Research doctoral candidate – PhD position (m/w/d, 30 hours per week) for 4 years - Spatiotemporal Degradation Modelling of Documentary Heritage

The University of Applied Arts Vienna is advertising a position as a research doctoral candidate – PhD position (m/w/d, 30 hours per week) for 4 years within the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project SustainCARE, with a focus on spatiotemporal degradation modelling of documentary heritage. The position is based at the Institute of Conservation and is to be filled by 1 June 2026.

Project background:

You will join the research team of the ERC Starting Grant project Climate-Conscious Conservation of Documentary Heritage: An Integrated Multiscale Modelling Approach (SustainCARE, https://doi.org/10.3030/101220359), led by Dr. Yun Liu.

SustainCARE brings together heritage science, building physics, advanced modelling, and climate-conscious preservation, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to an internationally visible, high-impact ERC project. We aim to develop a holistic, multiscale understanding of how documentary heritage interacts with its environment— explaining the mechanisms of natural ageing, linking molecular processes to repository conditions, and revealing the environmental resilience of documentary heritage. As a member of this team, you will not just be studying the past; you will be building the tools to protect its future, developing sustainable strategies that democratise preservation and open entirely new research horizons in a changing climate.

Your role and tasks:

The successful candidate will contribute to the development of degradation models for documentary heritage by integrating material-level micro-environmental dynamics, the effects of text and pictorial layers, and monitoring data from natural ageing.

Key responsibilities include:

• Characterise material properties and moisture transport behaviour of historical materials.
• Contribute to the development of non-destructive methods to monitor natural degradation, using advanced analytical and statistical approaches.
• Develop, implement, and refine models that integrate micro-environmental processes (including moisture transport) with degradation kinetics.
• Contribute to case studies with international project partners and heritage institutions, including research stays and travel within Europe.
• Share your findings with the global community through journal publications, international conferences, and creative outreach (e.g., social media).
• Actively participate in the project’s lifecycle by helping organise workshops, meetings, and conferences.
• Pursue and complete a PhD dissertation; the dissertation agreement is to be finalised within the first 12–18 months.

Your profile:

We recognise that a PhD is a journey of development. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every single criterion but possess a strong foundational background and a clear enthusiasm for developing new expertise within the project’s scope.

Essential qualifications:

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, biology, heritage science, or a closely related scientific discipline.
• Good understanding of relevant analytical methods and instrumentation (e.g., spectroscopy, microscopy, and/or imaging techniques).
• Experience with quantitative analysis, such as statistics, scientific programming, and/or numerical modelling.
• Excellent written and spoken English (working language is English).
• Ability to work independently while contributing to a multidisciplinary team; strong organisational and communication skills.

Desirable (can also be acquired during the project):

• Experience with, or strong interest in, heritage materials and their degradation.
• Experience with analytical imaging, especially hyperspectral imaging, or strong motivation to develop expertise in these techniques.
• Strong quantitative skills, including proficiency in statistics, scientific programming, and/or modelling. We especially welcome candidates interested in applying AI and machine learning to analyse heritage datasets.
• Good understanding or experience with moisture diffusion dynamics.

What we offer:

• A stimulating, transdisciplinary research environment at the intersection of science and culture.
• Structured doctoral training and career development within a high-profile ERC-funded framework.
• Targeted training opportunities with project partners and collaborators.
• Generous project-related research and travel budget for dissemination and research needs (in line with ERC regulations).
• Access to state-of-the-art laboratory infrastructure.
• Attractive social benefits and a centrally located workplace in Vienna with good accessibility.

Salary:

The minimum monthly gross salary is currently € 2,832.08 (14 times per year, based on 30 hours/week) and may increase depending on relevant previous experience, in accordance with the collective agreement for universities (B1, salary scale for scientific/artistic university staff).

Contract:

The contract is initially limited to one year and is automatically extended to four years unless the employer submits a non-renewal declaration within the first year.

How to apply:

Please upload your application documents by 5 April 2026 via the university’s online application platform. Applications submitted by other means cannot be considered. Interviews (in person or online) are planned for 23-24 April 2026.

Required documents:

• Motivation letter (max. 1 page)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Publication list (if applicable)
• Research outline (max. 2 pages): please submit a preliminary research plan. This should include your understanding of the project objectives, your proposed methodological approach to the key tasks, and a tentative timeline for completing the PhD requirements within the project framework. This helps us understand your thought process, technical perspective, and approach to problem-solving.
• Contact details of two referees
• Bachelor’s and Master’s transcripts

Contact:

For questions, please contact Yun Liu (yun.liu@uni-ak.ac.at).

About the university & the institute:

The University of Applied Arts Vienna is committed to the sustainable and responsible shaping of the future through locally and globally relevant artistic, creative, and research-oriented work. Its mission emphasises addressing societal challenges by connecting expertise across the arts, sciences, and creative disciplines—an approach that supports transdisciplinary research on complex issues such as climate, materials, and cultural heritage.

The Institute of Conservation is an internationally recognised centre of expertise in conservation-restoration and the preservation of art and cultural assets. It provides an interdisciplinary environment that combines research, advanced methods, and practice-based knowledge—an ideal setting for SustainCARE’s modelling-driven, climate-conscious approach to the conservation of documentary heritage.

Equal opportunity:

The University of Applied Arts Vienna pursues an anti-discriminatory employment policy and stands for equal opportunities and diversity. We aim to have a wide range of gender identities, ages, cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds among our employees. We also strive to maintain a high proportion of women among our artistic, scientific, and general university staff, especially in management positions, and therefore encourage qualified women to apply.

The University of Applied Arts Vienna welcomes applications from people with disabilities. However, the workplace is not fully accessible for people with limited mobility.

Please note that applicants are not entitled to reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses.