PhD Opportunity in Wildland Fire Modelling and Risk Assessment at University of Canterbury

by Barb Waronek

Applications are invited for a fully funded three-year PhD scholarship in the department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, to work under on a wildland fire modelling and risk assessment under the supervision of Dr Andres Valencia (UC Senior Supervisor), Dr Marwan Katurji (co-supervisor) and Tom Logan (co-supervisory) in the context of the Project “Extreme fire behaviour, are we ready?” founded by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

More information is available here.

PhD Studentship: Fire Protection of Structural Steel University of Central Lancashire

by Barb Waronek

Structural steel is rapidly replacing concrete as a sustainable, recyclable framework for large modern buildings. A major problem faced by steel is its reduction in strength in fires. Once the temperature reaches 550°C it ceases to be able to support its design load which can lead to catastrophic collapse. Our collaborator, CPG Europe is a major manufacturer of fire protective intumescent coatings. Intumescent coatings, which appear as a thick paint layer, are designed to swell to 100 times their thickness in the event of a fire, providing one or two hours’ insulation to maintain the structural integrity of the steel. This project will review the composition of the whole coating and address the need to change various components. The cone calorimeter will be used to investigate the swelling at various stages in the process, in order to optimise formulations. The results will be compared with those from the large-scale furnace tests.

Link https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DBD915/phd-studentship-via-mphil-fire-protection-of-structural-steel        

University of CanterburyLecturer / Senior Lecturer in Fire Engineering

by Xinyan Huang

What You Will Do

Applications are invited for a position in the Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering at the level of Lecturer (equivalent to Assistant Professor in the US System).

This is an exciting opportunity to participate in the further growth of the fire engineering programme in a dynamic and productive department. Research and teaching interests in one or more of the following areas would be an advantage (though applicants with interests in other fire engineering specialties are also encouraged to apply): numerical and experimental study of fire and wildland fire behaviour and suppression; wildfire engineering; fire dynamics, material behaviour in fires, fire safety systems, fire safety design practice, performance-based fire safety design, fire risk assessment or fire risk management. Teaching on undergraduate programmes also possible.

Mōu | Who You Are

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. degree in a relevant discipline and have a demonstrated record of published research in fire engineering. The successful candidate will have a commitment to excellence in teaching of core courses in fire engineering at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and will be expected to establish a vigorous research programme. The appointee will be expected to supervise final year undergraduate projects, Masters and Ph.D. students, collaborate with others in the University, and to contribute to Departmental, Faculty, and University activities. The appointee will also be expected to develop links with and contribute to the wider engineering profession at local, national and international levels.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

The successful appointee will have access to a range of research facilities (with technical staff) and expertise in related disciplines. The Faculty of Engineering has just completed a $163 million investment of its engineering specialist laboratory wings and main teaching spaces. Staff and students now have access to some of the best modern facilities and technologies for teaching, learning and research in the southern hemisphere. Every area has been designed with the principles of highly flexible learning spaces, collaborative open areas and engineering on display. In particular, a new fire engineering laboratory with capacity to test fire and structural fire behaviour up to two-storeys high has just been commissioned. Large-scale fire testing facilities are also available from time to time at the Building Research Association New Zealand (BRANZ) in Wellington, through collaborative research programmes.

For more information about our department and team, please visit our website.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC

In 2023 UC is celebrating 150 years of accessible education. The past, the present and the future are intertwined. For more information on our 150th Anniversary visit us here.

 Ngā Uara | Our Values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tiakitanga guide our decisions and behaviour and provide a roadmap for how we do things at UC, affirming our commitment to pastoral care and support for our ākonga and staff. They challenge and inspire us to be the best we can, and make UC a great place to work and study. For more info on Ngā Uara | Our Values visit us here.

We are committed to accessible higher education, service to the community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

We offer a range of fantastic benefits including flexible work practices, study opportunities and generous superannuation and leave provisions. For more information, please visit us: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/joinus/benefits/

For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

The salary for this position on the academic salary scale is Lecturer (2.01 – $86,197 to 2.06 – $104,487), Senior Lecturer (4.01 – $109,977 to 4.05 -$124,732), Senior Lecturer Above the Bar (5.01 – $130,223 to 5.03 – $137,769)

The closing date for this position is: 20 July 2023 (midnight, NZ time)
Please note, applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place before the close date. Or Please note applications will be reviewed after the close date.

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted via our careers website and should include a cover letter and resume.

Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to [email protected]

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency to be considered for this role. If you hold a valid work visa and are physically present in New Zealand then you may also be considered.

Call for Award Nominations

by Barb Waronek

Please review the Call for Nominations for details on the awards to be presented at the 14th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science in Tsukuba, Japan in October 2023.

The deadline for the Proulx and Magnusson Early Career Awards and Best Thesis Award “Excellence in Research” are October 1, 2022.

News

HBIF IAFSS working group webinar series

by Nils Johansson

The HBIF IAFSS working group is starting a webinar series. The the first event will be held in October and the topic will be academic publishing. The webinar includes some of the key editors in our field. You can read more in this flyer.

Notice of Plans for IAFSS General Meeting, Part 2

by Sue Owen

Dear IAFSS Member,

I trust you are doing well. I am writing with information about the 2021 IAFSS General Meeting, Part 2, which will be held on 30 April 2021, 13:00 UTC.  The draft agenda for the meeting can be found here.

First, thank you to those who were able to join us on 24 March 2021 for Part 1 of the 2021 IAFSS General Meeting (GM).  This was our first ever virtual GM, and although we had a few minor glitches, the meeting went well. The draft minutes for the GM Part 1 are attached to the draft agenda for the GM Part 2.  As you will see, the proposed amendments to the Rules of the Association were approved, which formally allows us to proceed with a virtual GM Part 2. Click here to view the Rules of the Association.

As previously noted, we are changing the procedures for the GM Part 2, taking into account lessons learned and experiences gained from the GM Part 1, and aiming for a more interactive meeting.

  • To limit the potential for non-members to join the meeting, all eligible members will be required to pre-register to attend the meeting. You will need to contact the Secretariat to pre-register. Upon verification of eligibility, you will be sent a meeting link and password.
     
  • To assist us in checking attendees against our membership list, when logging into the meeting, please enter using your name in English as it correlates to your membership application.
     
  • Since the meeting time is limited, please try to log in five (5) minutes prior to the start of the GM. Please check your hardware and connections prior to the meeting time.
     
  • As with the GM Part 1, we are aiming to have any action required for voting to be presented in a form that votes can be simple ‘approve / disapprove / abstain’ where possible.  This is largely driven by the limited time for discussion and the time allotted for the meeting.
     
  • In the case where there is a vote that requires a choice between options (for example, if there are three candidates for Scrutineer and only two positions available), each option will be voted on separately, and the options receiving the highest vote counts will be taken as approved.
     
  • Details of actions requiring votes, as initiated by the Committee, will be posted to the IAFSS website by 17 April for review, and as appropriate, to allow time to submit proxy votes by members who cannot attend the 30 April meeting. It is expected that this will include:
     
    • Approval of past minutes of General Meetings of the Association (14 June 2017 and 24 March 2021)
    • Approval of the Treasurer’s report
    • Nominees for Honorary Auditors of the Association (two positions)
    • Nominees for Scrutineers of the Association (two positions)
       
  • Because time for discussion in the virtual GM Part 2 will be limited, any member who nominates members for the position of Honorary Auditor or Scrutineer, or proposes any action that will require a vote, or wishes to raise an item for discussion under Any Other Business, must provide text of the item in writing to the Honorary Secretary no later than 13 April 2021. This is to allow time for review, confirmation, and posting of the item by 17 April, and if needed, time to permit submittal of proxy votes by members who cannot attend. 
     
  • Due to time limitations, a maximum of five (5) minutes will be allotted for questions / discussion on any agenda item.
     
  • Proxy voting forms, for those unable to attend, will be available on 17 April, once items for voting have been identified and confirmed.  Note that it is intended to simplify the proxy form such that proxy votes will be given to the Honorary Secretary, unless another person is specifically designated. If another person is designated, confirmation is required from the designee, in advance of the GM, that they (a) agree to serve as proxy and (b) confirm that they will be in attendance at the meeting.  This is to help assure that the proxy vote will be delivered and counted appropriately.

As a member, your participation in General Meetings and your vote on issues of importance to the Association is critically important.  We ask that all who can attend and participate do so.  For those unable to attend, and who would like to exercise their right to vote, you are asked to provide your proxy vote to the Honorary Secretary no later than 27 April.

Also, we appreciate that options for voting and discussion remain somewhat limited. However, we have presented a more flexible and participative arrangement for Part 2 of the GM, within the limitations of time and technology being used. Developing a more robust on-line GM approach for future meetings will be an action on the Committee going forward.

Again, thank you for your understanding and flexibility, and if you have questions for clarification, or comments on what has been proposed, please let me know. Thank you.

Respectfully submitted,

Brian Meacham
IAFSS Honorary Secretary ad interim

News

Call for submissions for and Image Gallery entitled “Diversity in Fire Safety Science”

by Nils Johansson

We would like to embrace the diversity of fire safety at the 13th IAFSS Symposium. As one initiative, we are delighted to announce the introduction of an Image Gallery highlighting “Diversity in Fire Safety Science” at the 13th IAFSS Symposium.  “Diversity” in this context could mean topics, team members, or any uniqueness in your research that relates to equity, diversity and inclusivity of all. For this, we are collecting images from members of IAFSS and participants at the 13th Symposium. These will be assembled into a display on the virtual Symposium platform as one way to embrace and profile our diversity!

Instructions

  • Send us an image of “Diversity” from your organization/group/company/research
  • Size: 16:9 (33.867 cm x 19.05 cm) – high definition is best as it can be adjusted if needed
  • Format: powerpoint slide or pdf
  • One slide per each organization/group/company
  • Get permission first if any individuals’ faces are shown in your slide (IAFSS will not be responsible for this)

Please note: submitted images will be used only for Image Gallery of “Diversity in Fire Safety Science” during the 13th IAFSS symposium.

Please submit your slide by April 1st to https://www.dropbox.com/request/4Ph1CE2E9MtHTGLWTHTx

Any questions/comments are welcome, please contact us ([email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]) any time.

Best Regards,

Diversity task group (Anne, Beth, Iza, and Sayaka)