Job description

The Research Group PProGRess/UGCT, is now looking for a highly-motivated applicant to fill a PhD position on conservation of building stones. Physical, chemical and biological weathering has a profound impact on the Earth’s landscape and on its building infrastructure. Rock and masonry are constantly damaged and disaggregated by chemical reactions, water infiltration and temperature changes. Strengthening efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage is one of the United Nations’ Targets for Sustainable Cities and Communities in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Fluids are a major driver of rock weathering: they trigger, among others, dissolution, precipitation, frost and salt weathering. The key to manipulating weathering lies in understanding and controlling fluid flow within the internal pore structure of rocks and thereby influencing the related pore-scale processes. Within this PhD study new conservation techniques will be studied in order to contribute to stone conservation.

The PhD candidate will engage in a trans-disciplinary international research environment by closely collaborating with the PProGRess/UGCT team of postdoctoral fellows and PhD students, at Ghent University as well as the research Team of Prof. Cnudde at Utrecht University, working on the VICI project BugControl. The PProGRess/UGCT research team has a strong expertise in the field of advanced imaging techniques and pore scale processes. A personalised training programme will be set up, which will reflect the candidate's training needs and career objectives.

Job profile

We are seeking a PhD candidate with a Master's degree in Geology (or will obtain this in June/July 2023). The applicant must have good practical lab skills and is ideally familiar with imaging techniques (optical microscopy, SEM,...) and has a strong interest in stone weathering and conservation. Moreover, the applicant should be a person who takes initiative, has excellent written and spoken English skills and be highly motivated to work in an international multidisciplinary team.

How to apply

To apply, please send your curriculum vitae, including a letter of motivation and a reference letter of your master thesis supervisor to Danielle.Schram@UGent.be, with Veerle.Cnudde@UGent.be  in cc.

Evaluations and interviews are planned soon after the application deadline. The preferred starting date is somewhere between April 1 and September 2023.

Online screening may be part of the selection.