One opening Early Stage Researcher (PhD) position in Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Physics within...

We are seeking the ESR 11 (doctoral student) of our recently funded MSCA-ITN CATCHY project for ”Testing activity of small clusters to nanometer sized catalysts for methanol synthesis“ at SURFCAT. 

The successful candidate will have obtained excellent grades in his/her Bachelor and Master degrees. He/she should also be well-motivated, hardworking and willing and able to work as part of a team. Candidates for the PhD positions should have a Master’s degree in Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or Materials Science by the time they commence the project. Candidates who has shown interest/had experience in the surface science/catalysis/electrochemistry approach will be preferred.

The ESR 11 at Surface Physics & Catalysis (SURFCAT) at the Department of Physics at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) will be in charge of producing and testing mass-selected bi- and multimetallic clusters deposited on microreactors for methanol synthesis. This work includes investigating the response to changes composition and size and ultimately understand how we can tune and improve the selectivity.

The candidate will further characterize the bi- and multimetallic clusters using e.g. X-ray absorption measurements under working conditions at the Swiss Light Source with our Paul Scherrer Institute partner in Switzerland. The candidate will also be trained in computational modelling of clusters under reactions mimicking the microreactor at Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary.

Three periods of 1-2 months of mobility (secondment) at our EU partners are foreseen.

The scholarship for the PhD degree are subject to academic approval, and the candidates will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes of DTU, for example in Mathematics, Physics and Informatics. For information about the general requirements for enrolment and the general planning of the scholarship studies, please see the DTU PhD Guide .

The PhD positions are for 3 years and the PhD thesis must be delivered during this period.

The starting date should be before November 2021. Please check the employment conditions .

For further information about the research at SurfCat at the Department of Physics at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) please inspect www.surfcat.dtu.dk . For a more detailed description of the Catchy project, the individual positions and to apply online please visit us at www.catchy-etn.eu . More information on this vacancy : https://www.catchy-etn.eu/esr-8/

Should you have any queries regarding the positions, please contact Professor Christian Danvad Damsgaard, [email protected]

Your online application must be submitted no later than August 15th 2021 and you should apply online BOTH at www.catchy-etn.eu  and at www.career.dtu.dk.  Please pay attention to the specific employment conditions.

Candidates may apply prior to obtaining their master’s degree but cannot begin before having obtained their Master with an acceptable grade, 10 or 12.

All interested candidates, irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background, are encouraged to apply.

• The successful candidates will receive an attractive salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for Early Stage Researchers. The exact (net) salary will be confirmed upon appointment and is dependent on local tax regulations and on the country correction factor (to allow for the difference in cost of living in different EU Member States). The salary includes a living allowance, a mobility allowance and a family allowance (if applicable). The guaranteed PhD funding is for 36 months (i.e. EC funding, additional funding could be possible depending on the local Supervisor and in accordance with the regular PhD time in the country of employment). More information at: https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/sites/mariecurie2/files/... )
• Eligible candidates may be of any nationality but must not, at the time of recruitment have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 last years immediately prior to the reference date.
• Candidates must be, at the time of recruitment by the host organisation, in the first four years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers and have not yet been awarded a doctoral degree. This is measured from the date when they obtained the Master degree which would formally entitle them to embark on a doctorate within Catchy.
• Each ESR will have to make at least one secondment (temporary research exchange to another Catchy partner) for a total period varying from 4 to 6 months during the duration of his/her employment.
• Each ESR is expected to participate actively in the network tasks and organization of training/network events as well as in regular yearly Outreach Activities targeting different audiences.
• Good use of English language (including both written and oral fluency) is essential
• Recruitment, selection, appointments follow the European Charter & Code of Conduct (https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/european-charter ). All Catchy partners commit themselves to provide equal opportunities for male & female ESRs.