Professors M.C. Pujol and J. J. Carvajal, established at the Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry, in the Faculty of Chemistry (Tarragona, Spain), are interested in receiving Expressions of Interest of potential candidates for the Marie Sklodowska – Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA-PF-2022) call. Selected candidates will receive dedicated support from our group to write a successful proposal.

The overarching goal of our group is to synthesize and characterize novel luminescent carbon-based nanosensors, using as physical working principle the dependence of the luminescence of these nanoparticles as a function of temperature, pressure and pH. These nanosensors, based on carbon quantum dots, will be synthesize from lignin, as it constitutes the major biomass waste, being their fabrication a sustainable approach, and they will be designed to be used in the synthesis of fuels through green chemistry catalytic procedures.

Our research consists of 4 pillars:

• Synthesis of novel carbon quantum dots using sustainable novel synthetic routes
• Material science characterization of the structural and physical characteristics of the novel carbon quantum dots
• UV-Vis spectroscopy for the characterization of the physical working principle of the contactless luminescent nanosensors.
• In-situ application of the carbon quantum dot nanosensors in green chemistry catalytically reactions for the production of fuels and fuel additives with high added value from biomass wastes.

For the Marie Curie PD call of 2022, we are looking for postdoc(s) with experience in:

• Nanomaterial synthesis and material science characterization
• UV-VIS spectroscopic techniques; optical lab measurement experience
• Physical, chemical and/or material Science background

We are looking for talented and innovative young scientists, strongly committed to high quality frontier research and able to add new insights to the existing URV core expertise. Only candidates with an outstanding record of research achievements and publications in top-quality journals will be considered.

URV as Hosting Institution located at Scientific Campus of Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona, Spain), has all the technical and scientific facilities for carry out this project.

Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) is well positioned both nationally and internationally due to the Excellence of its research and the commitment and internationally recognised staff. URV is made up of 12 Faculties and Schools, with 24 Departments, which welcome annually 11.400 undergraduate, 1.500 master and 1.200 PhD students (20% of them full time employees). In 2019, it was named World’s 78th Best Young University aged less than 50 years and 401-500 Best University in the World (by Times Higher Education World University Rankings), and 501-600 by Academic Ranking of world Universities. Being the within the top 10% universities in number and impact of its publications is a clear measure of the quality of the research we can offer to the future MSCA-PF fellows.

Testament to the quality of its research is the fact that URV is host for around 100 MSCA fellows, in different programmes (COFUND, ITN, IF), displaying a strong bond to the principles of the MSCA programme.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

At the deadline for the submission of the proposals (14/09/2022), researchers:

• Experienced Researchers: In possession of doctoral degree. At the call deadline, supported researchers must have a maximum of 8 years fulltime equivalent experience in research, measured from the date that the researcher was in a possession of a doctoral degree and certified by appropriate documents.
• Nationality: Any.
• Mobility: The researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host organization for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline for submission of proposals (a relaxed rule for CAR and RI).
• Resubmissions: Proposals involving the same recruiting organisation (and for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships also the associated partner hosting the outgoing phase) and individual researcher submitted to the previous call of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships under Horizon Europe and having received a score of less than 70% should not be resubmitted the following year.
• Must be fluent in English (both written and spoken).

SELECTION PROCESS

Researchers willing to apply should check that they fulfil the eligibility criteria and then send an expression of interest, consisting of:

• A Curriculum Vitae
• A summary presentation of their research proposal / A motivation letter

Expressions of interest must be submitted to uspir@urv.cat (Title of the e-mail “URV - MSCA-2022-PF Prof. Pujol-Carvajal”).

Proposals will be pre-selected on the basis of internal evaluation. Candidates will be informed of the results of the pre-selection a week after the deadline.