PhD student position in Nanocellulose Composites for Wearable Electronics

We are looking for a highly motivated PhD student to join our research group at Chalmers. You will be enrolled in the PhD student school of the Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC) and closely collaborate with researchers at the participating universities, Chalmers, Linköping and KTH. The goal of your research will be to develop materials for wearable electronics with focus on recyclability. You will develop methods for the preparation of composite materials comprising conjugated polymers and nanocellulose. Further, you will gain detailed understanding about how electrochemical processes influence the rheological and mechanical properties of your materials, and then design electrochemical devices for wearable electronics. You will work closely with several postdocs and PhD students in our group, as well as with several external collaborators, especially within WWSC.

Project description
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC) is a research center striving for scientific excellence with a focus on new materials from trees. The center creates knowledge and builds competence for an innovative and sustainable future value creation from forest raw materials. WWSC is a multidisciplinary collaboration between KTH, Chalmers, and Linköping University. The base is a donation from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and the forest industry is supporting WWSC via the national platform Treesearch. This WWSC-project will be conducted at the department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering within the Müller Research Group, which focuses on the physical chemistry and materials science of organic semiconductors, polymer blends and composites, and develops new plastic materials for use in the fields of wearable electronics and energy technology. All research is conducted in co-operation with other universities/institutes and/or industry. Presently, the group consists of 1 Professor, 1 permanent researcher, 3 Postdocs and 8 PhD students.

Major responsibilities
The majority of your working time is devoted to your own research, in collaboration with postdocs and students at Chalmers, as well as external collaborators in academia and industry. As a PhD student you are expected to develop your own ideas and communicate scientific results orally as well as in writing. In addition, approximately 10 percent of your time will be dedicated to departmental duties, especially teaching on the undergraduate level. As a member of the Wallenberg Wood Science Center you will also have the opportunity to participate in the Wallenberg Wood Science Center Academy courses and activities, which take place at different locations in Sweden and the Nordic Countries.

Qualifications
The successful candidate must have a Master’s degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science or equivalent (or be in the process of completing a Master’s degree). Experience with electrochemistry, organic electronics and or (nano)cellulose materials is considered to be a merit. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the work, the candidate is expected to have excellent collaboration skills. A very good capability of communicating scientific results in English, both orally and in writing is required.

If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of four (4) years of fulltime research studies. The monthly salary of a PhD student at Chalmers is about 32'000 SEK before tax (approx. 2'800 €).

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20220531 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV: (Please name the document: CV, Family name, Ref. number)
• CV
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself.
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities).
• Describe your future goals and future research focus.

Other documents:
• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis.
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g. TOEFL test results.

Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. 

Application deadline: 15 August, 2023
Interviews will be conducted on a continuous basis until the position is filled. Therefore, please submit your application prior to the application deadline.

For questions, please contact:
Prof. Christian Müller, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, christian.muller@chalmers.se
Tel: +46317722790

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



Chalmers University of Technology conducts research and education in engineering sciences, architecture, technology-related mathematical sciences, natural and nautical sciences, working in close collaboration with industry and society. The strategy for scientific excellence focuses on our six Areas of Advance; Energy, Health Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, Materials Science, Production and Transport. The aim is to make an active contribution to a sustainable future using the basic sciences as a foundation and innovation and entrepreneurship as the central driving forces. Chalmers has around 11,000 students and 3,000 employees. New knowledge and improved technology have characterised Chalmers since its foundation in 1829, completely in accordance with the will of William Chalmers and his motto: Avancez!