Designation/Position- PhD student
Gothenburg Physics Centre, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden invites application for PhD stident position for candidates having master degree in Chemical Physics, material science, nanotechnology and energy research or relevant area.
About- Chalmers University of Technology conducts research and education in engineering sciences, architecture, technology-related mathematical sciences, natural and nautical sciences, working in close collaboration with industry and society. The strategy for scientific excellence focuses on our eight Areas of Advance; Building Futures, Energy, Information & Communication Technology, Life Science, Materials Science, Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Production and Transport. The aim is to make an active contribution to a sustainable future using the basic sciences as a foundation and innovation and entrepreneurship as the central driving forces. Chalmers has around 11,000 students and 3,000 employees.
Stimulated by major needs and challenges in science and a sustainable society, the ambition of the Department of Physics is to foster a creative environment for academic research, learning and outreach. We provide a competitive advantage by linking our top-level international and interdisciplinary academic performance in the areas of material science, nanotechnology and energy research with world-leading industrial R&D&I projects. We address a wide array of experimental, computational, methodological and theoretical challenges, from fundamental physics research, through the development of new materials such as graphene to direct industrial projects generating new inventions. We have a strong learning commitment on all levels from undergraduate to PhD studies where physics meet engineering.
The department is the major part of Gothenburg Physics Centre – a collaboration between four departments at Chalmers and Gothenburg University.
Location- Gothenburg Physics Centre, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Research/Job Area- Chemical Physics, material science, nanotechnology and energy research or relevant area
Eligibility/Qualification- Necessary qualifications for the position are:
(1) The candidate has to be able to work independently as well as in collaborations, locally at Chalmers and with other universities.
(2) Good skills in communicating scientific results in written and spoken English
To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a master’s level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field.
Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.
Job/Position Description- Fuel cells convert chemical energy stored in a fuel directly to electricity and can become key components of the future sustainable fossil-free energy system because of their high efficiency and low emissions. This project focuses on low temperature fuel cells for use in automotive, stationary, and portable applications.
The PhD project focuses on fabrication, characterization, and evaluation of well-defined model electrodes to study fuel cell catalyst materials. The successful candidate will use nanofabrication and thin film techniques in the MC2 clean room to fabricate samples and detailed physical characterization will be carried out. The PhD position is part of a larger national fuel cell project with academic partners at Lund University and KTH in Stockholm and several industrial partners. The work at Chalmers will be conducted in close collaboration with the group of Applied Electrochemistry at KTH.
The main theme at Chemical Physics is the development of sustainable energy systems by using heterogeneous catalysis for alternative fuel production, emission control, energy storage, and fuel cells. The research is interdisciplinary with strong connections between fundamental and applied sience. Chemical Physics is a dynamic and international environment that strives for scientific excellence through teamwork and joint experimental and theoretical efforts. The activity within heterogeneous catalysis is a part of the national Competence Centre for Catalysis at Chalmers.
The experimental activities at Chemical Physics focus on nanofabrication of well-defined materials, physical characterization using a range of microscopy and spectroscopy techniques such as SEM, TEM, AFM, XPS, XRD, EDX etc., and measurements of chemical reactions with high precision. Our goal is to bridge both length and time scales to understand reactions at an atomic level. Close collaboration with theoretical efforts within the group enables us to unravel fundamental reaction mechanisms and processes.
Major responsibilities
Your major responsibility as PhD student is to perform research within the project at Chemical Physics. Collaboration with theoretical and experimental efforts in the Chemical Physics group at Chalmers and the Applied Electrochemistry group at KTH is also included in the position. The position is meritorious for future research duties within academia as well as industry and the public sector.
Your major responsibilities are to pursue your own doctoral studies. You are expected to develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing, both in Swedish and in English. The position generally also includes teaching on Chalmers’ undergraduate level or performing other duties corresponding to 20 per cent of working hours.
Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.
How to Apply- The application should be marked with Ref 20180352 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:
CV: (Please name the document: CV, Family name, Ref. number)
• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust.
• Two references that we can contact.
Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
• 1-3 pages where you introduce yourself and present your qualifications.
• Previous research fields and main research results.
• Future goals and research focus. Are there any specific projects and research issues you are primarily interested in?
Other documents:
• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis.
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, eg. TOEFL test results.
Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. The files may be compressed (zipped).
For Contact- Dr. Björn Wickman, Chemical Physics, bjorn.wickman@chalmers.se, 031 772 5179
