RESEARCH FELLOW IN AUTOMATED SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERISATION OF POLYMERS

A Research Fellow position is available in the group of Professor A. I. Cooper FRS to work in a team of scientists funded by the E.P.S.R.C. Prosperity Partnership ‘Cleaner Futures (Next-Generation Sustainable Materials for Consumer Products)’. The part of the project led by Prof. Cooper will focus on two key objectives: 1) development of automated and robot-assisted methods for polymer synthesis, reaction monitoring and evaluation of physicochemical properties (e.g. biodegradability and solubility) of polymers.

2) To apply model-driven automation to polymer synthesis and properties characterisation platforms.

We seek a Research Fellow to lead the automated synthesis and characterisation of novel biodegradable polymers. You will have a key role in developing automated methodologies for polymer chemistry and will work closely with roboticists and engineers in the Cooper group and other collaborators. The aim is to use automation to accelerate materials discovery and where possible to free up researcher time.

You should have a PhD in relevant field (Chemistry, Materials Science, etc.), expertise in polymer or materials chemistry is essential and any automation/high-through put experience would be advantageous.

This new partnership will address how to achieve the UK Government's 2019 target of Net-Zero by 2050, through disruptive innovation in the current chemical supply chain. The project will deliver a wide range of outcomes and impacts including new scientific platforms for designing and inventing renewable and bio-degradable materials, and new routes to make these materials. We will exploit unique high-throughput robotic synthesis capabilities, coupled with optimisation algorithms. You will have the opportunity to work with unique robotic platforms and to gain experience that could help to launch a career either in academia or in industry.

Any applicants who are still awaiting their PhD to be awarded should be aware that if successful, they will be appointed at grade 6, spine point 30. Upon written confirmation that they have been successful in being awarded their PhD, they will be moved onto grade 7, spine point 31 from the date of their award.

The University has the right to close the vacancy early if it is deemed that there have been enough applications received.