Postdoc candidates interested in MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship - Innovation in Materials

The “Innovation, Modeling & Engineering in Materials” (IMEM) group (@imem_group) are looking for highly talented researchers who wish to apply for a EU Marie Sklodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship in the forthcoming call to advance our research in the general area of (bio)polymer science.

The group has a strong focus on macromolecular chemistry, (bio)polymeric and hybrid materials, and computer science applied to energy, biotechnology, nanoengineering and corrosion. Other research lines include the development of click chemistries for polymer functionalisation, derivation of novel materials from renewable resources, synthesis and characterisation of novel hydrogels and degradable elastomers, and 3D printing of tissue engineering scaffolds. Also, a recent project deals with the design of bioinspired implantable sensors for pressure, temperature and acidity composed of natural molecules and synthetic biopolymers, with the additional properties of being fully biocompatible and bioresorbable.

Researchers with a good scientific background and a project in mind, as well as proven track record in the area of research outlined above, are encouraged to contact our team. We will work in tandem with the selected candidates in the preparation of their candidature in order to submit a successful application to this competitive programme.

Positon details

- Full-time contract with a gross salary of about 3.300€/month (14 payments per year, i.e. 46.200€ annual gross salary). It includes medical care coverage and work accident insurance through the Spanish Health System, as well as pension and unemployment benefits.

- Structural funding for R&D activities of approx. 30.000€/year.

- The feedback from the call is expected in early 2022 and, if successful, the estimated starting date will be April-May of 2022.

Eligibility criteria

- Research area: the candidate should have completed an experimental PhD in chemistry, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering or pharmacy and have strong leadership and communication skills. Synthetic experience that includes working a range of chemical synthesis methods, as well as experience with the analysis of polymers and materials, is required. Expertise on NMR, IR and chromatography, as well as material properties characterization by rheology, uniaxial tensile testing and thermal techniques such as DSC, DMA and TGA and ideally particle sizing such as DLS, TEM and AFM, are desirable.

- Geographic mobility: at the date of the call deadline, not have been working in Spain for more than 12 of the last 36 months. Candidates of all nationalities are eligible.

- Other: Scientific leadership; Highly motivated candidates with an excellent scientific track-record; Fluent English is essential; The ideal candidate will be organized, hard-working and have the ability to work in a team and interdisciplinary environment; Good communication skills.

We are located at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (https://www.upc.edu/en) - Chemical Engineering Department - Barcelona East School of Engineering (https://eebe.upc.edu/en?set_language=en). The host institution has substantial experience of managing projects funded by international institutions.

IMEM is an interdisciplinary research team which provides a stimulating and cutting-edge scientific environment, where the candidate will be able to develop their scientific career in an international team, with the highest standard infrastructure and facilities to support the technical and administrative needs of the project. IMEM’s group is well-equipped with high-tech laboratories for polymer synthesis, characterization and applications of them to several fields (biology, chemical engineering, corrosion and computational modelling).

How to apply:

Prepare your profile and provide the following documentation (in English) in one PDF file alone with the following documents:

- A motivation letter, outlining the 5 most relevant research results (1-page).

- Brief 1-page proposal describing your future research project.

- A complete academic CV, including personal contact information.

- At least two/three reference contacts of scientists to who we can ask for references.

- Any additional files/Information considered relevant to the application

Submit your application packed in one PDF file to the contact e-mail: m.mar.perez@upc.edu.

Deadline of the pre-selection process: candidatures will be evaluated regularly until a suitable candidate is selected. Please submit your application by 20th August 2021.

Informal enquiries about this call or the application process can be made to Dr. Maria M. Pérez-Madrigal (m.mar.perez@upc.edu).