Noticeboard
Postings for employment and research opportunities at soft matter research insitutions around the world.
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For more information on individual groups see the Soft Matter World Network or click on an option below for current postings:
To have your posting included on the Noticeboard, please contact the editor.
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Opportunities for high school students
AR (Apprentice Researchers) at UCSB.
A program for California High-school students currently enrolled as juniors (11th grade) who have completed two years of high-school science by the end of this school year. At least one of these courses must be chemistry or physics. Students must also be living in Santa Barbara or Ventura counties during the summer with family or guardians.
Opportunities for undergraduates
Summer Internships at Fom Institute Amolf, Amsterdam
Openings for 4th year undergraduate students to work alongside graduate researchers at the Fom Institute Amolf are open for application in the Scheffold group. The research projects are.
- Reversibility and structural memory of collagen networks
- Using optical tweezers to measure the elasticity of single fibers within biopolymer gels
- Building artificial cells in microfabricated chambers
- Cell-matrix interactions on micropatterned substrates
To apply or read more visit the Fom Institute Amolf website.
Undergraduate Summer Research Opportunities at the University of Fribourg, Frank Scheffold Group
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Superresolution Imaging of Nanoparticles
Stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STROM) or photoactivated localization microsocopy (PALM) is a statistical approach to nanoparticle imaging where only a subset of fluorophores are switched on at a given time. The aim of this master project is to study hierarchical internal structures of soft colloids. Here we plan to implement Stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STROM) or photoactivated localization microsocopy (PALM) methods which provide the best resolution to date. The experiments shall be carried out using a state of the art microscopy workstation recently acquired by the group. -
Optical Tweezer and Particle Tracking
Recently the Scheffold Group has found evidence that a simple microstructural model, namely a polymer brush-like corona covering a densely crosslinked core, captures the essential physics of interactions in these very interesting nanomaterials. They now plan to measure directly the soft elastic interactions of temperature sensitive microgel particles using two optical tweezers.
Visit the Scheffold group website for more information.
Yale BioSTEP Research for Undergraduates
(Biomedical Science Training and Enrichment Program) provides intensive, short-term summer research training for undergraduates, especially students from groups underrepresented in biomedical sciences at research-intensive universities.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) REU Program.
During the summer of 2009, the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network will host a Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (NNIN REU) from June through August. They are looking for engineering and science students with broad interests across disciplines focusing on nanotechnology. Minority and female candidates are especially encouraged to apply.
Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE)
Science and engineering students acquire research experience in a variety of exciting fields through these internships. Interns meet regularly to share their experiences and report on their progress. Interns often present at conferences such as at the annual Southern California Conference on Undergraduate Research. Application deadline is February 20th, 2009.
2010 Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program (American Association of Physicists in Medicine)
The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program is pleased to announce the availability of its Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program for 2009. The program is designed to provide opportunities for undergraduate university students to gain experience in medical physics by performing research in a medical physics laboratory or assisting with clinical service at a clinical facility. In this program, the AAPM serves as a clearinghouse to match exceptional students with exceptional medical physicists, many of whom are faculty at leading research centers. Students are selected for the program on a competitive basis to be an AAPM summer fellow. Each summer fellow receives a stipend from the AAPM. Application deadline is February 2nd, 2009. The fellowship will be for a period of 10 weeks during the summer academic period (May 1 to September 30), which is mutually suitable to the mentor and fellow.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (NIST)
Students and schools are invited to participate in the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Gaithersburg, MD Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program for students majoring in science, mathematics and engineering. Note that applications for participation in the SURF program are only accepted from colleges or universities, and not from individual students.
Research Experience for Undergraduates Program
The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects designed especially for the purpose. These awards are funded through the National Science Foundation. Award amounts vary by location. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. Undergraduate student participants at REU Sites must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions.
DAAD Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE)
RISE gives students in the fields of biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, and physics the chance to spend a summer working on important research projects. All participants receive stipends from DAAD, and partner universities and research institutions provide housing assistance. DAAD will provide a monthly scholarship of € 615 for a period of 6 weeks to 3 months between June and August 2005. The award also includes health insurance, as well as an accident and personal/private liability insurance. The host institution will support the search for reasonably-priced housing for the duration of the internship.
Opportunities for graduate students
Position in Montpellier France: Fracture Mechanisms in Complex Fluids
Based out of the Laboratoire des Colloides, Verres, Nanomatériaux this is a 3 year PhD studentship (1677 to 2014 €/month) to begin in Fall 2010. It is under the supervision of Prof. Christian Ligoure, Dr. Laurence Ramos and Dr. Serge Mora.
One of the major goals of the soft matter team is to investigate the mechanisms of fracture in complex fluids, In particular the project aims to investigate; at the nanoscopic and mesosopic scales : the transition from a brittle to a ductile behaviour from the measurement of the coupling between the structural changes under shear and the non linear mechanical response of model transient networks by combining small angle scattering experiments (X-ray, Light and neutron) and rheology.
- At the macroscopic scale : Visualisation and description of various modes of fracture propagation. We will be particularly interested to the impact of droplet of a physical gel on an hydrophobic surface (breaking versus spreading) competition between spreading and breaking of a gel on a deformable support ( fast video recording an image analysis.
- The methodological tools that could be proposed to quantify the concepts of rheoductility
To learn more or apply visit SoftComp.
PhD Studentship in Self-Patterning Polyelctrolyte Multilayers: CNRS
The CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France) is looking for a good candidate for a PhD project to be carried out in a tight collaboration between two academic groups working in the field of soft nanomaterials: G. Decher (CNRS, Institut Charles Sadron) and V. Ball (INSERM, UMR 977). Both institutes are part of the University of Strasbourg (Strasbourg, France) at which the candidate will be inscribed for carrying out his/her doctoral studies.
The goal of this PhD work is to expand on previous research and in particular to understand the interaction between different polyelectrolytes. These interactions will be studied in solution (polyelectrolyte complexes) with techniques such as osmometry, quasi-elastic light scattering, 31P nuclear magnetic resonance and neutron reflectometry. Other studies will be carried out at solid-liquid interface. The work will be done in collaboration between UMR 977 from l’INSERM and the team of Prof. G. Decher at CNRS-lnstitut Charles Sadron.
They are looking for a highly motivated candidate having a masters degree for example in chemistry, chemical engineering or materials science. The thesis work will cover the preparation and physicochemical characterization of soft nanomaterials. The successful candidate will be part of a team of several students and postdoctoral fellows working on different aspects of this project. The candidate should be ready to integrate in a multinational team and must be fluent in English or French (written and spoken). To apply or read more visit the posting at Institut Charles Sadron.
PhD Position at The Fom Institute Amolf, Amsterdam in Principles of Cellular Mechanoresponsiveness
This project is part of a collaborative research program on Mechanobiology, funded by FOM. The goal of this project is to elucidate fundamental principles of force production and mechanosensing of cells in a three-dimensional (3D) tissue environment. Specifically, it will focus on two key questions:
- Which physical mechanisms enable cells to sense as well as influence the mechanical properties of their surrounding extracellular matrix?
- How do cells integrate the mechanical signals that they receive and transduce it into a physical or biological response?
In order to answer these questions the project aims to quantitatively measure forces generated by cells in model 3D matrices by traction force microscopy, using optical tweezers combined with confocal microscopy.
The successful candidate will have a MSc-degree in physics, chemistry, or materials science, ideally with experience in biophysics or physics of cells. To learn more about the Biological Soft Matter group and its research visit the website.
Opportunities for postdoctoral researchers
Post-doc vacancy - Yamagata University,Yonezawa, Japan
The Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, Yonezawa, Japan has an immediate opening for a postdoctoral position. The successful candidate will join a modelling/theoretical research program in the area of soft matter science/complex fluids/polymer physics with a focus on flow phenomena. Within the framework of the research program and subject to frequent discussions, the candidate will have significant freedom regarding both the choice of research problem(s) and the direction of research. The candidate will have the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of modelling, theoretical and experimental research groups at Yonezawa and elsewhere. Communication of results through publications and presentations at conferences is an important component of the work.
Ideally, the candidate will have Ph. D in engineering, physics, chemistry or a related discipline with expertise in soft condensed matter, complex fluids, polymer physics or statistical mechanics. Simulation experience is preferred, but not necessary. Annual salary is approximately 3,500,000 - 4,000,000 Japanese yen.
The initial contract is for a period of one year with possibility of extension for additional year(s). The starting date is somewhat flexible but within the next few months. A late summer/autumn start would be preferable. Applications will be considered until the position is filled.
Further details and the application procedure can be found here For informal enquiries please feel free to contact Sathish K. Sukumaran (email address can be found in the pdf file at the link provided above).
Fom Institute Amolf: Postdoc Rheology of Cell-Inspired Polymer Networks Cross Linked by DNA Research
This postdoctoral project asks: what are the implications of the architecture of the cytoskeleton for the design of novel materials? To address this question, cell-inspired protein networks whose macroscopic viscoelastic properties are programmed on the molecular level by DNA-based cross links will be created. The system will consist of actin filaments grafted with single-stranded DNA molecules that form cross links by specific base-pairing. The well-defined thermodynamics of DNA hybridization and well-known force-extension behaviour of DNA duplexes will facilitate a direct comparison of experiments with new theoretical and numerical models that will be developed in parallel. The research willl obtain new insights into the origins of cellular elasticity while at the same time learning how to construct smart, cell-inspired materials.
Two full-time postdoc positions are open: an experimentalist who will work in the group of Gijsje Koenderink at AMOLF and a theoretician who will work with Fred MacKintosh at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The position is intended as full-time (38 hrs / week, 12 months / year) appointment in the service of Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) for the duration of 2.5 years. To learn more visit the website.
ER ITN Multiflow: Molecular Dynamics simulation of polymer droplets on
surfaces
This postdoctoral fellowship is funded within the Marie-Curie ITN Multiflow. The aim of the project consists in developing multi-scale methods for studying the spreading and dewetting of polymer liquids on various substrates. Mostly molecular dynamics simulations of coarse-grained polymer models will be employed and the information extracted from the particle-based description will provide microscopic information for a
continuum modeling. Computational schemes for coupling the particle-based simulations to a continuum description shall be explored. There will be ample opportunity to interact with other researchers at the University of Göttingen and the Network Multiflow.
Ideal candidates should have obtained a Ph.D in physics, chemical engineering or chemistry, have strong background in statistical physics, and have significant experience in molecular simulations or continuum modeling of fluid flow. Interested candidates shall send a CV, publication list, a brief statement of research interests (2 pages), and provide contact information (e-mail and phone) for at least two references to the address below.
Prof. Dr. Marcus Müller
Institut für Theoretische Physik
Georg-August-Universität
Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1
D 37077 Göttingen
Germany
Tel.: 49 551 3913888
Fax.: 49 551 399631
Email.: mmueller@theorie.physik.uni-goettingen.de
Opportunities for faculty
Endowed Senior Faculty Position in the field of Advanced Materials and Surface Science at Kent State University
In a major joint venture, Kent State University, Case Western Reserve University, and Youngstown State University have received a multimillion dollar award from the State of Ohio to establish a Research Cluster on Surfaces in Advanced Materials in collaboration with industrial partners: Alpha Micron, Inc., CoAdna Photonics, Inc., Cleveland Botanical Garden, Kent Displays, Inc., Kent Optronics, Inc., and LXD, Inc. The Research Cluster will invest aggressively in senior research talent and related facilities and equipment. As a part of this program, Kent State University has been awarded an endowed senior faculty position for an Ohio Research Scholar in the Liquid Crystal Institute, specializing in the area of soft materials and soft matter interfaces. The Liquid Crystal Institute is a leader in basic and applied liquid crystal science, with a broad range of research activities, partnerships with academic and industrial centers, exemplary facilities, and a vibrant scientific atmosphere. Further information is available on the website.
Responsibilities include conducting a vigorous program of innovative and funded research, collaborating with academic and industrial partners, supervising graduate students, and teaching. The Ohio Research Scholar will be considered for tenure in Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, or departments of Chemistry, Physics, or Biological Sciences, depending on the background. Qualification: PhD in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, or related field required. Applicants must also have an established record of outstanding scholarly research and the ability to secure extramural funding. Application Deadline: Open until filled.
For a complete description of the position and to apply online, visit the KSU jobsite, http://jobs.kent.edu and complete an academic data form for the position number 990952. In addition, please attach a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three professional references or mail to: Oleg D. Lavrentovich, Director, Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, PO Box 5190 Kent OH 44242-0001 USA.
Assistant or Associate Professor - Scattering in Soft Matter/Biophysics Tenure Track University of Houston
Founded in 1927, the University of Houston is the leading public research university in the vibrant international city of Houston. Each year, we educate more than 36,000 students in more than 300 undergraduate and graduate academic programs, on campus and online. UH awards more than 6,500 degrees annually, with nearly 200,000 alumni.
The Department of Physics at the University of Houston seeks applicants for a Tenure Track Faculty position in Scattering in soft matter/biophysics. The position is at the Assistant Professor level, but suitably qualified applicants will be considered at an Associate Professor level.
The successful candidate will be expected to pursue a vigorous, Federally funded research program that entails the use of national and international scattering (X-ray and neutron) centers as well as extensive in-house X-ray facilities. Application Deadline is August 6th, 2010. Read more at the website.
The University of Houston is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Research Scientist/Senior Research Scientist at LUBRIZOL
The Lubrizol Corporation is an innovative specialty chemical company that produces and supplies technologies that improve the quality and performance of our customers’ products in the global transportation, industrial, and consumer markets. A Fortune 500 company and eight-time winner of the NorthCoast 99 Award, honoring great workplaces for top talent in Northeast Ohio. In 2009, they were named one of the greenest companies in America by Newsweek and Company of the Year by Chemical and Engineering News. Lubrizol consistently recruits the best and brightest.
There currently is an opening for a Research Scientist specializing in polymer physics in the Noveon Consumer Specialties business unit. The position is aimed at investigating the interaction of surfactants and polymers while working closely with the synthesis group to create a new class of proprietary materials. Sucessful candidates should have:
- PhD in physical chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science or physics
- Strong background in research of colloidal phenomena, polymer science, and the physics and chemistry of interfaces
- Ability to interpret and translate experimental results
- Self-starter and highly motivated towards goals and achievements
- Strong interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills
- Exhibit excellent organization and planning skills; manage time effectively
- Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office
Experience in rheology and scattering methods for characterizing complex fluids or soft matter, characterization of liquid-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces, characterization of emulsions and familiarity with polymer synthesis methods are all considered a plus. To Read more or apply visit the website.
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