Post-Doctoral Research Visit F/M Advanced HPC frameworks for real-time simulation of periodic metamaterials

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Contract type : Fixed-term contract

Level of qualifications required : PhD or equivalent

Fonction : Post-Doctoral Research Visit

About the research centre or Inria department

The Inria Rennes - Bretagne Atlantique Centre is one of Inria's nine centres and has more than thirty research teams. The Inria Center is a major and recognized player in the field of digital sciences. It is at the heart of a rich R&D and innovation ecosystem: highly innovative PMEs, large industrial groups, competitiveness clusters, research and higher education players, laboratories of excellence, technological research institute, etc.

Context

Open: fully funded 2-year postdoctoral fellowship at Inria — Co-funded by the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (Bienvenue scheme), within the I4S Project-Team, under the supervision of Dr. Christophe Droz.

Project Context

The Metamaterials Twins project builds the next-generation simulation framework for complex metamaterials and smart structures. By tightly integrating advanced finite element methods, multi-scale modeling, parametric model order reduction, multi-physics wave techniques, symbolic regression, and machine learning, we develop high-fidelity digital twins capable of ultra-fast, accurate predictions.

These twins target transformative applications in many fields: metamaterials, structural health monitoring, vibration control, energy harvesting, and advanced materials for civil, mechanical, railway, and critical infrastructure systems. The project aims to establish one of the world’s leading platforms for wave-based simulations across acoustics, seismics, thermoelectrics, phononics, nanoscale, and quantum regimes.

Research Environment

Location: Beaulieu Scientific Campus, University of Rennes, Brittany, France. Rennes offers exceptional quality of life — a vibrant student city (25% of population) ranked among Europe’s most livable, with excellent connections (1.5h to Paris, proximity to the Atlantic coast).

Inria is the French National Research Institute for Digital Science and Technology. This center for scientific excellence is leading the French Digital Programs Agency and is on the frontline of computer science in Europe while conducting world-class research covering a wide range of disciplines: automation, mathematics, and simulation software. International and industrial collaborations, exploratory (high-risk, high-impact) research, software development, artificial intelligence, quantum- and cyber technologies and deep tech startups are the DNA of the institute. Inria ranks 16th worldwide at the AI Research ranking while being the number one European institute for frontier research in digital sciences.

This position provides an exceptional platform to launch a high-impact career in academia or industry, learning state-of-the-art agentic methods for science, while contributing to a groundbreaking advance in metamaterial science and computational engineering.

 

Assignment

Research Objectives

You will conceive, implement, and validate a novel high-performance computing (HPC) framework for wave propagation in periodic metamaterial structures on CPU/GPU clusters. Key challenges include:

  • Developing and integrating parametric Model Order Reduction (MOR) techniques into scalable simulation pipelines.
  • Leveraging symbolic computation and machine learning (including multi-agent architectures) to unify physics-driven and data-driven models.
  • Advancing domain decomposition, numerical solvers, and HPC for structural dynamics.

Your contributions will lead to powerful computational tools serving a broad multidisciplinary community in engineering, physics, and materials science, as well as lead to new physical insights in the field of metamaterials.

Keywords: Finite Element Method (FEM), Parametric Model-Order Reduction, Metamaterials/Waves, Iterative Solvers, High-Performance Computing, Symbolic Computation, Multi-Agent Systems.

Your Tasks

  • Conduct cutting-edge research on HPC methods for metamaterials: design, implement, optimize, and benchmark advanced computational algorithms.
  • Publish in top-tier journals and present at leading conferences in the field.
  • Collaborate with MSc and PhD students on related topics.
  • Actively contribute to the Metamaterials Twins platform and collaborative projects.

Main activities

Qualifications

  • PhD in physics, applied mathematics, mechanical/computational engineering, automation, computer science, or a closely related field.
  • Strong background in numerical methods, finite element methods, and scientific computing.
  • Proficiency in Julia, C++, Python or equivalent; experience with high-performance and GPU computing is a plus.
  • Excellent English communication skills (oral and written).
  • Passion for physical simulation, metamaterials, and translating fundamental research into engineering impact.
  • Passion for multi-agent AI systems, agent-based modeling, and productivity tools (Cursor, Copilot, etc.). Prior experience is a plus.
  • Mobility rule (MSCA): Candidates must not have resided or worked in France for more than 12 months in the last 3 years at the time of recruitment.

What We Offer

  • Attractive, competitive salary according to experience, with full social benefits.
  • Access to state-of-the-art HPC resources, latest laptops, and dedicated computing infrastructure.
  • Collaboration opportunity with a Deep Tech spin-off of Inria and an international network of experts in metamaterials and wave simulation.
  • Intensive training in multi-agent systems for scientific research, plus Inria’s world-class portfolio of courses in AI, scientific programming, and digital technologies.
  • Strong support for career development: support for international fellowships and ERC grants and entrepreneurship training via Inria Startup Studio.
  • Dynamic, friendly and multidisciplinary environment within the I4S team (~30 full-time research scientists, engineers, PhDs, and postdocs).

Application Procedure

Please submit the following documents. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is selected and vetted by our Defense & Security Authority. Shortlisted candidates will be invited quickly for a discussion. 

Required Documents
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV): A detailed CV clearly indicating your nationality and current country of residence, along with a link to your scholarly profile (Google Scholar, ORCID, etc.) enabling downloadable publications.
  • Motivation Statement: A short text (a few sentences) outlining the vision that drives you to pursue this postdoc, what inspires you about the project, your preferred starting date, and any questions you may have.

Benefits package

  • Subsidized meals
  • Partial reimbursement of public transport costs
  • Leave: 7 weeks of annual leave + 10 extra days off due to RTT (statutory reduction in working hours) + possibility of exceptional leave (sick children, moving home, etc.)
  • Possibility of teleworking (after 6 months of employment) and flexible organization of working hours
  • Professional equipment available (videoconferencing, loan of computer equipment, etc.)
  • Social, cultural and sports events and activities
  • Access to vocational training
  • Social security coverage

Remuneration

Monthly gross salary amounting to 4,500€