PhD Student in Evaluation of ceramic cultural heritage artefacts with THz imaging and tomography (M/F)

Job Description

Thesis Subject

From amphorae and statues to glazed architectural pieces, ceramics hold key clues about materials, manufacturing and conservation history. Yet internal defects and heterogeneities (cracks, delaminations, restorations, density variations) are often invisible and hard to assess without risk. Terahertz (THz) imaging offers a non‑destructive, non‑ionising way to look beneath the surface, but turning THz measurements of complex 3D objects into reliable, quantitative diagnostics remains a wide‑open challenge.

In this PhD (MSCA Doctoral Network UNVEIL), you will develop THz acquisition protocols and tomographic reconstruction pipelines to extract structural and/or compositional information quantitatively: thickness mapping of surface layers (glazes, slips, paints), detection of internal features, and estimation of dielectric properties linked to provenance, firing conditions and preservation state.

For highly non‑planar objects, you will integrate multi‑angle THz data with 3D surface models (structured‑light scanning, photogrammetry) to enable consistent 3D interpretation and outputs that heritage professionals can act on. The project includes museum‑driven case studies and, through the UNVEIL network, opportunities to compare THz with complementary techniques (e.g., ultrasound tomography, micro‑CT).

Planned secondments (research stays within the UNVEIL network): KU Leuven (Leuven, Belgium); Universität Leipzig – museum partner (Germany).

Your Work Environment

The doctoral candidate will be recruited by CNRS at the Georgia Tech–CNRS International Research Lab (IRL), hosted at Georgia Tech Europe in Metz (France) — the same site as the UNVEIL network coordination team (Coordinator: Dr Alexandre Locquet).
Contract: 36‑month full‑time employment contract. Expected start: Sept 2026, flexible.

UNVEIL – Unified Nondestructive Evaluation of Historical Artifacts is a Marie Sklodowska‑Curie Doctoral Network (Horizon Europe) funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement No. 101226363). Project start: 1 March 2026; duration: 48 months. UNVEIL brings together 12 PhD researchers as well as academic, industrial and cultural‑heritage partners to develop innovative non‑destructive evaluation (NDE) methods (THz, thermography, ultrasonics…) and advanced digital tools (data fusion, digital twins) for diagnosis, conservation and public engagement.

As a UNVEIL Doctoral Candidate you will benefit from: (i) a structured European training programme (network‑wide schools, workshops, seminars and transferable‑skills training); (ii) a personalised Career Development Plan (CDP); and (iii) secondments — research stays at partner organisations within the consortium (typically two stays of around 3 months) — to gain international and intersectoral experience.

PhD enrolment: Université de Lorraine (UL) – PhD in Engineering (doctoral school C2MP), including a structured doctoral training programme.

Application procedure (mandatory):
1) Submit a Demonstration of Interest via the UNVEIL website, https://unveil-dn.eu/, (documents in English: degree certificates + full transcripts, detailed CV, motivation letter). The CV must clearly state the country of residence and main activity over the last 36 months to check the MSCA mobility rule.
2) Official application ONLY via the CNRS job portal: emploi.cnrs.fr (uploading documents to UNVEIL is not an official application).

Scientific contact: alocquet@georgiatech-metz.fr
Administrative contact: Nicolas Stoll (Project Manager) – nstoll@georgiatech-metz.fr

Selection is merit‑based, following an open, transparent and non‑discriminatory process. UNVEIL is committed to equal opportunities and encourages applications from all qualified candidates. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Salary

The position is funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN) programme under Horizon Europe.
The European contribution includes:
Living allowance: €4,736 per month
Mobility allowance: €710 per month
Family allowance: €495 per month (if applicable)

These amounts correspond to the contribution paid to the employer and include employer and employee social security contributions according to French legislation.
For a recruitment at the CNRS, the gross monthly salary of the PhD candidate is estimated between €3,400 and €3,800, corresponding to an indicative net salary of approximately €2,400 to €2,700 per month, depending on the individual situation and applicable social security contributions.
More information: https://www.horizon-europe.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2025-02/french-salary-explained-pf-dn-from-2024-pcn-2025-en--11413.pdf

• Degree: MSc (or equivalent) in physics, photonics, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, or a related field.
• Expected skills: interest in imaging, reconstruction and inverse problems; numerical modelling experience is a plus; programming/data-processing skills; willingness to combine experiments with close interaction with museum partners.
• MSCA Doctoral Networks eligibility (mandatory at recruitment): researchers of any nationality are eligible; no doctoral degree awarded; comply with the MSCA mobility rule (not residing or carrying out the main activity in France for more than 12 months in the 36 months prior to recruitment, excluding short stays); eligible to enrol in a PhD programme at Université de Lorraine; full-time employment, exclusively dedicated to UNVEIL.

The position is funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN) programme under Horizon Europe.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

3400-3800€ gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions