École des Arts Décoratifs Paris launches a call for a 6 months part-time position as a researcher assistant in Biodesign within the Soft Matters research group of Ensadlab, the research laboratory of Ecole des Arts Déco,  in the framework of the ImpressioVivo JCJC research project funded by the National Agency for Research (ANR).

EnsadLab / Soft Matters

Soft Matters is one of the 5 research groups of Ensadlab, the French pioneering arts-and-design-led research lab of École des Arts Décoratifs. It explores how new materials and new technologies (as much as forgotten ones) can contribute to the design of a more resilient culture. The focus is on a design-led and practice-based approach to research with a core expertise in the area of textile design,  colour-material and finishing design and sensory design in an interdisciplinary dialogue with disciplines such as architecture, fashion, object design, material science or biology.  It articulates its current research around the following axes: (1) active materials (2) circular design (3) bio-digital crafting (4) sensory design (5) architectural textility.

Placing the conceptualisation and materialisation of artefacts at the centre of its research, the group examines how the materiality of the soft (textiles, flexible materials, digital and biological technologies) influence the practice of design, affects our everyday spaces and practices, but especially questions its potential for the design of more resilient a futures. To do so the group develops national and international collaborations, whether scientific or industrial, through established academic or industrial PhD programs, consultancy, training and research collaboration at the intersection of science, design and engineering.  Soft Matters is further more strongly connected with the Textile and Material design department of Ecole des Arts Décoratifs.

About the position

The research assistant position takes place within the framework of the ImpressioVivo project, an ANR funded project examining the 3D printing of bacterially-informed materials for circular design applications in an architectural context. This design-led project is an interdisciplinary research enquiry sitting at the intersection of architecture, design and microbiology, led by Soft Matters, in collaboration with CITA, 3d.FAB and Soletanche-Bachy. Concerned with challenging the perception of resource as infinite and by promoting a resilient approach to material resources relying both on post-industrial waste and bio-based renewable deposits, the project seeks to understand how designers and architects can work with bacteria to design 3D printed bioluminescent and bio-calcified materials for circular design applications. A first material axis focus on the design of bioluminescent living hydrogels and a second one on the biocalcification of an up-cycled foam made from paper waste.

Within this context, the research assistant will facilitate the development of a bespoke method for the design of 3D printed and bacterially-mediated materials for the architectural and design domain. The facilitation will be primarily related to experimental but also documental and logistic aspects. S/he will contribute to adapting microbiology lab protocols to a design context in order to support artistic prototyping towards an object or architectural scale based on bioluminescent hydrogels and bio-calcified paper foam materials.  Monitoring and care-taking of both growth processes as well as taking part in the design, development, fabrication and characterization, documentation and evaluation of samples, prototypes and the building of artistic demonstrators based on extrusion-based printing will constitute key activities of the position.

The researcher will work under the supervision of Dr. Aurélie Mosse -project leader-,  and in  collaboration with Guro Tyse -a practice-based and design-led PhD student with an architectural background-, a part-time microbiologist and a part-time designer. S/he will benefit of the overall ecosystem of the project and may occasionally take part in the co-writing of academic publications with the overall aim to advance the field of bio-digital crafting.

About ImpressioVivo

To know more about the ImpressioVivo project, please consult this page and related publications https://softmatters.ensadlab.fr/impressiovivo/, The project builds upon the Imprimer la lumière project and the Papier Plume technology.

Requirement/profile

You are a highly motivated, open-minded and autonomous scientist with a creative and material sensitivity or an architect/designer with an experience in biodesign/bioprinting. You have a background in biodesign, microbiology, microbial engineering, bio-printing or bio-chemistry or any other fields relevant to the ImpressioVivo project and are thriving to engage your expertise into an interdisciplinary circular design & architectural dynamic. Committed to contributing to sustainable change through your research, you share a strong interest for, if not experience with practice-based and design-led research, sometimes also referred to as research-creation.

The candidate should meet the following criteria:

• holds a master degree in science, engineering, architecture or design
• demonstrate an experience in at least one of these fields: microbiology, 3D printing, bioprinting, biodesign, bio-architecture
• share a high motivation if not experience in working in a design-led research context
• has a collaborative and interdisciplinary attitude towards research
• demonstrate good communication skills
• full English proficiency required (written and spoken).
• Some bases in French are appreciated

Demonstrable experience of science-design collaborations, of working with design-led research or methods as well as an ability to speak French are strong assets but not pre-requisites.

Environment

As an assistant researcher, you will work at École des Arts Décoratifs, 31 rue d’Ulm (Paris) with access to the Paris Sciences et Lettres University (PSL) network which we are associated to. Within École des Arts Décoratifs, you will have access to the 20 art & design-led workshops of the school, including a biodesign lab privatized for the project, without any technical support but disposing of sterilization & microbiology equipments related to the project. Access to further biological/characterization equipments can be facilitated via PSL, in particular the technological platform of Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes (IPPG). Other accesses via the candidate’s network are however welcomed. Short stays in partner of the project labs such as 3D.fab (University Lyon 1) or CITA (Royal Danish Academy, DK) might be considered according to the needs of the project. The position is funded by the French National Agency for Research (ANR) in the framework of the ImpressioVivo project.

Start date and duration  : 3 days a week (part-time) for 16 months. Position starting May 2023.

Remuneration : Salary to be discussed according to experience.

How to apply:

Applicants should address:

– a copy of their identity card or passport

– A digital copy of they master degree (and higher if relevant)

–  an up-to-date CV including a list of academic publications if relevant

– relevant and names and contact information for 2 persons willing to act as referees.

– a cover letter arguing of the relevance of your profile/experience and of your motivation for the position

– a scientific or artistic portfolio (according to profiles)[1]

no later than the 19^th of March 2023 at midnight to: https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/call-for-candidates-research-assistant-in-biofabrication-bio-printing

Closing Date: 19^th of March 2023

Pre-selection:  week of 2^nd of April 2023

Interview:  12^th of April 2023

Recruitment process

Applications are evaluated by Aurélie Mosse, the coordinator of the ImpressioVivo project and her team. Eligible candidates will be invited for an interview, preferably at École des Arts Décoratifs. The audition will be primarily conducted in English.

We welcome applicants with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives: diversity enriches our work and helps us grow.

Contacts

Scientific queries  –  Dr. Aurélie Mosse aurelie.mosse@ensad.fr

Administrative queries – Martine Nicot, martine.nicot@ensad.fr

About École des Arts Décoratifs

École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (EnsAD) is a public institution of higher education under the authority of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. Over 250 years of history, a unique educational model, and an international outlook that encompasses more than 130 partnerships with the best universities, top cultural institutions and the most innovative businesses around the world places Ecole des Arts Décoratifs within a select group of major art and design institutions. Its mission is to provide artistic, scientific, and technical training for artists and designers, preparing them for careers in design and research in all the decorative arts fields.

Ecole des Arts Decoratifs has also developed an ambitious research dynamic in the form of EnsadLab, the French pioneering arts-and-design-led research lab founded in 2012. Besides, since 2011,  it is a member of Paris Sciences et Lettres University that brings together 20 higher-education and research institutions (including the Collège de France, the ENS, the ESPCI, the Observatoire de Paris, the Institut Curie, and others). Former students of the School include famous figures such as Charles Garnier, Hector Guimard, and Henri Matisse, as well as major creators in the contemporary art scene: Philippe Apeloig, Ronan Bouroullec, Mohamed Bourouissa, Jean-Paul Goude, Annette Messager, Anri Sala, Jérôme Savary, Jacques Tardi, Xavier Veilhan, Zao Wou Ki, Yiking Yin, and others.

More informations

École des Arts Décoratifs       https://www.ensad.fr/

EnsadLab                               https://www.ensadlab.fr

EnsadLab / Softs Matters       https://softmatters.ensadlab.fr/

PSL :                                      https://www.psl.eu/

[1]     collections of student/professional works of the candidate  that are purposefully selected