Course on “Seismic Design of Port Structures”

From July 20–24, 2026, an intensive international course on Seismic Design of Port Structures will be held in Pavia at the EUCENTRE Foundation. The course is organized by Prof. Carlo G. Lai (University of Pavia) and Dr. Carlos E. Ospina (Moffatt & Nichol, USA).

Ports are critical components of global trade and transportation systems, and earthquakes such as Kaikōura (2016) and Kahramanmaraş (2023) have demonstrated how seismic events can severely disrupt port operations.

The course stems from the activities of PIANC MarCom Working Group 225, which is updating the international guidelines for the seismic design of port structures. Its objective is to provide participants with a rigorous understanding of the seismic behavior and performance-based design of port infrastructure.

Participants will receive a complimentary copy of the new PIANC Guidelines. The course is intended for engineers, researchers, and graduate students involved in the design and assessment of port infrastructure.

For further information, see the attached [PDF].

Cone Penetration Testing: Two-Day Practical Workshop 2026

This practical two-day workshop equips participants with the skills and knowledge to collect, analyse and apply Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) data for ground investigations and geotechnical engineering design. You will gain hands-on experience using Pagani TG 63-150 CPT equipment and leave with the confidence to interpret CPT data for engineering applications.

This workshop will provide certificates to attendees and will provide 16 hours of CPD, making it an ideal workshop for graduates, and those looking to upskill in geotechnical investigations. This is the only workshop that allows attendees to both collect and analyse CPT data and apply the collected data to geotechnical engineering design.

Dates: 21-22 May 2026

Location: Abertay University, Bell Street, Dundee, DD1 1HG

Cost: £499 (VAT Exempt)

https://www.abertay.ac.uk/courses/cpd-and-short-courses/cone-penetration-testing-two-day-workshop/

For further information, see the attached [PDF].

PhD position in climate adaption of geotechnical structures, KTH, Sweden

Dear colleagues:

We are seeking a doctoral student to join the Division of Soil and Rock Mechanics at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, and contribute to the climate adaptation of society’s infrastructure. This 4-year position is part of a novel interdisciplinary research project focused on developing sustainable solutions for climate adaptation strategies. The project has high practical relevance and is expected to make an important impact on society’s climate transition. As a doctoral student, you will work closely with both geotechnical engineers and risk philosophers to study how uncertainties in climate change predictions influence the reliability of geotechnical structures.

More information in this link: https://www.kth.se/lediga-jobb/896310?l=en
Deadline 12 March 2026 (unless extended).

Best regards,
Johan Spross

Ph.D. Positions in Geomechanics and Geotechnics at McMaster University

Dear colleagues,

Please find attached the announcement for two funded Ph.D. positions in Geomechanics and Geotechnics at McMaster University. These positions are offered in Dr. Tingting Xu’s research group (Department of Civil Engineering) and focus on advancing the fundamental physics and numerical methods for subsurface materials and coupled thermo‑hydro‑chemo‑mechanical processes. Applicants should hold a degree in Civil or Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related discipline, ideally with a specialization in structural engineering, geomechanics, or solid mechanics. Please share this announcement with any students or colleagues who might be interested.

Best regards,
Tingting

For further information, see the attached [PDF].

2026 Andra-funded PhD position – Université de Lorraine & University of Thessaly

Dear colleagues,

Please find attached the announcement for the 2026 Andra-funded PhD position, with a subject proposed within the framework of a collaboration between Université de Lorraine and University of Thessaly (Greece).

The doctoral project concerns the following topic: Role of Confining Interface Properties on Buckling of Underground Steel Tubes.

The Academic background of the applicants should be: Master’s degree (M2) in Civil Engineering, or Engineering Mechanics, with specialization in Structures and/or Solid Mechanics;

Please feel free to circulate this announcement widely among your students and to any colleagues who may be interested.

Best Regards,
Mahdia

For further information, see the attached [PDF].

Ioannis Vardoulakis PhD Prize 2026 – Call for Applications

The Bureau of ALERT Geomaterials is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the Ioannis Vardoulakis PhD Prize 2026. Since 2016, this prestigious prize has been awarded in honor of Prof. Ioannis Vardoulakis, recognizing outstanding contributions to research and teaching in the field of Geomechanics.

Eligibility: The prize is open to PhD students who have successfully defended their thesis in 2025 and had at least one official supervisor from an institution belonging to the ALERT Geomaterials Association.

Application Deadline: The deadline for applications is 31st March 2026.

Prize Details:

  • The winner will receive a 1,000€ prize.
  • Each of the other finalists will be awarded 500€.
  • The winner will be invited to give a short lecture on their research during the ALERT Geomaterials Workshop.
  • Two Finalists will have the opportunity to give a pitch presentation of their work.

Application Process: Candidates must submit their application via email to the Vice-Director for Academics, Prof. Eleni Gerolymatou, at vice-director.academics@alertgeomaterials.eu and cc the Director, Prof. Ioannis Stefanou at director@alertgeomaterials.eu, respectively, following the prescribed format.

The application should include:

  • Curriculum Vitae (in English)
  • Thesis abstract (max. 5 pages, in English)
  • Two most representative papers derived from the thesis (in English)
  • Full thesis text (in the original language) including:
    • Table of Contents (in English)
    • Table of Figures (in English)

Important Notes:

  • All documents must be compiled into a single PDF file following the specified order.
  • Files exceeding 3Mb should be sent using a link.
  • Incomplete or incorrectly formatted applications will be automatically excluded.

For full details on the rules, please visit the ALERT Geomaterials website: https://alertgeomaterials.eu/alert-phd-prize/.

We look forward to receiving your applications!

Postdoctoral Position in Offshore Geotechnics and Monopile Foundations – Nantes UniversityPostdoctor

A 12-month postdoctoral position is available at Nantes University (Saint-Nazaire campus) within the SLOOP project (Stochastic Loads on Offshore Piles), funded by the ORACLE LabEx.

The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to WP2, focusing on soil–pile interaction modelling under monotonic and cyclic loading. Tasks include developing 3D finite-element models in ABAQUS, calibrating advanced soil constitutive models using geotechnical centrifuge test data from Université Gustave Eiffel, and contributing to P–y curve development. Close collaboration with École Centrale de Nantes and Université Gustave Eiffel is expected.

For further information, see the attached [PDF].

For further information, see the attached [PDF].

PhD scholarship in geomechanics at Imperial College London

Fully funded PhD studentship at Imperial College London.

Structural energy storage is an emerging field with the potential to transform sustainable infrastructure in which materials are designed to simultaneously perform mechanical and energy storage functions. While early research has focused on composites and cementitious systems, this PhD project will investigate a largely unexplored alternative: natural clay soils enhanced with conductive and electrochemically active phases.

Clay minerals possess charged nanoscale surfaces, rich pore-fluid chemistry, and unique physico‑chemical interactions. These characteristics make them a promising yet under‑studied platform for electrochemical energy storage. The aim of this PhD is to establish a fundamental, experimentally grounded understanding of how electrochemical functionality can be introduced into clay-rich geomaterials without compromising their mechanical performance in geotechnical applications.

Deadline to apply: 27 February

For further information, see the attached [PDF].

Marie Curie Postdoctoral Position

Neutron and X-ray Tomography of plants and bio-structures

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral research fellow to advance high-resolution imaging in biomaterials using the Institut Laue Langevin’s Neutron and X-ray Tomograph (NeXT) instrument. This 3 years position will focus on investigating the potential of neutron imaging techniques for micro-structural analysis of biological materials including plants and plant-soil interactions.

Candidates must submit a research plan (3-5 pages, maximum 10 pages) directly related to this research topic, outlining work to be conducted during the fellowship period. Deadline March the 2nd, 2026

This research fellow position is part of the EU-funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) COFUND research project AMBER. More information can be found here https://www.ill-recruits.eu/generator.php?id=2128 and in the attached pdf

For further information, see the attached [PDF].

PhD offer in computational geomechanics at MSME

Université Gustave Eiffel, MSME Laboratory is recruiting a PhD candidate for the project “Modelling and Simulation of Hydrogen Transport and Damage in Clay Rocks.”

Workplace: MSME Laboratory, Université Gustave Eiffel.

Profile: Applicants should hold or be completing a Master’s degree in civil engineering, mechanics, or a related field, and have a resident in France. A strong background in solid mechanics and experience in programming and numerical simulation are required. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in fracture mechanics and fluid transport in porous media.

Start date: October 2026.

Application:
If you are interested in this PhD topic, please send the following documents:
i) A recent CV;
ii) Academic transcripts (M1/M2 or equivalent);
iii) A recommendation letter from your internship supervisor or Master’s program coordinator;

to the following email address: quy-dong.to@univ-eiffel.fr

For further information, see the attached [PDF].