Spedding Postdoctoral Fellow in Separation Science - Ames National Laboratory

Position Title:
Spedding Postdoctoral Fellow in Separation Science - Ames National Laboratory

Appointment Type:
Post Doc/Trainee

Job Description:
Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:

Would you like to work for a National Laboratory that conducts world-renowned research? Would you enjoy working on a diverse, beautiful, university campus? Can you imagine yourself in a mid-sized location that regularly ranks as one of the U.S. Best Places to Live ? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider a career with Ames National Laboratory!

Ames Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy federally contracted National Laboratory located in Ames, Iowa, on the campus of Iowa State University. We are dedicated to translating foundational science through applied research to create technological innovations. We create materials, inspire minds to solve problems, and address some of the most challenging issues facing our world today. We promote and believe in a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, civility, and shared ownership in support of the Laboratory's collective success.

Ames Laboratory seeks strong candidates for a distinguished Spedding Postdoctoral Fellow, focusing broadly on energy-relevant separation science and related topics, with a particular focus on separations related to the Ames National Laboratory’s and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) missions. Ames National Laboratory is a world leader in critical materials, catalysis, polymer upcycling, separations, computational chemistry, quantum materials, synthesis, and additive manufacturing. Ames hosts the Critical Materials Innovation Hub.  As one of 17 DOE national laboratories, we are the only one co-located on a university campus, Iowa State University. We offer a diverse, innovative working environment that excels at cutting-edge chemistry, physics, and materials research.

The Spedding Postdoctoral Fellowship honors Dr. Frank Spedding, Ames Laboratory’s first Director. The Spedding Fellowship is a prestigious award that provides an exceptional opportunity for recent Ph.D. recipients of outstanding talent and ability to pursue mentored and independent research directions in support of our scientific objectives in a collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment that aims for excellence in science.

Separation science is critical to many energy-relevant technologies and is a growing research focus at Ames National Laboratory. The successful applicant will help to firmly establish the laboratory as a leader in rare-earth and energy-relevant separations.

The duties of the position include designing, implementing, and disseminating separation science research projects. Several research projects at Ames National Laboratory may be pursued after consultation with the research mentor. A few examples of active research areas include: (i) chemical and rare-earth separations using ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents; (ii) investigating rare earth element separation in ionic adsorption clays and their synthetic analogs; (iii) AI-accelerated design, synthesis, and evaluation of separation agents; and (iv) molecular testing of computationally evolved ligands.   In addition, laboratory supervision of students, writing manuscripts, research proposals and other scientific reports are key duties for this position. The candidate should be ready to work in a strongly collaborative environment, and have an interest in a long-term career in the DOE national laboratory system.

Required Minimum Qualifications:

 Ph.D. in chemistry, chemical engineering, or a field related to separation science must be completed prior to start date.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 4 or more years of hands-on experience in the field of separation science, including Ph.D.
• research experience
• strong publication record that reflects expertise in separation science.

Department Unit/Website:

www.ameslab.gov

Proposed Start Date:
April 1, 2024

Proposed End Date or Length of Term:
March 31, 2025

Number of Months Employed Per Year:
12 Month Work Period

Time Type:
Full time

Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, please click on “Apply” and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:
1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae
2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter

3) List of Professional References
If you have questions regarding this application process, please email [email protected] or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.
Why Choose ISU?
Iowa State University is committed to fostering a workplace of belonging, where diversity is celebrated and equity is a core value. Our Iowa State Postdocs enjoy comprehensive health and work life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:
• Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans;
• Generous vacation, holiday, and sick time and leave plans;
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa);
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Program;
• Wellbeing Program.

Original Posting Date:
December 8, 2023

Posting Close Date:
February 11, 2024

Job Requisition Number:
R13603