Postdoc in material development in Conservation of work of Art

Art conservation is a central activity to ensure that works of art will be accessible to future generations. Over the last 20 years, nanomaterials have emerged as tool of choice to clean, reinforce and actively prevent degradation of these uniques artifacts. The project GreenArt brings now a new aspect to these endeavors in accounting for the environmental impact of these activities.

Information about the division and the project
The Division of Applied Chemistry comprises about 90 researchers, including PhD students, who work on surface chemistry, polymers and catalysis. There are four sub-units: Polymer Technology, Biopolymer Technology, Pharmaceutical Technology and Applied Surface Chemistry. The position announced is placed in research group of Romain Bordes at the Applied Surface Chemistry sub-unit.

The research carried out at Applied Surface Chemistry focuses on energy, materials design, nanotechnology and catalysis. In recent years, activities related to exploit colloids/polymer interactions, in collaboration with industry, have gained momentum with a focus on materials derived from renewable resources. The research group that is hosting the position is aligned with these activities.

This position is supported by the EU Horizon 2020 project GreenArt, starting in September 2022. GreenArt aims to develop new interdisciplinary solutions to pro-actively prevent art degradation to preserve it for future generations, with a strong emphasis on solutions.

About GreenArt
Most Cultural Heritage objects housed by museums are subjected to degradation or ageing. GreenArt (GREen ENdeavor in Art ResToration) will develop cutting edge technologies aligned with then need of being environmentally respectful, to control and prevent degradation, and conduct remediation of such patrimony.

The framework will combine advanced remediation methodologies with preventive conservation to control ensure the the artifacts’ future.
GreenArt includes a unique combination of academic partners from all over Europe together with small, medium, and large museums exhibiting representative variety of work of art.

The research that will be carried out in this project will aim at developing stable formulations of colloidal precursors of polymer/nanomaterials-based systems for the realization of consolidant and adsorbing materials. An important aspect will be the processability of the material. Evaluation of the solution properties of such mixtures from a colloidal perspective will be central while the performance of the materials will also be investigated. The adsorbing performance of the new materials will also be assessed.
This project will be run in close collaboration with industry.
Position duration: 18+6 months.

Major responsibilities
The main aim of this postdoctoral project is to ensure the development of new tools for the preservation of works of art. As a post-doc, you will play an important in the experimental development of a robust methodology for applying porous material that will then be functionnalized to serve as adsorbent. During the course of the project you will interact with some of the other partners of the EU project GreenArt to evaluate your solutions. You are also expected to enable proper dissemination of your work within the scientific community.

The position may also include teaching on undergraduate and master's levels as well as supervising master's and/or PhD students to a certain extent. Another important aspect involves collaboration within academia and with society at large. The position is meritorious for future research duties within academia as well as industry/the public sector.

Qualifications
To qualify for this position you must hold a PhD degree in surface and colloid chemistry, physical chemistry or soft matter physics. A PhD in cellulose chemistry or in materials science with emphasis on surface and colloid chemistry or silica chemistry is also conceivable. In addition, a general knowledge of the techniques related to surface characterization and electron microscopy constitutes a strong asset. Background in cultural heritage conservation is a plus.
Skills in oral and written English are mandatory.

To qualify for the position of postdoc, you must hold a doctoral degree awarded no more than three years prior to the application deadline (according to the current agreement with the Swedish Agency for Government Employers).

Contract terms
This postdoc position is a full-time temporary employment for 18+6 months.

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 20220629 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 as: CV, Surname, Ref. number) including:
• CV, include complete list of publications
• Previous teaching and pedagogical experiences
• 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 research fields and main research results
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:
• Attested copies of completed education, grades and other certificates.

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form.

Application deadline: December 18, 2022

For questions, please contact:
Romain Bordes, bordes@chalmers.se,
Phone: +46 31 772 29 76

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