Research Fellow (Sustainable Concrete Materials)

Interested applicants are invited to apply directly at the NUS Career Portal. Please note your application will only be processed if you apply via NUS Career Portal.

NUS Career Portal link: https://careers.nus.edu.sg/job/Research-Fellow-%28Sustainable-Concrete-Materials%29/33279-en_GB/

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Job Description

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) is seeking a Research Fellow to join a high-impact project on the use of limestone aggregates and fines as alternative materials for concrete production in Singapore.

The project, “Enhancing Concrete Resilience in Singapore: Evaluating Limestone as an Alternative for Concrete Applications,” aims to assess the feasibility, performance, durability, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness of limestone-based concrete. The research will support Singapore’s efforts to diversify construction material sources, strengthen supply-chain resilience, and develop more sustainable concrete solutions.

About the Role
The Research Fellow will work with a multidisciplinary NUS team and industry partners to evaluate limestone aggregates and fines for structural concrete applications. The work will cover material characterisation, concrete mix design, mechanical and durability testing, recyclability, cost analysis, and potential long-term field monitoring.

This role is well suited for candidates with expertise in concrete technology, cementitious materials, aggregate characterisation, durability, sustainable construction materials, or structural concrete testing.

Key Responsibilities:
The Research Fellow will contribute to:

•    Characterising limestone aggregates and fines from different regional sources and comparing them with conventional granite aggregate, natural sand, and granite fines.
•    Designing and optimising concrete mixes incorporating limestone materials for commonly used concrete grades, including C32/40, C40/50, and up to C50/60.
•    Testing fresh concrete properties such as workability, slump retention, stability, and fresh density.
•    Evaluating hardened concrete performance, including compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, elastic modulus, creep, shrinkage, and density.
•    Assessing durability performance, including alkali–aggregate reaction, sulphate and acid attack, chloride ingress, carbonation, permeation, and elevated-temperature behaviour.
•    Supporting reinforced concrete specimen testing, non-destructive testing, recyclability studies, and cost analysis.
•    Contributing to technical reports, journal publications, conference papers, and practical guidelines for industry adoption.

Why Join Us?
This is an opportunity to contribute to a nationally relevant research project with direct impact on Singapore’s construction-material resilience and sustainability. Successful candidates will work closely with leading researchers, industry partners, and public-sector stakeholders to generate practical solutions for future concrete production.

The role offers strong opportunities for high-quality publications, industry engagement, technical guideline development, and real-world research translation in the areas of sustainable concrete, infrastructure resilience, and circular construction materials.

Job Requirements

•    Possess a PhD in Civil Engineering, Geology, Cement Chemistry, Construction Materials, or a closely related field.
•    Strong background in concrete durability, cementitious materials, aggregate degradation, or infrastructure materials.
•    Hands-on experience in durability testing of concrete or mortar.
•    Understanding of durability mechanisms such as ASR, ACR, sulphate attack, carbonation, chloride ingress, acid attack, or thermal degradation.
•    Experience with microstructural or chemical characterisation techniques, such as petrography, XRF, XRD, SEM, TGA, MIP, or related methods.
•    Strong analytical, experimental, and scientific writing skills.
•    Ability to manage multiple experimental workstreams and maintain high-quality research documentation.
•    Strong written and spoken communication skills. 
•    Open to fixed-term contract.