Open Post-Doctoral Position in Designing CO2 Photocapture Materials via Advanced Computational Techniques

INRS.CA

INRS-EMT, Varennes, Québec (Canada)

Your mission:
The Insilco Matters Laboratory (http://www.insilicomatters.com) at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) focuses on designing advanced materials and providing unprecedented understanding of materials and chemical processes from nano to electronic scales under various conditions. IML specializes in advanced computational tools in designing novel materials for various energy and environmental applications including fuel cells, catalysis, and CO2 capture technologies.

The successful applicant will work on an exciting research project that has the potential to push sustainable energy technologies beyond their current limits. The core mission of this interdisciplinary project is to make significant strides in creating highly selective, efficient, and affordable adsorbent capable of capturing CO2 directly from air. To achieve this overarching goal the candidate will mainly focus on identifying the potential of bimetallic alloys for CO2 capture via Density Functional Theory (DFT), Time-Dependent DFT (TDDFT), and Machine Learning (ML). The candidate will uncover the intricate correlation between molecular adsorption energies and the electronic properties of bimetallic surfaces. Leveraging the computational analysis and insights obtained via experimental studies, conducted by the collaborators of this project, the candidate will
propose bimetallic catalysts with high selectivity for CO2 adsorption, surpassing the adsorption preferences of other molecules (N2, H2, H2O, O2, etc.) present in the air. Beside achieving the objectives of this research, the candidate is expected to prepare verbal and written communications to present obtained results to scientific community as well as coordinate the project among collaborators based in various Canadian universities.

Required qualifications:
• PhD degree in physics, chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, or in closely related fields
• background in quantum mechanics based computational techniques
• experience with using machine learning for predicting material properties.
• hands-on experience with common solid-state computational chemistry codes like VASP, Quantum Espresso, Turbomole, etc. and machine learning environments like PyTorch.
• hands-on experience with data generation and management
• experience with high-throughput calculations
• a strong grasp of fundamental properties of transition metal alloys

• experience with high-performance computing
• excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• self-motivated and independent
• willing to work collaboratively

Your desired qualifications:
• experience with molecular dynamics calculations

What we offer:
INRS is a graduate-level university active in fundamental and applied research. It brings together 150 professors and nearly 800 graduate-level students and post-doctoral fellows in four centers located in Quebec City, Montréal, Varennes, and Laval. It is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in Canada in terms of research intensity (grants per professor) and offers a stimulating and supportive work environment provided by a tight-knit community of experts in their respective domains.

The salary offered is $53,000 (CAD) per year gross. The employment contract is for one year and is renewable. The position is available immediately and will remain open until a suitable candidate is hired. The position is based at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique – Centre Énergie, Matériaux and Télécommunications (INRS-EMT) in Varennes, near Montreal.

The work environment is bilingual (English and French).

How to apply:
Interested candidates should send a CV, including a detailed list of research publications, a cover letter clearly stating their interest and relevant research experience with the proposed topics, as well as the name and contact information of three references to:

Professor Kulbir Ghuman
Institut national de la recherche scientifique
Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications
1650, boulevard Lionel-Boulet
Varennes (Québec) J3X 1P7 CANADA
[email protected]

Please mention if you are an international or a domestic (Canadian citizen/permanent
resident) candidate. The IML laboratories value diversity and promote a research
environment where individual differences are recognized, appreciated, respected, and
valued.

All qualified individuals are invited to apply, particularly members of visible and
ethnic minorities, women, Indigenous people, and people with disabilities.