Postdoctoral Associate in Conservation Science
Job Description
Yale’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH), established by a transformational gift from Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin ’78, is dedicated to advancing the field of heritage science by improving the science and practice of conservation in a sustainable manner. At the crossroads between science and art, the Institute is home to state‐of–the‐art conservation, research and imaging laboratories (http://ipch.yale.edu/)
A position of a Postdoctoral Associate in Conservation Science is open in the IPCH Sustainable Conservation Lab. This is a full‐time, two‐year position, reporting to the Head of the Sustainable Conservation Laboratory.
The research focus of the IPCH Sustainable Conservation Lab is directed towards sustainable safeguarding of cultural heritage by understanding and assessing the environmental impact on heritage materials and objects as well as developing tools for integrated risk management and energy efficient strategies of climate control in museums and historic buildings.
The Postdoctoral Associate will examine and research mechanisms of environmental impact on cultural heritage objects, estimate the respective physical risk related to this impact and propose preservation strategies.
The research involves application of finite element modelling using COMSOL Multiphysics software for detailed analysis of strain/stress fields caused by response of real objects to temperature and relative humidity variations. The Postdoctoral Associate will develop 2D or 3D layered structure models typical for cultural heritage objects consisting of anisotropic materials like paper, parchment, wood or polymers, painted or treated otherwise. The models will encompass moisture transport simulation, calculation of strain/stress fields resulting from changes in materials moisture content using visco-plastic approach and crack or delamination propagation. The Postdoctoral Associate will also determine mechanical parameters needed for the simulation using macro- and micro-mechanical characterisation of relevant groups of historic artistic materials.
Eligibility: Candidates must have a PhD in material science, mechanical engineering or related field. Experience in stress/strain finite element modelling, structural mechanics, heat and moisture transport, creep analysis, material analysis and characterization, especially with the use of mechanical micro-characterization methods is desirable. The PhD degree must have been obtained within the last five years. Excellent written and verbal skills, fluency in English language as well as an interest in collaborative and multi‐disciplinary research are essential.
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