Post-Doctoral Researcher: “Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Renewable Energy Production and Storage in Subsurface Reservoirs”

Context:

ENSTA is an institution of higher education and research under the authority of the Ministry of the Armed Forces. The school's mission is to train civil and military engineers, including armament engineers and armament studies and techniques engineers, as well as highly qualified executives and doctors for the public and private sectors, particularly in the fields of defense and security, transport, energy, maritime activities, digital technology, and advanced technologies.

ENSTA supports the transformation of major national strategic sectors through its research, innovation, and training offerings, thereby responding to national sovereignty challenges. It has 3 Teaching and Research Units (UFR) organized around 9 research laboratories (UER) which conduct applied research in close collaboration with industry.

ENSTA is a founding member of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris). Within the framework of IP Paris, the school participates in the activities of interdisciplinary centers, notably the Interdisciplinary Center for Defense and Security Studies (CIEDS, supported by the Ministry of the Armed Forces and the Defense Innovation Agency (AID)). It is behind the creation of the Mers & Océans Interdisciplinary Center, inaugurated in January 2025. Researchers from the school also collaborate on studies led by the Hi-Paris, AI Cluster 2024 laureate, E4C, or E4H centers, among others.

ENSTA is the result of the merger on January 1, 2025, of ENSTA Paris and ENSTA Bretagne. Its headquarters are located in Palaiseau (91), on the Paris-Saclay campus, and it has another campus in Brest. It is implementing a new unified engineering program across both campuses (Paris-Saclay and Brest) for the academic year 2026/2027.

Joining the school means integrating an institution committed to parity and professional equality, diversity, and support for its employees with disabilities, from recruitment throughout their careers. To promote well-being at work, the school pursues an active policy regarding working conditions, based in particular on a healthy balance between personal and professional life.

Subject: “Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Renewable Energy Production and Storage in Subsurface Reservoirs”

This position is part of the “Leveraging AI for Sustainable Renewable Energy Production and Storage” grant, funded by Hi ! Paris (https://www.hi-paris.fr/). The research will be conducted at ENSTA, Institut Polytechnique de Paris. The position offers the opportunity to work on a stimulating and impactful research topic. The knowledge, innovation, and skills developed within the framework of this position will offer excellent career development prospects in both industry and academia.

Climate change demands innovative strategies for harnessing renewable energy. The Earth's subsurface holds significant potential through technologies like deep geothermal energy, underground hydrogen storage, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). These methods could transform the energy landscape of France and Europe, but they are often hampered by seismicity induced by fluid injection into the Earth's crust.

Addressing this challenge requires advanced solutions. Mathematical control theory, as explored in the CER's INJECT project (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101087771), offers strategies for minimizing seismic risks while optimizing energy production. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI), particularly reinforcement learning (RL), presents a transformative approach due to its agnostic and performance-oriented nature. Reinforcement learning can develop highly effective policies for managing subsurface systems and serves as a paradigm for tackling complex systems with similar uncertainties and constraints, thereby unlocking broader applications across various domains. For more information, please contact: ----- class="Default" style="text-align:justify;">Main Missions / Activities:

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will advance artificial intelligence methods to address real-world challenges in controlling systems governed by nonlinear and non-smooth partial differential equations (PDEs). Key objectives include developing robust, stable, and adaptable RL algorithms that can enhance predictive models for induced seismicity, and control and optimization of production.

The position emphasizes interdisciplinary research, integrating AI with geomechanics and control theory to deepen the scientific understanding of subsurface fluid injection and earthquake mechanics. The outcomes will contribute to cutting-edge scientific advancements impacting both academic and industrial communities.

Ancillary Missions / Activities:

· Contribute to any service activity based on the chosen priorities.

· Contribute to the Quality initiative, particularly through drafting and updating procedures, and by providing and monitoring indicators.

Contribute to the School's CSR initiative within the framework of its missions and activities.

Desired contract duration: Fixed-term contract for 2 years

Planned start date: As soon as possible

Work location:

ENSTA Campus Paris-Saclay, 828 boulevard des Maréchaux 91762 Palaiseau – Cedex

The site is accessible by car (parking for staff) but also by public transport.

Full-time position (25 annual leave days, 18 RTT days per year)

Benefits:

• Transportation (employer flat-rate contribution of 75%)

• Sustainable mobility package (up to €300/year)

• Possibility of teleworking (after manager approval and submission of a request)

• Employer subsidy for the administrative restaurant and/or the establishment's cafeteria

• Social action committee, including events and activities offered to staff, subsidized gym, childcare center for staff's children from age 6 with preferential rates (Paris-Saclay campus)

• Health insurance (50% employer contribution)

Workplace Accommodation and Inclusive Recruitment:

All our positions are open to candidates with disabilities.

ENSTA is committed to recruitment that promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. All applications without distinction (age, disability, sex, nationality, religion, sexual orientation…) have their place in our recruitment process.

Selected candidates must possess strong scientific skills and be highly motivated. Proficiency in spoken and written English is mandatory.

Candidates will conduct research, develop experimental setups and tools, and write scientific articles in close collaboration with the Project PI, Prof. Ioannis Stefanou, and the members of the INJECT group.

Knowledge:

• Solid background in applied mathematics

• Programming skills (e.g., Matlab/Python/C++).

• Knowledge of machine learning

• Knowledge in dynamics/mechanics/geomechanics/geophysics.

• Knowledge of ODE control and/or non-smooth systems and/or PDEs.

• Laboratory experience and teamwork spirit.