human water demands are rising, e.g. for irrigation, recreation and aqua-thermal energy extraction. At the same time, extreme weather events increase in intensity and frequency. Drought conditions are such events with severe impact on (urban) waters, not only affecting water quantity, but also the ecological and functional water quality through e.g., increased eutrophication or salinization. Urban water balances do not usually include water quality. However, there is need to differentiate water availability and demand for different water uses, considering their water quality requirements – especially in preparation for drought and for water allocation during droughts. Recent research has provided some generic insights into the impact of drought on water quality. However, most knowledge is focused on non-urban environments and water quality monitoring programs are scarce in urban areas. Therefore, research is needed to better understand the impact of drought on ecological and functional quality of urban waters by 1) modelling available water and alternative sources considering water quality requirements; 2) integrating water quality into demand and supply balances; 3) assessing the impact of water allocation alternatives on urban water quality.

The position
This PhD position aims to assess the impact of drought conditions on water quality in urban areas. To this end, you will first review existing literature and water quality data to be able to map and quantify these impacts. Next, you will develop a method to include water quality in a water supply and demand balance for cities. This method development should ground in a document analysis and might be supported by stakeholder and expert interviews. You will use the method to conduct a water quality-focused supply and demand balance for one or several urban cases using water quality modelling and measurement data. Last, you (together with project partners and stakeholders) are developing water allocation scenarios for drought conditions and assess their impact on water quality and vulnerability of key water uses and other societal aims.

The position is part of the NWO-funded ‘Thirsty Cities: Action-perspectives for a climate-proof, drought-resilient, and water-sensitive built environment’ project. A transdisciplinary approach is employed to develop knowledge, insights, tooling, principles, designs, infrastructures and action-perspectives for a climate-proof, drought-resilient, and water-sensitive built environment. The project focuses on Dutch case cities covering diverse characteristics. Throughout the PhD project, a strong collaboration with partners and stakeholders from the case cities is expected. For more information about the project, see: Thirsty Cities

EngD Position: Design Optimization for Additively Manufactured Medical Implants

The project

Additive Manufacturing has opened new frontiers in medical device engineering. Yet, the full integration of design with the unique constraints and possibilities of AM is still evolving. The OPTIMA project, funded by High Tech Systems and Materials (HTSM), addresses this challenge by developing an advanced design framework that tightly couples simulation, experimental validation, and predictive modeling.

OPTIMA aims to create a robust design-to-manufacture pipeline for high-quality, reliable, and cost-effective medical implants. By integrating process-aware optimization techniques early in the design phase, the project will improve virtual testing capabilities, streamline the manufacturing workflow, and accelerate the clinical adoption of implants produced via Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology.

Your role
Your focus will be on modeling and simulation, with a strong emphasis on ensuring the manufacturability, microstructural quality, and functional performance of 3D-printed medical implants.

You will work closely with interdisciplinary experts from academia and industry, gaining experience in applied research, simulation-driven design, advanced characterization, and project management. You will also contribute to scientific publications and the dissemination of project results.