Two PhD positions are available in the group of Prof. Philippe Sautet at UCLA (Los Angeles) in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, in the field of computational surface science and catalysis.

The studentships will commence on the 1^st of September 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The research areas are within the domain of the computational modeling of surfaces, clusters and nanomaterials for energy storage and catalysis. One subject concerns the computational modeling of catalytic reactions on realistic models of heterogeneous catalysts. The second one deals with the modeling of electrochemical processes at interfaces, in the domain of supercapacitors for electricity storage. Both studies will be in close contact with top class experimental groups on these systems.

Applicants should have, or expect to obtain, a degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a closely related discipline. They should have a strong motivation for computational chemistry and a general knowledge in physical chemistry and theoretical chemistry. A practical experience in computational chemistry would be appreciated but is not mandatory. The proposed PhD training is an excellent opportunity to learn a range of cutting edge methods in computational chemistry and apply them to topics of high application interest.

The studentship will cover tuition fees plus a stipend.

Applications will be evaluated on an ongoing basis until the position is filled and therefore applicants should apply as soon as possible.

Interested applicants should send a brief cover letter outlining their motivation and experience for the position, as well as their curriculum vitae and the contact details of at least 2 academic references to Prof. Philippe Sautet ([email protected]).