Job offer

Organisation/Company École des ponts et chaussées

Research Field Engineering » Mechanical engineering

Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions PhD Positions

Country France

Application Deadline 30 Apr 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris)

Type of Contract Temporary

Job Status Full-time

Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2025

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe – COFUND

Reference Number ESR17

Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 1001126720

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? Yes

Offer Description

Context

The geotechnical group of Lab Navier (CERMES) has been deeply involved in the InSight mission on Mars (NASA with CNES and DLR [1], 2018 - 2022), with significant contributions on the properties of the surface regolith on the site of the mission [2]. This thesis offer is aimed at maintaining the leading role acquired in planetary geotechnics by CERMES during the InSight mission.

InSight is a geophysical mission mainly based on the use of a seismometer supplied by France (CNES/IPGP, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris), that also provided a wealth of information on the nature and properties of the regolith on the surface of the InSight site. Alongside the study of the interaction between the seismometer and the regolith, and the correct estimation of surface seismic velocities on Mars, an important contribution of Castillo’s thesis was the investigation of the coupling between wave and heat transfers within the regolith.

The CERMES group is now involved, along with IPGP, Isae Supaéro and CNES, in investigating the properties of the regolith at the Moon's south pole, with a view to the NASA Artemis IV mission, scheduled for launch in 2028. A collaboration with DLR (Dr. B. Knappmeyer-Endrun) is also planned, through the use of the EAC-1 simulant, presently used in the Luna facility in Köln.

The thesis, planned to be carried out in collaboration with UniAndes Bogota, would be devoted to experimentally investigate various aspects of the Moon regolith properties at the south pole of the Moon. The effects of both the extreme angularity of the grains and the significant dust fraction of Moon regolith will require specific attention. The investigation of wave properties at very low stress will also be extended, both on experimental and theoretical aspects.

The expertise and solid international reputation acquired by CERMES in extraterrestrial geotechnics through their participation in the InSight mission will thus be maintained in a field whose growing strategic importance was recently illustrated in France by the launch of the Objectif Lune project.

The Navier laboratory (https://navier-lab.fr) has numerous equipment and skills to develop the experiments that will be carried out during the thesis.

The doctoral offer is co-developed with an associated project partner (co-funding).

Some fundings will be provided by CNES and some time devoted to the project by Prof. Caicedo (15%) will be supported by UniAndes, together with various missions in Paris (at least once a year).

Where to apply

E-mail jean-michel.pereira@enpc.fr

Requirements

Research Field Engineering » Mechanical engineering

Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Interest for experimental and theoretical investigations

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Additional Information

Eligibility criteria

Description of the project and the candidates’ eligibility criteria:

This position will be part of the EU-funded project MISCEA, which is an ambitious inter- and multidisciplinary Doctoral Training Network under the Horizon-Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

PhD candidates can be of any nationality but must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Not being a current employee working at ENPC.
• Not having resided or carried out their main activity in France for more than 12 months during the past 36 months immediately before the deadline of the MISCEA Programme's call.
• Holding a Master’s degree (or about to obtain one) or having a University degree equivalent to a European Master’s degree at the deadline of the MISCEA Programme's call.
• Researchers must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the co-funded programme's call.
• Signing a declaration of the veracity of the information provided.

If you comply with the eligibility criteria and wish to submit your application, you must:

• Contact the thesis supervisor and explain your thesis project.
• Submit a 5-pages thesis proposal under the proposed research areas.
• English-translated transcripts from the master’s degree or equivalent.
• Any specific requirements of the Doctoral School corresponding to the targeted MISCEA fellowship offer.
• English curriculum vitae, including information about the level of English language knowledge.
• One letter of reference, at least.

The present offer of a doctoral contract in France is for a period of three years.

Full-Time employment: estimated monthly brut salary: ~2700 euros (estimated monthly net salary before income taxes: ~2100 euros)