The "Unité Matériaux Et Transformations" (Lille, France) is seeking a highly motivated and talented researcher interested in applying for two complementary positions: (1) Permanent position as CNRS researcher (Average entry age=30 years old and approx. 4 years of postdoctoral experience) and (2) Postdoctoral Fellowship funded by the EU MSCA program.

About the research Developing novel types of technology based on innovative materials requires a deep understanding of the underlying mechanisms that occur during their formation. In this research area, numerical simulations should have been an ideal complementary tool to observe and study structural phase changes with the atomic precision. However, because of numerous technical challenges, the traditional simulation methods have not yet fully contributed to applications in material science. In this context, our group aims at establishing innovative simulation strategies to probe phase transitions at the atomistic level.

So far, the group has been interested in the formation mechanisms of materials with particular emphasis on nanoparticles in the gas phase. Our expertise includes machine-learning force fields, free energy sampling methods and crystallization simulations. For this project, we are looking for innovative research ideas and profiles that could complement our current skill-set. We are open for instance to expertise in (1) Experimental synthesis of nanoparticles, (2) Simulation of organic based materials and (3) Modelling of surface and interface chemistry.

Description of the host institution The UMET was created in 2010 and currently brings together chemists, physicochemists, physicists, process specialists, and engineers in materials from CNRS, INRAe, the University of Lille and Centrale Lille. Composed of around 250 researchers and support staff, it is today one of the significant materials research centers in France.

The research activities of UMET cover most research topics related to material science, including the synthesis/functionalization/processing/recycling of materials, the investigation of their deformations and transformations under extreme conditions (typically ultra-high pressure and/or temperature) or environmental changes, their characterization at different length scale, the study of their microstructure-property relationships, and their multi-scale modeling/simulation. Our scientific compass is to provide a fundamental understanding of the structure and properties of materials to potentially enable the development of new advanced materials for direct application with industrial partners. Areas of study include materials for mechanical use, therapeutic materials, smart materials, food and biomaterials, fire-resistant materials, and understanding the behavior of minerals in the earth's mantle or extraterrestrial environments. UMET research is undoubtedly oriented towards the international sphere with 4 ERC Advanced grants, more than 10 formalized international collaborations, and 40 PhD students/postdocs of foreign origin.

Who can apply? This call is intended for outstanding researchers from anywhere in the world that have at least a doctoral degree at the call deadline and a maximum of 8 years full-time research experience since PhD defense. The MSCA call requires geographic mobility: at the date of the call deadline, the candidates must not have been working in France for more than 12 in the last 36 months.

Applications If you are interested in developing such a proposal with us, email your CV, a motivational letter and one-page outline of your research idea as early as possible ([email protected]). The deadline for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship application is the 13th September, 2023 and for the CNRS is January 2024. Following this, excellent candidates will be invited for a one-week meet-up and master class with the hosting supervisors to prepare both applications.