Post/s of Full-Time Research Support Officer I or II

Updated: 10 months ago
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 03 Jun 2023

1 Jun 2023
Job Information
Organisation/Company

University of Malta
Department

Office for Human Resources Management & Development
Research Field

Engineering » Materials engineering
Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)
Country

Malta
Application Deadline

3 Jun 2023 - 23:59 (Europe/Malta)
Type of Contract

Temporary
Job Status

Full-time
Hours Per Week

40
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Call for Applications (Call ID: 65/2023)

Post/s of Full-Time Research Support Officer I or II

NanoFAB - Nanoplastic Fate and Ageing Behaviour (TRAKE)

Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering

 

Applications are invited for a Research Support Officer (RSO) to work on a full-time basis on NanoFAB - Nanoplastic Fate and Ageing Behaviour, a project financed by the University of Malta through the Transdisciplinary Research and Knowledge Exchange Complex (TRAKE). The selected applicant will carry out research on nanoplastics, understanding their transformations in aquatic environments, and elucidating their behaviour and ageing mechanisms with the aim of tackling plastic pollution. The work will be carried out at the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering (Faculty of Engineering) in collaboration with the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham, the SME Seven Past Nine and the NGO Żibel.

 

Applicants must be in possession of a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree (2nd upper or higher) in Materials’ Science, Materials’ Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Science or a closely related discipline. A solid working knowledge of nanoplastics, nanomaterials, nanomaterial aquatic environmental behaviour and ageing, and characterisation techniques will be considered an asset. The applicant should be self-motivated and have the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. He/she must be able to organise and prioritise tasks within the project timeline to meet interim deadlines. He/she must also possess good written communication and academic writing skills.

 

The University of Malta is an Equal Opportunity employer.

 

The selected candidate must be living in Malta for the period of employment.

 

Applicants with a Master or Bachelor’s Degree will be required to apply for a full-time PhD in Mechanical Engineering of University of Malta under the supervision of Dr Sophie Briffa. The PhD proposal will follow the project aims and objectives.

 

The full-time post is for a period of 24 months for RSO I and 20 months for RSO II .

 

Candidates who already hold, or had held within the last six months, a Research Support Officer post (in the same grade) at the University of Malta will start at their latest salary scale in accordance with the salary structure for Research Support Officers.  The initial remuneration per annum is as follows: 

€20,800 for those in possession of a Bachelors’ degree (Research Support Officer I)

€24,960 for those in possession of a Master’s degree (Research Support Officer II)

 

Candidates must upload their covering letter, curriculum vitae, and certificates (certificates should be submitted in English) and at least one letter of reference through this form https://www.um.edu.mt/hrmd/workatum-projects by not later than Monday, 3rd July 2023. 

 

Late applications will not be considered.

 

Further information may be obtained from http://www.um.edu.mt/hrmd/recruitment and should you have any queries, please send us an email on [email protected] .

 

Further Information

 

The Research Support Officer will be responsible for the execution of a number of tasks related to NanoFAB - Nanoplastic Fate and Ageing Behaviour, a project financed by the University of Malta, in which the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering is working in close collaboration with the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham, the SME Seven Past Nine and the NGO Żibel.

 

The environmental pervasiveness of nanoplastics is only now being realised. They are major environmental pollutants and are considered a global concern due to their persistence and harmful effects. Yet their behaviour, fate, and toxicity are not fully understood, and their harmful effects could be significantly underestimated, as their identification is still a challenge. Nanoplastic pollution is complex, and managing it effectively requires multidimensional responses. This work aims to progress beyond the current state-of-the-art and investigate whether environmental ageing of commercially relevant plastics can reveal new ways to reduce nanoplastic pollution. By tackling the transformations of nanoplastics in aquatic environments, this project will elucidate their behaviour and ageing mechanisms. The research will respond to the need to understand the real effects these materials are exerting.

The main project objectives are:

to obtain environmentally realistic nanoplastics from commercially available products following a top-down approach resulting in a wide size distribution;

to systematically age nanoplastics in different waters by UV, oxygen and enzyme exposure over predefined durations. Temperature will be used as a proxy for time, to accelerate ageing and attempt to mimic real-life scenarios;

to study, by means of a multi-method characterisation approach, any changes occuring to the physical or chemical properties induced by ageing. This data will be uploaded to relevant nanosafety data warehouses and feed into predictive models for designing safer plastics.

 

The main duties and responsibilities of the appointee will consist of carrying out Research and Project Management Assistant duties including:

  • working closely with the project collaborators and partners;
  • preparing, ageing and characterising environmentally relevant nanoplastics;
  • producing project deliverables within the time frames specified by the project;
  • day-to-day project planning and management;
  • abiding by the conditions imposed by the project and call;
  • drafting and submitting at least two journal papers related to the project to an international journal;
  • presenting the results in at least one relevant international conference;
  • writing or assisting in the writing of proposals for further research grants;
  • assisting in dissemination, communication and exploitation activities related to the project;
  • performing any other project-related tasks as instructed by the project coordinator
  •  

    The appointees are expected to work at such places and during such hours as may be determined by the University authorities.

     

    The selection procedure will involve:

  • scrutiny of qualifications and experience claimed and supported by testimonials and/or certificates (copies to be included with the application);
  • shortlisting; and
  • an interview and / or extended interview.
  •  

    The post is for a period of 24 or 20 months, which will be subject to a probationary period and to the provisions of the Statutes, Regulations and Bye-Laws of the University of Malta which are now or which may hereafter be in force.

     

    Office of the University,

    Msida, 1st June 2023


    Requirements
    Research Field
    Engineering » Materials engineering
    Education Level
    Master Degree or equivalent

    Specific Requirements

    Live in Malta


    Additional Information
    Work Location(s)
    Number of offers available
    1
    Company/Institute
    University of Malta
    Country
    Malta
    Geofield


    Where to apply
    Website

    https://www.um.edu.mt/hrmd/workatum-projects

    Contact
    City

    Msida
    Website

    http://www.um.edu.mt/hrmd/recruitment
    Street

    University of Malta Msida MSD 2080 MALTA
    E-Mail

    [email protected]

    STATUS: EXPIRED

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