Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) within Chemistry – Direct Air Capture of CO2
The Department of Chemistry is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within Chemistry – Direct Air Capture of CO2. The scholarship is full-time for two years with access 1 September 2024 or by agreement. Last day to apply is 21 May 2024.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020 was awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier, who was active at Umeå University when the CRISPR-Cas9 method was developed.
Project description
Mg-minerals have a great potential of passively capturing atmospheric CO2 at low energetic costs, yet the reactions can be poisoned by impermeable Mg-carbonate nanocoatings. Organic complexation agents can, however, help circumvent this potentially important bottleneck. This experimental (vibrational spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction/scattering, (Ambient Pressure) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, (cryo) electron microscopy/tomography) project will resolve molecular- to meso-scale processes involving the organic ligand- assisted growth of Mg-carbonate materials during the Direct Air Capture of CO2.
The selected candidate will be part of Umeå Molecular Geochemistry group, and collaborate with 2 PhD students dedicated to this project, under the supervision of Professor Jean-François Boily (https://moleculargeo.chem.umu.se/boily/).
The fellowship is for two years, starting no later than September 1st, 2024 or according to agreement. The tax-free stipend (350,000 SEK/year) is financed by WISE-UmU via a generous research grant from the Kempe Foundation.
Qualifications
To qualify as a postdoctoral scholarship holder, the postdoctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirements must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the decision about scholarship recipient.
Priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree prior to that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organizations, military service, or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area.
Doctoral degree should be within chemistry, or geochemistry, or the equivalent.
Additional requirements are:
Good oral and written proficiency in English is required.
Meriting criteria are:
Practical experience in nanomineral geochemistry, (vibrational, X-ray) spectroscopy, inorganic synthesis and advanced data evaluation (MATLAB, R, Python).
Experience in thermodynamic and/or molecular modelling (molecular dynamics or ab initio methods).
We are looking for candidates who have demonstrated abilities at thinking at the molecular level. You are a logical thinker, thorough in your duties, and able to complete tasks independently. The candidate must have the ability to collaborate in groups, and take all initiatives needed to pursue a 2-year project.
Application
A full application should include:
A cover letter summarizing your qualifications, your scientific interests, your motives for applying, and how you feel you meet the essential and meriting criteria (max 1 page),
Curriculum vitae (CV) with publication list,
Copy of doctoral degree certificate or documentation that clarifies when the degree of doctor is expected to be obtained,
Copies of other diplomas, list of completed academic courses and grades,
Copy of doctoral thesis and up to 5 relevant articles,
Other documents that the applicant wishes to claim.
Contact information to two persons willing to act as references.
Submit your application as a PDF marked with the reference number FS 2.1.6-811-24, both in the file name and in the subject field of the email, to medel@diarie.umu.se. The application should be written in English (preferably) or Swedish. The application deadline is 21 May 2024.
The project starts 1 September 2024 or according to agreement.
The Department of Chemistry is one of the largest departments within the Faculty of Science and Technology with approximately 200 employees and strong and expanding research. The Department has four major research areas: Biological Chemistry, IBEAM, Organic Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry. We are also a strong partner in the KBC, Chemical-Biological Center.
