Multiple Postdoctoral Positions in Computational Catalysis at the University of Calgary

In 2016, the University of Calgary was awarded $75 million, over seven years, from the Canada
First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) for its initiative entitled: “Global Research Initiative in Sustainable Low Carbon Unconventional Resources”. The goal of this research is to dramatically reduce the impact of energy extraction and energy use on the environment.
As part of the implementation of its GRI scientific strategy and to improve hydrocarbon recovery,
while reducing emissions and energy intensity, Dr. Siahrostami (Computational Catalysis for Clean Energy, ComCat Lab) is looking to fill multiple postdoctoral positions to apply and develop the state-of-the-art electronic structure simulation tools and analysis to understand, design and discover materials for catalyzing (electro)chemical reactions such as oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, CO2 reduction reaction, electrochemical synthesis of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia synthesis via nitrate reaction, which are all important reactions for application in renewable energy technologies and environmental protection.We seek applications from qualified and motivated scientists with a passion for clean energy and interdisciplinary research. Successful candidates will be required to work within a team environment and so excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a diverse group of interdisciplinary researchers is a must.

Qualifications:
1. A Ph.D degree in Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science or related
fields.

2. Proficient experience in computational chemistry/physics and density functional theory
(DFT) calculations packages such as VASP, Quantum Esspresso.

3. Good communication and written skills, ability to work independently and in a team environment, and strong interest in computational catalysis are essential. Postdoctoral position offers a stipend of $55,000 CAD/year for 2 years, plus benefits, travel and computer allowance, and operating budgets. Postdoctoral fellow will be expected to apply for major funding opportunities they are eligible for (e.g. NSERC, Killam, AITF, Banting).

Application details:
Applications should consist of a current CV, a list of 2-3 referees with contact information and a
cover letter indicating your motivation, area of interest, as well as your availability. Documents
should be emailed in a single PDF file to Dr. Samira Siahrostami at
[email protected]. The positions are available immediately and the search will continue until the team is assembled.

In assembling the CFREF research teams, aggressive diversity and equity targets are in place
and so applications from under-represented groups are especially encouraged.

To be eligible as a Postdoctoral scholar at the University of Calgary, the candidate must have been
awarded a PhD or equivalent within the five (5) years immediately preceding the appointment.
Please review the Eligibility page (https://research.ucalgary.ca/postdocs#eligibility) for more information prior to applying for this position. For more information about Dr. Siahrostami’s research and upcoming available positions visit ComCat lab (https://www.siahrostamilab.com/).