Postdoctoral fellow position for Interactive Polymer Materials

A vacancy is available for a post-doctoral research fellow in the field of interactive polymer materials for soft robotic machines at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), The Netherlands.

Position

(Post-doctoral) Researcher

Irène Curie Fellowship

No

Department(s)

Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Reference number

V37.6659

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is one of Europe's leading research universities.
The Eindhoven area, in the southern part of the Netherlands, is one of Europe's top 'innovation ecosystems', with many high-tech companies and institutes. TU/e is intertwined with many of these companies and institutes, and research at TU/e is characterized by a combination of academic excellence, industrial relevance and societal interweaving.

Eindhoven University of Technology is a community of scientists, supporting staff, students and partners. People are the heart and soul of TU/e, so it is of great importance to safeguard the distinctive Eindhoven atmosphere, creating a personal, welcoming and vibrant environment that enables individuals and groups to grow professionally and personally.

The department Chemical Engineering and Chemistry is one of the nine departments of Eindhoven University of Technology. It was established in 1957, shortly after the university was founded.

The department is located in the Helix and Matrix buildings on the TU/e campus. The candidate will closely collaborate with the department of Applied Physics, also located on the TU/e campus at walking distance.

Job description
The candidate will be employed on a project in the gravitation program “Interactive Polymer Materials”. This large research program (~20 groups across different departments) brings together scientists that work on synthesis, characterization, and modelling of the next generation of polymer materials.

Within this program the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry (CE&C) and Applied Physics (AP) jointly seek a highly skilled and motivated Postdoctoral Researcher. This exciting opportunity involves the development (CE&C) and nanoscale optical characterization (AP) of responsive materials. Regarding material development the project specifically focuses on liquid crystal polymers that exhibit shape-changing capabilities and other material property modifications in response to stimuli such as light, electric fields, and heat. After synthesis the candidate will use state-of-the-art microscopy facilities (including super-resolution microscopy and tip-enhanced imaging) for nanoscale characterization of the material.

Research groups
The research team at CE&C (Human Interactive Materials (HIM)) focuses on developing interactive materials to address the evolving needs in specialized medicine, man-machine communication, and miniaturized mechanics. By utilizing smart soft materials, we aim to bridge gaps in current technologies and create new specialized functions. These materials have the ability to adapt their shape, conform to confined and sensitive spaces, and provide their functional duty on location. Visit www.danqingliu.nl for more information.

The research team at AP (Molecular Plasmonics) is headed by Peter Zijlstra and develops approaches for nanoscale characterization of biomaterials and biosensors. In particular, the research team employs single-molecule optical microscopy approaches including single-molecule fluorescence, super-resolution microscopy (e.g STED and PAINT) and atomic force microscopy. Correlative approaches are developed to study biomaterials on a broad range of length- and time-scales. Visit the group website www.molecular-plasmonics.nl for more information.

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Applied Physics, Materials Science, or a related field, obtained within the last three years.
• Strong background and expertise in materials synthesis, processing, and characterization, preferably in the area of polymers or liquid crystal materials.
• Proficiency in using advanced optical tools (e.g fluorescence and/or super-resolution microscopy) for in situ characterization of materials.
• Familiarity with responsive materials and their applications, particularly in the context of liquid crystal polymers.
• Excellent programming and data analysis skills for processing and interpreting experimental data.
• Effective written and oral communication skills, demonstrated through publications in reputable scientific journals and presentations at conferences.
• Ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment and engage in cross-departmental collaborations.

We offer a challenging job for four years in a highly motivated team at a dynamic and ambitious university. You will work with innovative analytic equipment and you will be part of a highly profiled multidisciplinary collaboration where expertise of a variety of disciplines comes together.

The TU/e is located in one of the smartest regions of the world en part of the European technology hotspot ‘Brainport Eindhoven’; well-known because of many high-tech industries and start-ups. A place to be for talented scientists!

• The gross monthly salary in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement of the Dutch Universities (CAO NU), scale 10.4 (€3.557,- gross).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs on general skills, didactics and topics related to research and valorization.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• Partially paid parental leave and an allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A TU/e Postdoc Association that helps you to build a stronger and broader academic and personal network, and offers tailored support, training and workshops.
• A Staff Immigration Team is available for international candidates, as are a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) and a compensation for moving expenses.
  

For more detailed information about this vacancy you can contact dr. Danqing Liu e-mail: d.liu1[at]tue.nl, or dr.Peter Zijlstra email: p.zijlstra[at]tue.nl.

Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact Ms. P.J. van de Weijer, HR-advisor, p.j.v.d.weijer[at]tue.nl.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page .

Application
You can respond to this vacancy via our application page www.tue.nl/jobs by clicking on the button “Apply for this job". We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way.

You can upload a maximum of 5 documents of up to 2MB each.

The selection of applicants and the job interviews will start immediately until we find a suitable candidate.

For this vacancy we will recruit simultaneously both internal as external. In the case of equal suitability internal candidates take priority over external candidates.

An assessment can be part of the selection procedure.

Acquisition as a result of this advertisement is not appreciated.