PREP0004938 Structural Engineering Researcher

Structural Engineering & Data Integration Researcher

Project Description:

A postdoctoral fellow is sought for a position in Structural Engineering to contribute to cutting-edge work on the development of a relational database for structural components.  The researcher will collaborate closely with a multidisciplinary team to create a unified database of the seismic performance of structural components to inform the development of future codes and standards. This open-source SQL repository will capture experimental and reconnaissance data on damage, capacity, and repair needs for various structural systems, with the potential to extend to other hazards. This opportunity is part of a high-impact research effort focused on advancing the science of seismic performance and data integration for next-generation codes and standards, directly supporting research transparency and data reuse in performance-based earthquake engineering.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Synthesize knowledge and extract design, response, damage, and repair data for structural components from experimental programs and reconnaissance reports
• Develop and manage a robust relational database focused on the seismic performance of structural components
• Develop consequence models for various structural systems to demonstrate the real-world application of the unified database
• Design and implement front-end tools or user interfaces to facilitate data accessibility for researchers and practitioners
• Leverage data analysis to unify underlying structural data used to develop design limits by codes and standards for functional recovery and other performance targets
• Develop computational workflows of U.S. building code design requirements to quantify the impact of proposed updates to building design
• Prepare high-quality research papers for peer-reviewed journals, and present findings at national conferences

Desired Qualifications: 

• U.S. citizen preferred
• Ph.D. in Civil/Structural Engineering or a closely related field, with a strong understanding of the behavior of structural systems
• Strong background in both experimental testing and numerical analysis of various structural components and systems
• Strong understanding of U.S. codes and standards
• Proven experience in advanced data analysis and the development of relational databases (SQL database development required)
• Experience developing and managing Python codebases in git
• Demonstrated capability or familiarity with developing front-end software tools and user interfaces
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong publication record in leading peer-reviewed journals

Other Details:

• Full-time: the participant is expected to work 40 hours a week
• Location: the participant will work at the NIST Gaithersburg Campus and remote.
• Duration: this is expected to be a one-year position. Extensions are sometimes granted depending on the availability of funds.