Call for Graduate Students: Research Opportunities in Sustainable and Resilient Structural Systems

İzmir Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture

We are inviting two highly motivated graduate students, preferably a PhD and a MSc candidate, to join an interdisciplinary research team at the Department of Architecture, İzmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH). The graduate research positions are available under the joint supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Durmuş Arsan and Asst. Prof. Dr. Uğur Demir. The research team also includes Asst. Prof. Matthieu Joseph Pedergnana from Yaşar University and PhD Candidate Betül Ergün from IZTECH.

Research Topics

New energy-efficient materials are increasingly used in architecture and civil engineering today. Many of these are based on the use of plant residues from agriculture as aggregates and the reuse of industrial byproduct or waste as binder for the production of bio-sustainable insulation materials. Among emerging bio-based material solutions, hemp-lime building materials—commonly referred to as hempcrete—stand out for their remarkable environmental characteristics. They exhibit significantly lower environmental impact during their production phase and provide superior hygrothermal properties when compared to the conventional building materials such as EPS and autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC). However, there is limited study in the literature deeply investigating the structural performance of walls produced by such energy-efficient bio-based materials.

As such, the selected students will work on cutting-edge topics at the intersection of sustainable design and structural performance, including:

• Material optimization and seismic behavior of structural walls made of bio-based construction materials such as hemp-lime (hempcrete) and other emerging composites.
• Fire resistance and optimum safety performance of bio-based wall systems under different design and loading scenarios.

Opportunities and Expectations

• Students will be actively engaged in the development of prestigious national research proposals, particularly to TÜBİTAK and ADEP. The team is also dedicated to establishing international cooperation within the scope of a European Union call.
• Research may lead to competitive scholarships, depending on the students’ performance and contributions.
• The positions are open for applications during the current academic semester, and interested students are encouraged to closely follow official IZTECH announcements for formal admission deadlines and procedures from https://lee.iyte.edu.tr/en/duyuru/2025-2026-fall-semester-graduate-program-application-announcement/.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should send:

1. A cover letter describing their research interests and motivation,
2. A short academic CV,

to both co-advisors from their email accounts:

• zeynepdurmus@iyte.edu.tr
• ugurdemir@iyte.edu.tr