Postdoc position: DNP-NMR & biocomposites (Wallenberg Wood Science Center)

This call is for a postdoc who will have a key role in the development of characterization methods for heterogenous soft matter, in particular materials of wood-based origin. The focus will be NMR spectroscopy, adapted with the emerging dynamic nuclear polarization technique, using the only instrument of its kind so far in Scandinavia.

Project description
The vision of the project is to advance the understanding of molecular interactions within biocomposite materials and translate this knowledge into the design and production of high-performance sustainable materials. By elucidating the interfacial regions between the composite constituents, particularly investigating molecular interactions between biobased polymers and incorporated wood-based nanofibers, the project aims to enhance the mechanical, thermal, and structural properties of biocomposites, thereby enabling their widespread adoption across various industries. Traditional characterization techniques often lack the resolution and sensitivity required to probe these intricate molecular structures, particularly in a non-destructive manner. Overcoming these challenges necessitates the adaptation of solid-state NMR spectroscopy enhanced by cutting-edge dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), which offers unparalleled sensitivity and chemical selectivity.

Information about the collaboration and the division
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.

As a postdoc, you will be part of WWSC and join the activities at the Division of Applied Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Sustainable development is a central matter at the division where research is mainly directed with an applied focus and mostly concerns the development of new materials. In this specific project, wood-based biocomposites are at focus. The growing interest in these materials is accompanied by a demand on the research community to develop suitable characterization techniques to measure and understand chemical and physical properties in materials with high degree of complexity.

Major responsibilities
During your time as a postdoc, you will communicate the results from your project by publishing articles in relevant peer-reviewed international scientific journals and by participating to national and international meetings and conferences. Within the daily work as a postdoc, our ambition is that you find variation and interact with PhD students, but also undergraduate students, senior researchers and professors. A particularly important infrastructure for this project is the Swedish NMR Centre where most of the experimental work will be carried out.

Your major responsibility as postdoc is to perform your own research in a research group. 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
The most important qualification is your desire to devotedly work with research. You have a Doctoral degree in chemistry, physics, materials science, or equivalent. Experience in NMR spectroscopy is highly valuable, solid-state NMR in particular. You appreciate to work experimentally with instruments and also with theoretical tools from the perspective of physical chemistry.


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). Exceptions from the 3-year limit can be made for longer periods resulting from parental leave, sick leave or military service*.

The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in English. Swedish is not a requirement but Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

* The date shown in your doctoral degree certificate is the date we use, as this is the date you have met all requirements for the doctoral degree.

Contract terms
This postdoc position is a full-time temporary employment for two years.

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 20240472 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.

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered.

Application deadline: 2024-09-26

 
For questions, please contact:
Professor Lars Evenäs,
lars.evenas@chalmers.se, +46-(0)31 772 2973