진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

Université Gustave Eiffel is looking for a candidate to apply for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the framework of the Marie-Sklodowska Curie Programme 2026.

The Candidate and Université Gustave Eiffel's supervisor will apply together to develop the following research project : Precursors of Granular Avalanches: Toward Improved Predictability of Landslides and Rockfalls Using Optical Measurements

This postdoctoral position is part of a proposal to be submitted for funding under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) European Postdoctoral Fellowship program. The fellowship is contingent upon the selection and approval of the proposal by the European Commission. The successful candidate will work closely with the supervisor to co-develop (from March 30th, 2026 to September 9th, 2026) and submit the funding application, which will include a detailed research plan and a personalized Career Development Plan.

If the application is successful, the project will start at the earliest in May 2027.

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2. 1. Scope

This Postdoctoral project targets a central limitation in landslide and rockfall forecasting: the lack of physically grounded, early precursors of failure. The core hypothesis is that macroscopic slope collapse is preceded by changes in local deformation, expressed through kinematics, strain fluctuations, and strain localization, but their relative efficiency in predicting failure remains unexplored by standard global monitoring approaches. The project aims to identify, quantify and compare these precursors using controlled laboratory experiments on granular systems combined with advanced optical measurements, with the objective of improving failure predictability.

The candidate will design and conduct laboratory experiments in which granular assemblies are driven slowly toward avalanche failure under well-controlled conditions. Experimental configurations will include inclined granular layers and shear-driven systems that reproduce key ingredients of landslides and rockfalls, such as frictional contacts, heterogeneity, and intermittent dynamics. Control parameters such as loading rate, inclination, and material properties will be systematically varied to test robustness and reproducibility. The experiments will be designed to maintain long quasi-static deformation phases, enabling clear observation of precursor activity prior to failure.

High-resolution optical imaging will be used for detecting particle motions throughout the loading process using particle tracking and digital image correlation. These measurements will be used to quantify kinematic heterogeneity, intermittency, and the growth of correlated motion as failure approaches, as a function of system size. The candidate will also compute local strain tensors and construct time-resolved strain maps. A central task will be the analysis of displacements and strain fluctuations: these will be statistically characterized through variance, probability distributions, and temporal correlations to determine whether approaching failure is marked by simple amplification or by critical-like behavior. This directly tests the hypothesis that fluctuations provide earlier and more robust precursors than averaged deformation rates.

The candidate will then focus on strain localization. Localized deformation zones such as shear bands or high-strain clusters will be detected and tracked in time. The candidate will quantify when localization first emerges, how rapidly it develops, and how it relates to the timing of avalanche onset. This analysis will establish whether localization dynamics can serve as a reliable indicator of imminent failure.

High-speed imaging will complement these measurements by resolving fast rearrangement events and the transition from slow deformation to rapid avalanche dynamics. The possible link between intermittent micro-failures and shear banding will be investigated.

Finally, the candidate will explicitly assess predictability. Kinematic indicators, strain fluctuation metrics, and localization measures will be compared using objective criteria such as anticipation time, robustness across repetitions, and sensitivity to noise. This systematic evaluation will determine which observables genuinely optimize forecasting capability.

2. Planned secondments

Secondments will be decided with the candidate

3.Planned duration of the project

24 months

Skills/Qualifications

The candidate should hold a PhD in physics, geophysics, mechanics, or a closely related discipline. A strong background in experimental mechanics or disordered materials is required. Experience with optical measurement techniques, high-speed imaging, experimental design, and programming for data processing (e.g. MATLAB, Python) will be considered a strong asset.

Benefits

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD and who wish to acquire new skills through advanced training, international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships will be open to excellent researchers of any nationality.

The scheme also encourages researchers to work on research and innovation projects in the non-academic sector and is open to researchers wishing to reintegrate in Europe, to those who are displaced by conflict, as well as to researchers with high potential who are seeking to restart their careers in research.

Fellowships will be provided to excellent researchers, undertaking international mobility either to or between EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, as well as to non-associated Third Countries. Applications will be made jointly by the researcher and a beneficiary in the academic or non-academic sector.