<!--StartFragment -->

The Villum Foundation has launched a record-breaking research grant of 1 billion DKK over the next ten years, with the goal to advance efforts towards a more sustainable built environment. The announced position is part of this venture, and the successful candidate will participate in the joint effort to achieve this goal.

Would you like to contribute to the green transition of the built environment with new knowledge on moisture transfer and storage process in biobased porous materials? These materials are essential for the green transition but vulnerable to moisture loads. To address this challenge, the Faculty of Engineering's Department of Built Environment and Doctoral School of Engineering and Science offers a PhD stipend.

The stipend is open for appointment within the doctoral programme Civil Engineering in Structural Reliability of Sustainable Materials from April 1, 2026 or soon hereafter.

The duration of the position is three years.

Your work tasks

Construction materials with low carbon footprints (e.g. biobased or recycled materials) may lose their robustness when they are exposed to moisture and subsequent fungal growth and frost damage, leading to deterioration and indoor health issues. It is therefore essential to be able to predict and control the moisture state in construction materials.

Traditional material characterization methods, standards and models for hygrothermal performance are widely based on traditional construction materials and behavior of these. Not all of them are able to describe the complex moisture-related behavior, including moisture sorption in the plant cell walls (i.e. the pores) of biogenic materials, and distribution of critical water in rigid materials prone to frost damage.

The project is expected to deliver models for moisture transfer and storage process in porous materials, that also include the characteristics of novel, reused and bio-based materials in respect to fungal growth, frost damage and other relevant deterioration mechanisms.

Following activities are expected to be part of the study:

Establishment of a catalogue of the state-of-art models for material characterization as well any observed deviations through literature study. Creation of a “baseline” with traditional material characterization methods on selected traditional, reused and novel biobased materials. Development of modelling and testing methods to reveal the complex behaviour of these materials. Implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to establish the connection between the existing models and material data (both literature and the baseline established in this study) and the novel models and data established in this project. Application of statistical methods to deal with the uncertainty and the probabilistic nature of the models.

This study requires strong pre-knowledge and theoretical background in hygrothermal building physics and material science. Knowledge on and experience from related fields, e.g. wood and soil science, is an advantage. Besides the theoretical knowledge, the ideal candidate should have experience with experimental work within material characterization and on compilation of large datasets and statistical analysis of these. In addition, experience in applying digital modelling as well including ML tools and AI models in compilation of data to material characterization models is further an advantage.

<!--EndFragment -->

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1124 of September 19, 2025 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

Who we are

The position is open at the Department of the Built Environment, Division for Building Technology, Management and Indoor Environment, Research Group for Building Physics, which carries out research in these main areas, with focus on the performance of the building envelope:

• Use of bio-based materials in construction
• Retrofitting of existing buildings
• Service life and durability of buildings and building components
• Climate change and future building practices
• Robust solutions, reuse and recycling

Research Group for Building Physics has a wide network both nationally and internationally, and research is often conducted in collaboration with companies, organizations and authorities. The group has a significant impact on the built environment, through government consultancy, SBi guidelines, business collaboration, teaching and research dissemination. You will become part of a dynamic research environment, where the focus is on knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary collaboration.

How to apply
Your application must include the following:

• Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the position
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Diplomas (bachelor and master's degree diploma)
• Project description. Applicants are required to submit, along with their application documents, a one-page statement, indicating their vision for research to be conducted in relation to the project topics outlined above.
• Other relevant documents

The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website.

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

Further information
Read more about our recruitment process here.

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish).

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish)

Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.