Postdoctoral Research Associate – Ames Laboratory Jobs at Iowa State University, United States

Appointment Type:

Post Doc/Trainee

Job Description:

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:

The Division of Chemical & Biological Sciences at Ames Laboratory, a Department of Energy National Laboratory affiliated with Iowa State University, is seeking a postdoctoral associate with a background in solid-state NMR spectroscopy.  The chosen candidate will join a large multidisciplinary team consisting of researchers from both the Ames Laboratory, as well as other national laboratories and universities. The successful candidate will be responsible for conducting investigations of heterogeneous catalysts, polymers, and other materials by conventional as well as dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Much of the work performed by the candidate will be as a part of the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics (iCOUP), an Energy Frontier Research center tasked with the development of catalytic upcycling methods for the conversion of plastics into more valuable products such as surfactants and lubricants. Solid-state NMR experiments performed by the candidate will involve the characterization of catalysts developed by the center as well as the application of multinuclear and multidimensional solid-state NMR to gain a deeper understanding of the interactions between catalytic materials and polymers.

Our group is equipped with three conventional solid-state NMR spectrometers with magnetic fields of 9.4 and 14.1 T and MAS probes for rotor diameters ranging from 5 to 0.75 mm (100 kHz MAS frequency). Aside from these instruments, the lab is also equipped with a 9.4 T Bruker MAS-DNP NMR spectrometer with both 3.2 and 1.3-mm MAS-DNP probes.  The successful candidate will collaborate with other PIs in the Division of Chemical and Biological Sciences and the Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering for synthetic and additional characterization needs.

The successful candidate must be able to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and collaborate with a team.

Required Minimum Qualifications:

Ph.D. must be completed prior to start date.

Ph.D. in chemistry, physics, materials science, or a related discipline.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience in theoretical and experimental aspects of modern solid-state NMR and/or DNP, including method development.

Experience in the solid-state NMR of polymers

Experience in sample preparation (General, Schlenk, and glovebox chemistry)

Department Unit/Website:

www.ameslab.gov

Proposed Start Date:

February 1, 2022

Proposed End Date or Length of Term:

January 31, 2023

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 employment@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.

Original Posting Date:

September 24, 2021

Posting Close Date:

December 27, 2021