"I am a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Oslo, and I am currently 1 of 6 full time professors at the Norwegian Research Centre of Excellence on the Physics of Geological Processes (PGP), where I am responsible for all its experimental activities. Although there is a wide range of expertise in PGP, there are still limitations to our knowledge, tools and research techniques which must be overcome. The Grenoble complex, where very strong university research teams work alongside leading CNRS laboratories, has most of the capabilities that we lack. I propose to launch an original research project that probes fundamental questions in Gibbs' thermodynamics and is interdisciplinary in it's application to Physics, Earth Science and Materials Science. Recent experimental results from my group contradict theoretical results from the group of Chaouqi Misbah (of Laboratoire de Spectrometrie Physique (LSP) of the University of Joseph Fourier (UJF) in Grenoble) and afford an original and innovative angle on 140 years of theoretical discussions on the thermodynamic theory of non-hydrostatically stressed solids. I propose a 12 month integrated theoretical and experimental project in Grenoble which will use state of the art continuum modeling techniques and high resolution optical and synchrotron X-ray techniques to test 5 bold hypotheses. The goal of the proposed project will be to combine the theoretical and experimental excellence in the Grenoble region with the unique physics/geoscience research at PGP in order to 1) publish two original research papers in top rated physics and geoscience journals, 2) train me in state of the art continuum mechanics modeling methods and high resolution optical and sychrotron X-ray methods, 3) enhance my ability to mange research projects, 4) forge new links between research communities in Grenoble and Oslo and 5) to develop a European research proposal between Oslo and Grenoble."