PhD student position in computational catalysis

Information about the research
The main theme for the research at Chemical Physics is the development of sustainable energy systems by use of heterogeneous catalysis for alternative fuel production, emission control, energy storage, and fuel cells. The research is interdisciplinary with strong connections between fundamental and applied sience. Chemical Physics is a dynamic and international environment that strives for scientific excellence through teamwork and joint theoretical and experimental efforts. The activity within heterogeneous catalysis is a part of the national Competence Centre for Catalysis at Chalmers.

The theoretical activities at Chemical Physics focus on electronic structure calculations within the density functional theory together with mean-field modeling and Monte-Carlo simulations for reaction kinetics. By linking quantum mechanical calculations with kinetic modeling it is possible to bridge both length and time scales. Theoretical spectroscopy is used together with experimental observations to scrutinize fundamental reaction mechanisms and processes.

Read more at http://www.chalmers.se/en/departments/ap/research/chemicalphysics/Pages/default.aspx

Major responsibilities
The goal with a PhD-position is to develop general research proficiency and a high competence within your specific research area. As a PhD-student, you will primarily conduct research, often together with other researchers and PhD-students. You will also follow PhD courses, be involved in teaching activities, and participate in international conferences and networks. You are expected to write a licenciate thesis within 2-3 years and defend your doctoral thesis within 4-5 years. The total time period for the position is limited to four years full time, or five years with 20% teaching load.

The research focus of this particular PhD position lies in using computational/theoretical methods to understand microscopic process involved in the removing/destroying organic compounds in water. Such processes are important to guarantee high quality of, for instance, drinking water. The successful candidate will use density functional theory calculations and/or correlated wavefunction methods to study electrochemical- and/or photoinduced-reactions of simple organic compounds in liquid. The theoretical work will be conducted in close collaboration with experimental efforts in the Chemical Physics group.

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The employment is composed of a maximum full-time four-year doctoral programme and a maximum one year of department duties equivalent to a maximum of 20 % of the total working time. The employment is thus limited to a total of five years. The employment is tied to successful completion of department evaluations after one and three years.

Qualifications
To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field.
The candidates should have:

(1) Master of Science in Physics or Chemistry
(2) Good communication skills in written and spoken English
(3) Able to work independently and take responsibility for progress and quality of the project
(4) Candidates with experience in computational/theoretical physics, chemistry and related areas are favored.

The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in Swedish and English. If Swedish is not your native language, you should be able to teach in Swedish after two years. Chalmers offers Swedish courses. Applicants who do not have English or a Scandinavian language as their native language will normally be required to take an English language test, for example TOEFL 550 (paper-based)/TOEFL 213 (com-puter-based), prior to admission.

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure

The application should be marked with Ref 20150284 and written in English.


Application deadline: September 15, 2015

For questions, please contact:
Associate professor Anders Hellman, Chemical Physics
+46 31-7725611
anders.hellman@chalmers.se

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***