4 Postdoctoral positions

Transcription

1 Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic invites applications for 4 Postdoctoral positions Scholarship provider - European social fund, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Czech Republic Eligibility Candidates should be: graduates of a PhD program in appropriate subjects, graduated after 28 th March 2008; native speakers of Czech, Slovak or English language or having very good written and oral communication skills in English proven by certificate (CAE level or similar); authors or co/authors of at least 2 papers in scientific journals (already published or in press). Application We invite motivated candidates to send their application, including: structured CV including certificates of academic degrees; publication track record; letter of recommendation; research plan based on the description of the individual topics of research set out below (max. 5 pages, including current state of knowledge, objectives of the project, methods, significance). Applications should be sent to the s of the project coordinator Tomáš Májek t.majek@seznam.cz and to the mentor of chosen research program. Application deadline 10th May 2013 Duration of the project and benefits The position is planned to start on the 1 st December 2012 and is scheduled till 30 th June Salary will be approx. CZK per month (approx. EUR 2000). Place of work is Brno, Czech Republic. Duties of the Postdoc independent research and cooperation within the department in its recent research program are mandatory; research results should be published in international peer reviewed journals; application for 3rd party funding; supervision of PhD and undergraduate students; organization of seminars for PhD and undergraduate students. The contracting/awarding authority reserves the right to cancel the procurement procedure before its termination even without statement of reasons and/or not to select the winning bid.

2 Analysis of wood radial increment at cell level in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in relation to site and climatic conditions Postdoctoral position at the Department of Wood Science, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Candidates should be graduates of a Ph.D. program in forestry, wood technology, plant science, or related subjects. Experiences in the field of wood anatomy, wood technology or dendrochronology are required. Growth and development of woody plants is undoubtedly affected by site conditions. With respect to the expected climatic change, it is necessary to explore the activity of cambium and the process of xylem cell differentiation in the wood of the European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), which should play a significant role in the future transformation of spruce monocultures as well as in the process of carbon binding. The output will be an analysis of cambium activity in relation to site conditions and the effect of site conditions on the particular stages of a newly forming ring. The obtained data will be used to create a model that will describe the effect of temperatures, precipitation and radiation on the total increment. The model will allow for predictions of the woody plant behaviour in case of changes in some site parameters and the consequent changes in structure and properties of beech wood. The aim is to analyse the effect of site conditions on cambium activity and the process of wood formation in beech in changed climatic conditions. a) An analysis of the cambial zone The aims are to analyse the changes in the cambial zone of the European beech during the growing season and to analyse the effect of temperature on reactivation, activity and decrease in cambium activity during the growing season. b) An analysis of the radial increment of xylem and phloem of the European beech during the growing season The aim is to analyse the process of cell differentiation, analyse cells in the phases of radial expansion, creation of secondary cell wall and its lignification. The study will focus on vessels and libriform fibres. The duration of individual phases and the effect of site conditions on them will be calculated by software. c) Wood radial increment model The aim is to analyse the effect of site conditions temperature, soil moisture and radiation on wood increment at a selected site. The above listed conditions will be analysed in relation to individual phases (radial expansion, creation of secondary cell wall, lignification) of tree ring formation. Based on the model of tree growth, prediction of material properties of the European beech will be conducted. Mentor: Associate professor Vladimír Gryc gryc@mendelu.cz

3 Description of behaviour of wood and wood-based composites and comparison of wood properties with other materials as a way to an efficient and ecological evaluation of wood as a material Postdoctoral position at the Department of Wood Science, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Candidates should be graduates of a Ph.D. program in wood technology, chemistry, biotechnology or related subjects. Experiences in the field of wood modification, wood protection or wood composites are required. Wood as a renewable material is still not used to its maximum. The Czech Republic with its forest cover percentage, wood increments per a hectare of forests or its growing stock is one of the European states with a high potential for wood utilization. However, the wood consumption rate related to the number of inhabitants places it to one of the last positions in Europe; wood from the Czech Republic is often exported as a material without added value. Wood is a heterogeneous natural material, hygroscopic, biodegrading, viscoelastic, has high anisotropy and a high variability of properties. The complicated nature of any description of its properties, or a lack of respect for its nature, has led to a situation in which wood is often replaced by materials with similar properties that are, however, produced from non-renewable raw materials. It is necessary to promote an efficient utilization of wood through comparing its properties with other materials and at the same time to look for more possibilities of wood usage, such as wood with purposefully modified properties or wood as a component of composite materials. The science and research focus of the project can be divided into the following fields: (1) description of properties of wood and wood-based materials physical, biological and chemical properties, wood biomechanics, modelling, destructive and non-destructive testing methods; (2) modification of material properties and innovation of materials modification and development of new materials; (3) transfer of knowledge to the practice usage of materials, material optimization of product construction and production technology, life cycle of materials. Thus a wide range is covered providing us with a complex view of wood as a typical material. The aims are: (1) to evaluate material properties experimentally, including a creation, simulation and verification of material models (destructive and non-destructive testing, optical methods, numerical simulations); (2) derivation of phenomenological description of material interactions with the surroundings (description of modification with the purpose of permanent or contemporary improvement of properties, procedures for decreasing dimensional changes as a consequence of changes in the EMC, increasing material durability by means of thermal modification, increasing strength and hardness of wood by means of compression, application of natural and synthetic substances); (3) optimization of utilization of wood and wood-based materials (development and optimisation of modifications of wood properties, laboratory preparation of materials, outline of technological procedures for new material production, evaluation of the impact of property changes on the use of the materials). Mentor: Associate professor Petr Horáček horacek@mendelu.cz

4 Wood Machining Mechanics Postdoctoral position at the Department of Wood Processing, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Candidates should be graduates of a Ph.D. program in wood technology, biotechnology or related subjects. Experiences in the field of wood modification, wood protection or wood composites are required. Theoretical description and experimental verification of forces are the basic and most important parts of wood machining mechanics. Based on a study of Ernst Merchant theory and Atkinson s ideas based on fracture mechanics, the main aim will be directed to a creation of a model based on determination of work for bending and following splinter cutting. The model will include the energy needed to overcome friction between the blade and the workpiece including the specific work for creation of a new surface. The experimental determination of model parameters will be conducted using an experimental stand for cutting timber within the property of the Mendel University in Brno and specific parameters (shear yield point, shear tension, etc.) will be conducted using the experimental frame saw in cooperation with Gdansk Polytechnic. The aims are: 1. A model for determination of cutting and handing force while respecting the work for bending and splinter cutting. 2. Determination of the specific work needed to overcome the friction between the tool and the workpiece including work for creation of the workpiece surface. 3. Construction modification of circular saw blades (especially the cutting part) to decrease the consumption of energy during cutting and increase quality of the machined surface. Mentor: Associate professor Zdeněk Kopecký kopecky@mendelu.cz

5 Carbon deposition in forest ecosystems Dynamics of its income, relations to key factors and forest phytotechnology Postdoctoral position at the Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic and CzechGlobe Global Change Research Centre Academy of Sciences CR. Candidates should be graduates of a Ph.D. program in forestry, plant science or related subjects. Experience in the field of carbon deposition, phytotechnology or forest ecology is required. Task of the proposed position is to evaluate the possibilities of detailed quantification of carbon deponia in forest stands and understanding of carbon deposition dynamics through the vegetation period and its relation to outer environment factors. The survey is a part of pan-european structure ICOS, which provides the long-term observations required to understand the present state and to predict future behavior of the climate, the global carbon cycle and greenhouse gases emissions. Solving of this topic will contribute to finding out the information about the carbon deposition dynamics in the European context and will bring new sources for the special forest phytotechnology Carbon forestry. Aims: The aim of the suggested proposal is to evaluate carbon balance in specific forest ecosystems of the Czech Republic (mountain spruce and beech forests, flood plain forests and spruce forests of hilly areas) income dynamics, relations to the key factors and forest phytotechnology. Methods: Measuring the energy flow by eddy covariance. Carbon dioxide measurement in the vertical profile. Chamber measurement using SAMTOC system. Measuring by the gasometric manual or automatic systems. Mentor: Professor Michal V. Marek marek.mv@czechglobe.cz