Postdoctoral Research Associate - Ames National Laboratory

Position Title:

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Ames National Laboratory

Appointment Type:

Post Doc/Trainee

Job Description:

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:

 

Would you like to work for a National Laboratory that conducts world-renowned research? Would you enjoy working on a diverse, beautiful, university campus? Can you imagine yourself in a mid-sized location that regularly ranks as one of the U.S. Best Places to Live? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider a career with Ames National Laboratory!

Ames Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy federally contracted National Laboratory located in Ames, Iowa, on the campus of Iowa State University. We are dedicated to translating foundational science through applied research to create technological innovations. We create materials, inspire minds to solve problems, and address some of the most challenging issues facing our world today. We promote and believe in a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, civility, and shared ownership in support of the Laboratory's collective success.

The Division of Chemical & Biological Sciences 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 Ames National 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 using both in and ex situ magic-angle spinning NMR spectroscopy.

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 and will soon install a second MAS-DNP spectrometer with a magnetic field strength of 14.1 T. 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. 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:

November 1, 2024

Proposed End Date or Length of Term:

October 31, 2025

Number of Months Employed Per Year:

12 Month Work Period

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.

Why Choose ISU?

Iowa State Postdocs enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:
• Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined co