ORAU
Analytical and Computational Research Tools for Advanced Materials and Structure
ORAU, Hampton, Virginia, United States, 23661
Analytical and Computational Research Tools for Advanced Materials and Structures
4 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Reference Code: 0047-NPP-MAR26-LRC-Aeronautics
Application Deadline: 3/1/2026 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone
How To Apply:
All applications must be submitted in Zintellect
Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements:
How to Apply | NASA Postdoctoral Program
A complete application to the NASA Postdoctoral Program includes:
Research proposal
Three letters of recommendation
Official doctoral transcript documents
The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at an aeronautics institute, NASA Headquarters, or an affiliated research institute. These one- to three‑year fellowships are competitive and designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.
The primary focus of this opportunity is to perform analytical and computational research in the Durability, Damage Tolerance, and Reliability Branch (DDTRB) at NASA Langley Research Center toward improving the state‑of‑the‑art of progressive damage analysis methods for advanced aerospace materials. The DDTRB conducts a broad‑based research and technology program that quantifies behavior, durability, and damage tolerance of structural materials; develops efficient, physics‑based analytical and computational methods; develops new innovative test methods; develops radiation analysis and design tools for assessing the radiation environment; and validates performance of advanced materials and structures for aerospace applications in support of NASA, other agencies, and the industry. The Damage Mechanics of Composite Materials group focuses on advancing understanding of structural life‑limiting damage mechanisms exhibited by these material systems. These mechanisms occur at various length scales and can drive component failure via several types that interact in a potentially complex manner. Deployment of composite materials on aircraft is partly inhibited by an insufficient understanding of damage progression and its effect on component lifetime and reliability. The broad vision of the group’s work is to remediate this issue by creating experimental and computational methods that yield a reduced cost for certification of composite structures and provide advanced understanding of durability and damage tolerance, ensuring safe operation of existing and emerging high‑performance aircraft structural designs and enabling future long‑duration space missions.
Analytical efforts in the Damage Mechanics of Composite Materials group are focused on computational fracture mechanics and the development and application of progressive damage analysis methods. Current focus is on numerical tools for simulating multiple interacting damage processes, such as matrix cracking, delamination, and fiber failure, for a variety of advanced aerospace materials—including fiber‑reinforced thermosets, fiber‑reinforced thermoplastics, ceramic matrix composites, carbon‑carbon composites, silicon carbide (SiC) fiber‑reinforced SiC matrix composites, and others. Researchers in the group have experience with close‑form fracture mechanics approaches, cohesive zone modeling, discrete damage mechanics, continuum damage mechanics, and related approaches. Tools for both quasi‑static and fatigue loading are of interest. Incorporation of these tools into commercial finite element codes is being sought to enable the creation of analyses that may replace testing practices currently used during certification.
Opportunities exist to participate in all aspects of the research, development, and application of analytical and computational modeling efforts within the Damage Mechanics of Composite Materials group. Successful applicants should have a PhD in an appropriate field and have programming experience related to finite element analysis user subroutines and related scripting languages.
The primary point of contact for this opportunity is Dr. Frank Leone, whose contact information is included below. Please contact Dr. Leone for details about this opportunity.
Field of Science:
Advisors
Frank Leone frank.a.leone@nasa.gov (757) 864‑3050
Eligibility is currently open to:
U.S. Citizens;
U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J‑1 visa status; and,
Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with 1) a valid EAD card and 2) I‑485 or I‑589 forms in pending status
Qualifications
The candidate should have a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline.
The candidate should have experience in finite element analysis software packages, such as Abaqus.
The candidate should have experience in programming languages compatible with custom user subroutines in finite element analysis software packages, i.e., FORTRAN.
The candidate should have experience in scripting languages, e.g., Python, MATLAB.
Eligibility Requirements
Degree: Doctoral Degree.
For questions about this opportunity, please email npp@orau.org.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Reference Code: 0047-NPP-MAR26-LRC-Aeronautics
Application Deadline: 3/1/2026 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone
How To Apply:
All applications must be submitted in Zintellect
Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements:
How to Apply | NASA Postdoctoral Program
A complete application to the NASA Postdoctoral Program includes:
Research proposal
Three letters of recommendation
Official doctoral transcript documents
The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at an aeronautics institute, NASA Headquarters, or an affiliated research institute. These one- to three‑year fellowships are competitive and designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.
The primary focus of this opportunity is to perform analytical and computational research in the Durability, Damage Tolerance, and Reliability Branch (DDTRB) at NASA Langley Research Center toward improving the state‑of‑the‑art of progressive damage analysis methods for advanced aerospace materials. The DDTRB conducts a broad‑based research and technology program that quantifies behavior, durability, and damage tolerance of structural materials; develops efficient, physics‑based analytical and computational methods; develops new innovative test methods; develops radiation analysis and design tools for assessing the radiation environment; and validates performance of advanced materials and structures for aerospace applications in support of NASA, other agencies, and the industry. The Damage Mechanics of Composite Materials group focuses on advancing understanding of structural life‑limiting damage mechanisms exhibited by these material systems. These mechanisms occur at various length scales and can drive component failure via several types that interact in a potentially complex manner. Deployment of composite materials on aircraft is partly inhibited by an insufficient understanding of damage progression and its effect on component lifetime and reliability. The broad vision of the group’s work is to remediate this issue by creating experimental and computational methods that yield a reduced cost for certification of composite structures and provide advanced understanding of durability and damage tolerance, ensuring safe operation of existing and emerging high‑performance aircraft structural designs and enabling future long‑duration space missions.
Analytical efforts in the Damage Mechanics of Composite Materials group are focused on computational fracture mechanics and the development and application of progressive damage analysis methods. Current focus is on numerical tools for simulating multiple interacting damage processes, such as matrix cracking, delamination, and fiber failure, for a variety of advanced aerospace materials—including fiber‑reinforced thermosets, fiber‑reinforced thermoplastics, ceramic matrix composites, carbon‑carbon composites, silicon carbide (SiC) fiber‑reinforced SiC matrix composites, and others. Researchers in the group have experience with close‑form fracture mechanics approaches, cohesive zone modeling, discrete damage mechanics, continuum damage mechanics, and related approaches. Tools for both quasi‑static and fatigue loading are of interest. Incorporation of these tools into commercial finite element codes is being sought to enable the creation of analyses that may replace testing practices currently used during certification.
Opportunities exist to participate in all aspects of the research, development, and application of analytical and computational modeling efforts within the Damage Mechanics of Composite Materials group. Successful applicants should have a PhD in an appropriate field and have programming experience related to finite element analysis user subroutines and related scripting languages.
The primary point of contact for this opportunity is Dr. Frank Leone, whose contact information is included below. Please contact Dr. Leone for details about this opportunity.
Field of Science:
Advisors
Frank Leone frank.a.leone@nasa.gov (757) 864‑3050
Eligibility is currently open to:
U.S. Citizens;
U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J‑1 visa status; and,
Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with 1) a valid EAD card and 2) I‑485 or I‑589 forms in pending status
Qualifications
The candidate should have a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline.
The candidate should have experience in finite element analysis software packages, such as Abaqus.
The candidate should have experience in programming languages compatible with custom user subroutines in finite element analysis software packages, i.e., FORTRAN.
The candidate should have experience in scripting languages, e.g., Python, MATLAB.
Eligibility Requirements
Degree: Doctoral Degree.
For questions about this opportunity, please email npp@orau.org.
#J-18808-Ljbffr