Full-time, Fixed term position for 3 years
Hassall Street, Parramatta Campus

About Western Sydney University

Western Sydney University is a modern, forward-thinking, research-led university, located in the heart of Australia’s fastest-growing, economically significant region. The University has 11 campuses in Sydney, as well as campuses in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Surabaya, Indonesia, with plans for two campuses in India. With over 200,000 alumni, almost 50,000 students, and approximately 3,500 staff, the University promotes a dynamic, inclusive, and innovative culture focused on research and dedicated to student-centered excellence.

Our Schools teach an array of programs and degrees carefully structured to meet the demands of future industry. The University is ranked in the top 2% of universities worldwide, with over 85% of its assessed research rated at ‘World Standard’ or above. In 2022, 2023, and 2024 the University was placed 1st worldwide and in Australia for its commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings.

Our core values - Boldness, Fairness, Integrity, and Excellence – serve as guiding principles for our organisational culture and influence the work we do. If you are a dedicated and forward-thinking professional seeking a career that can make a meaningful difference, we invite you to discover the abundant opportunities, innovation, and impact that await you at Western Sydney University.

School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment are seeking a highly qualified and motivated Research Fellow to join our dynamic team.

About the role

The Dean of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Distinguished Professor Brian G. Falzon, holds the Chair of Composite Materials and Aerospace Structures. Having recently joined Western Sydney University, Prof Falzon is establishing an Advanced Composites Research Group within his School, continuing and building upon a body of work undertaken at similar groups he established at previous academic institutions.

A Postdoctoral Research Fellow is currently being sought who will pursue research, and proposal development, in Advanced Aerospace Composite Materials and Structures, and support Prof Falzon in the establishment and expansion of this research group. The appointee will also be expected to assist in the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students, and contribute to teaching, if required.

The appointee will be expected to:

• Lead an active research program (as agreed with the Dean),
• Develop research proposals in applied and fundamental research,
• Assist in the supervision of Honours, Master, and PhD students.

Primary Project Details

The increased prevalence of the use of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) material, in the latest generation of passenger aircraft and road vehicles, has necessitated a closer examination of the crashworthiness of these structures. In addition, the emergence of hydrogen-powered vehicles, equipped with FRP pressure vessels that carry hydrogen at up to 700 bar pressure, necessitates the reliable assessment of their performance in crash and other off-design ‘event-based’ scenarios.

The Research Fellow will build upon the extensive work that has already been accomplished by Prof Falzon’s research groups, to further develop a multiscale finite-element modelling capability to accurately capture the energy absorption of composite structures.

The concept of a ‘crush stress’ in a finite element model using 2D shell elements, will be expanded and adopted within a computational multiscale framework where laminate coupon tests, required to extract crush stresses for various geometries and layups, are simulated using a high-fidelity damage model developed by Prof Falzon. Further research and development are required to (i) establish a reliable modelling strategy to capture crush initiation in coupons with specific trigger geometries; (ii) accurately model the response of plies crushed in a direction not aligned with the principal fibre direction; (iii) capture the response of the crushing of 2D/3D woven FRPs which exhibits a more complex response than unidirectional (UD) plies; and (iv) explore strain rate – material property relationships.

This capability will be used to aid the design of energy-absorbing CFRP structures and will be validated using a set of manufactured energy-absorbing composite sub-assembly representative structures and other test results available in the literature.

In parallel to the computation work, the Research Fellow, assisted by PhD students, will explore experimental approaches for the acquisition of interlaminar and intralaminar dynamic fracture toughness values required for the computational analysis.

Skills and Experiences

The ideal candidate will hold a doctoral qualification in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline, have demonstrated expertise in the finite element modelling of FRP composite structures and possess an advanced understanding of the fracture and damage mechanics of these materials, experience in developing user subroutines in ABAQUS and proficiency in FORTRAN coding are essential. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of delivering high-quality research, evidenced by publications in Q1 journals, excellent oral and written communication skills, along with strong interpersonal abilities, are required to work effectively within our team. Additionally, you will have the capacity to contribute to the supervision of Honours and HDR students and have experience in conducting material and structural testing. 

Applicants should be aware that this role will be based at Hassall Street, Parramatta Campus, however as Western Sydney University is a multi-campus university travel to other campuses may be required when operational needs arise.

If you are passionate about advancing research in this field and thrive in a collaborative environment, we encourage you to apply ensuring you carefully address each of the questions in your application. Please review the position description for further information through the apply link. 

Culture 

Western Sydney University highly values equity and inclusiveness. We have a proud history of doing so and consider this an important part of our social and civic responsibilities as a University. We strive to contribute to tackling inequalities and promoting wellbeing within our own institution, the Greater Western Sydney region, nationally and internationally. If you share our passion for creating a more equitable and inclusive world, and if you are ready to contribute to meaningful change, join us in our mission to promote equity, inclusiveness, and wellbeing. 

What We Offer in Return

At Western Sydney University, we deeply value our staff and recognise their invaluable contributions that drive our mission and uphold our values. In return for your dedication, we offer:

35 hour work week 17% super contributions Generous parental leave provisions Access to staff benefits – e.g. health and fitness programs such as fitness passport, café and restaurant deals, and many other goods and services

Remuneration Package: Academic Level A $109,861 to $132,730 p.a. (comprising Salary of $92,834 to $112,158 p.a., plus Superannuation and Leave Loading)

Position Enquiries: Please contact Brian Falzon, Dean, School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment via email at B.Falzon@westernsydney.edu.au

Recruitment Enquiries: Specific enquiries or issues with your application may be directed to the Recruitment Team at recruitmentpartnerships@westernsydney.edu.au

Closing Date: 8:30 pm on Tuesday 15 October 2024

Working Rights in Australia - Eligibility 

You must provide evidence of your fulltime working rights in Australia for the full term of the appointment at time of application. 

All ongoing and fixed term employees seeking to apply for this position as a secondment must have completed a minimum of 12 months’ full-time continuous service to be eligible to apply for this role, as per Part D of the Recruitment and Selection Policy.

Note - Only those applications submitted via the WSU online recruitment system will be accepted.

Note - This is a re-advertised position previous candidates need not apply