Postdoc Positions at The Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry

 

The Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB) in Martinsried, Munich is one of the leading international research institutions in the fields of biochemistry, cell and structural biology and biomedical research. With about 30 scientific departments and research groups and about 800 employees, the MPIB is one of the largest institutes of the Max Planck Society.

Postdoc Positions (f/m/d) are available in the Department of Cell and Virus Structure to work with Dr John Briggs.

1. Computational methods for cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging

Projects are available to develop a theoretical and practical framework to understand how to collect optimized cryo-electron tomography data; and to further develop an image-processing toolbox for subtomogram averaging in collaboration with the group of Sjors Scheres. You should have a PhD in a relevant subject (physics, computational sciences, biophysics or similar) and a strong interest in the theory and methods of cryo-electron microscopy and image processing. Experience in computer programming is required.

2. Structural studies of enveloped viruses

Projects are available addressing the structure and the assembly mechanisms of enveloped viruses including influenza A, HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, primarily by applying cryo-electron microscopy and tomography methods. You should have a PhD in a relevant subject (Biophysics, virology, computational sciences, structural biology or similar), relevant experience in virology and/or structural biology, and a strong interest in virus structure. Expertise in cryo-electron microscopy would be an advantage.

3. Mechanisms of membrane trafficking vesicle assembly

The research team have a long standing interest in the mechanisms of vesicle coats including COPI, COPII, clathrin/APs and retromer. Projects are available studying the structures, the assembly mechanisms, and the regulation of the protein coats of membrane trafficking vesicles, in collaboration with David Owen (CIMR, University of Cambridge). You will make use of biochemical techniques (protein production and characterisation, lipid work, in-vitro reconstitution etc) and structural techniques (primarily cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography, crystallography if appropriate). You should have a PhD in a relevant subject (biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology, structural biology or similar), relevant experience in biochemistry and/or structural biology, and a strong interest in cellular mechanisms and protein structure.

The initial contract will be for two years, with the possibility for extension.

The salary level will be according to TVöD (Bund) (public salary scale). The initial appointment for all positions are for two years with the possibility for extension.

The Max-Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.

For further information about the MPIB, please visit https://www.biochem.mpg.de/en . Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr. John Briggs (briggs@biochem.mpg.de).

Have we aroused your interest? Please submit your application documents (pdf-files) via our
online application website by 16. July, 2021.

Postdoctoral fellow position for advanced materials for soft robotics

 

Soft robotics is a relatively new subfield of robotics that deals with constructing robotic functions from compliant materials. Soft technologies and integrated soft systems can revolutionize the use of robotic devices, for instance in applications where elastic versatility and safe human/machine interactions are needed. It is predicted, and certainly has the potential, to lead to the development of radically new generations of machines. The examples are numerous. In the medical world, they will increasingly assist surgery, in-vivo therapeutic treatments or contribute to the rehabilitation of disabilities by exoskeletons. Soft robotic functions have the perspective to enhance the communication between man and machine or between machines mutually. We foresee that we can make materials that can feel, sense, behave and act as human skins, but with enhanced sensitivity and accuracy. They can be used as stand-alone and autonomous devices, but also be applied as coating or integrated with electronics or even with biological material to perform functions not accessible otherwise. And as a long-term perspective one can foresee the development of evolutionary self-developing soft robotics following nature’s approach to intelligent soft machines.

Projects description
In our research team we develop responsive materials that address the advancing needs in specialized medicine, man-machine communication and miniaturized mechanics. Smart soft materials are in potential capable to fill in gaps in present technologies and to generate new, specialized functions making use of their ability to adapt their shape, to comply to confined and sensible spaces and to provide their functional duty on location.

A key aspect of our projects is to translate molecular effects to macroscopic phenomena which, in turn translate into (robotic) devices. Consequently, the approach to successfully develop new robotic functions adapted to their field of application must be multidisciplinary, containing all the aspects from materials design/development, photonics, electronics and mechanics. In the material, the various molecular functions are brought together, and the soft robot is given a body, which can be as simple as a thin film actuator or coating, but also be complex consisting of a composite of materials in an accurate three-dimensional shape. It brings organic and inorganic materials together in hybrid materials, built around soft electronics.  More information can be found at www.danqingliu.nl.

Job requirements

We are looking for a talented, motivated and enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher who meet the following requirements:

• Background in chemical engineering, physics, mechanical engineering, materials science, electric engineering or bioengineering.
• Prior knowledge in soft matters, responsive materials and experience in microscopic techniques and device fabrication/ characterization are appreciated.
• Ability to independently work within a dynamic team and multidisciplinary research environment.
• Fluent in spoken and written English

Conditions of employment

• 
  
  A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for one year with possibility to extend another year or two.
• You will have free access to high-quality training programs on general skills, didactics and topics related to research and valorization.
• A gross monthly salary and benefits in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• A broad package of fringe benefits (including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes).
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Information and application

More information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact
dr. Danqing Liu, d.liu1[at]tue.nl

For information about terms of employment, click here or contact ms. P.J. van de Weijer,
HR-advisor, p.j.v.d.weijer[at]tue.nl

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the 'apply now'-button on this page.
The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of
  three references.
• List of five self-selected ‘best publications’.

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it. 
The selection of applicants and the job interviews will start immediately until we find a suitable candidate.

We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way. Please keep in mind you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each. If necessary please combine files.

For this vacancy we will recruit simultaneously both internal as external. In the case of equal suitability internal candidates take priority over external candidates.

An assessment can be part of the selection procedure. Acquisition as a result of this advertisement is not appreciated.

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Prestigious PhD Student Position in beyond-5G mm-Wave Antenna Systems

 

Our society is on the brink of a new age with the development of new visionary concepts such as internet of things, smart cities, autonomous driving and smart industries. This stimulates the use of the mm-wave frequencies up to 100 GHz to support much higher data rates and to increase the capacity of mobile wireless communication systems to enable future beyond-5G infrastructure. This requires new system concepts such as Distributed Massive Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (DM-MIMO) in which instead of a single base-station, the cell is covered by multiple remote antenna stations, all connected to a central unit. To overcome existing limitations, such as poor power efficiency and poor signal quality, MyWave focuses on an innovative antenna system concept utilizing both silicon and III-V semiconductor technologies, advanced signal processing concepts and radio-over-fibre interconnect between a central unit and the remote antenna stations.

MyWave establishes a unique and well-structured training network with leading R&D labs from European industries, universities and technology institutes in the domain of wireless infrastructure and a proven track-record in joint collaborations. The 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) will form a research team that is embedded in leading industrial and academic R&D labs. This will bridge the gap between the various disciplines by uniting their research efforts to solve the challenges. More information about open PhD project is provided in the appendix.

Training programme:
MyWave will provide the PhD students with a comprehensive set of theoretical and practical skills relevant for innovation and long-term employability in a rapidly growing sector. This highly innovative training will cover several inter-disciplinary areas as shown in the figure below. Each PhD student will be enrolled in a doctoral programme and is jointly supervised by supervisors from the academic and industry sector. Each PhD student will do a secondment of 18 months abroad at one of the industrial partners.

Job requirements

Applicants should have, or expect to receive, a Master of Science degree or equivalent in a relevant electrical engineering or applied physics discipline and should not have more than four years of research experience. In addition to the formal ESR qualifications, selection is also based on the performance of the candidates in other works (e.g. thesis and advanced level courses), as well as through interviews and assignments. Besides good subject knowledge, emphasis will be on creative thinking, motivation, ability to cooperate, initiative to work independently and personal suitability for research training. Previous experience in the area of antennas, electronics and signal processing as well as proficiency in using scientific and engineering software packages such as Matlab, ADS, etc. are advantageous. For the PhD positions the EU ‘Mobility rules’ apply. This means that candidate students cannot have resided for more than
12 months during the period of 3 years immediately before the start of the PhD, in the prospective host country (Example: a candidate student who has stayed in The Netherlands for more than 12 months in the last 3 years cannot be hired by the university in The Netherlands).

Conditions of employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (PROOF program).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called ‘30% facility’, which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Information and application

More information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact
prof. Bart Smolders (a.b.smolders[at]tue.nl), dr. Sander Bronckers (l.a.bronckers[at]tue.nl) and prof. Ulf Johannsen (u.johannsen[at]tue.nl).

For information about terms of employment, click here or contact HRServices.flux[at]tue.nl.

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the 'apply now'-button on this page.
The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of
  three references.
• Brief description of your MSc thesis.

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it.
Screening will continue until the position has been filled.

We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way.

Please keep in mind you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each. If necessary please combine files.

APPLY NOW

Assistant Professor Big Data and Transportation

 

We are on the verge of digital society which comes with the omni-presence of information and communication technology.  Modern communication technology also led to new platform economies. Platforms easily bring together different stakeholders in an integrated setting and assist in organizing business transactions. Car-sharing services are nowadays often based on a platform that keeps track of available cars and allows subscribers to make reservations and pay through traditional bank and credit card channels and modern equivalents such as PayPal, bitcoin, Apple pay, etc. Ride sharing services such as Uber are based on the same technology and business principle. The latest development in this context is the Mobility-as-a-Service concept, in which subscribers can use different transportation modes available in the bundle using discounted fares.

In order to operate the above innovative mobility options optimally, stakeholders collect data of different kinds on use and position of their transport supplies and movement patterns of citizens by gadgets installed on the vehicles as well as tracking smart cards swiping. Similarly, city authorities collect various types of data over time such as traffic flow, emission and so on. Likewise, telecommunication providers have massive amount of data on mobile internet usage and calls which can also be used to shed light on the mobility of citizens. Since these data are typically collected over a long period of time and lacks detailed information, they are sometimes referred to as “long and thin” data.

While a tremendous amount of data is collected on the daily basis, without knowledge of how to use this data for planning, design and operating of our built environment in more efficient ways and along citizens’ need, the effort in collecting those data will be in vein. Traditional travel demands forecasting models have typically been developed on travel surveys collected at the national level. Such data collection is becoming increasingly obsolete due to the high cost and low response rate especially when long term data (multiple days/ weeks) is desired. In this context it is essential to leverage big data in updating such demand forecasting models by exploiting its strength and avoiding its shortcomings (lack of details).

The use of mobility big data for planning and forecasting purposes requires dedicated knowledge on data analysis methods (data mining, deep learning, unsupervised and semi-supervised learnings) and their relations with the statistical methods used traditionally for the analysis of survey data (discrete choice analysis, conjoint analysis). Such knowledge can purposedly contribute to the development or update of decision support tools. Tools which can serve multitude of purposes, from long term to mid and short term planning. Optimum locations of newly built charging stations,  shared vehicles relocation strategies, optimum dynamic pricing for electricity, demand for the first and last mile mobility options in high temporal and spatial resolution, among others, can then be devised, supported by a data driven decision tools. To be able to realize the above purposes, the candidate should have a proven background on the following areas:

• Data mining methods to analyse mobility big data
• Travel demand forecasting models, including tour based and activity based models
• Discrete choice methods and conjoint analysis
• Stated choice experiment design

In addition to research, the candidate is expected to be highly involved in the educational tasks. The candidate is expected to contribute to teaching and supervision of courses in the Bachelor of Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences (AUBS) and Master of Architecture, Building and Planning (APB). Courses such as “Big data for urban analysis”, “Smart urban environments” and “mobility and logistic” among others need to be supported by the candidate. To that end, the applicant must have a track record in teaching and supervising of Bachelor and Master students.

Job requirements

• You hold a PhD Degree in the field of urban or transportation planning or in a related field;
• You have demonstrated your research skills by means of publications in reputed journals and conference proceedings.
• You have gained international experience and collaborated internationally on the vacancy topic.
• You can create a vibrant and effective learning environment and have the ability to motivate students both in research-based and challenge-based types of education (academic proficiency and design and engineering attitude).
• You have a track record in teaching and supervising students.
• You have a supportive international network in academia and industry, which will help you to acquire research funding.
• You have a good command of English, both orally and in writing.
• You are able to work collaboratively as well as independently.

Conditions of employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the autonomy to develop your own research line and participate in the curriculum of the department;
• A Tenure Track of five years with the prospect of becoming an Associate Professor. After a maximum of four years, the tenure decision will be made. If you have a more senior profile, you will receive a tailor-made career proposal.
• You will have free access to high-quality training programs for academic leadership, the university teaching qualification program, research and valorization competences, and a dedicated mentoring program to help you get to know the university and the Dutch (research) environment;
• Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities; salary is based on knowledge and experience;
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary;
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes;
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as the Dual Career Opportunity program to support accompanying partners, an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Information and application

For further information on this vacancy you can contact prof.dr. Soora Rasouli, phone number
+(31)40–45273315, e-mail: s.rasouli[at]tue.nl.

For information concerning employment conditions click here or contact Marcel Vogels,
phone number +31 (0)40 247 3144, e-mail: m.vogels1[at]tue.nl

Application:
If you are interested in this position, you can only use the 'apply now'-button on this page.

Your application must contain the following documents:​​

• Cover letter (2 page max), which includes a motivation of your interest and an explanation of why you meet the job requirements (see above).
• Detailed Curriculum vitae,
• Copy (or a most recent draft version) of your MSc thesis.
• Transcripts of academic records indicating courses taken, including grades,
• Contact details of two references (e-mail, phone number).

We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way.

Please keep in mind you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each. If necessary please combine files.

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PhD in 3D Printing Artificial Cells

 

Bio-Organic Chemistry Group: Our ambition is to create hybrid cells and organelles that can be used to mimic and adjust cellular processes. We employ expertise from polymer science, nanotechnology and cell biology to achieve our goals. Are you the enthusiastic PhD student that fits in our group of excellent researchers? Are you fascinated by the scientific challenge of building up lifelike systems, from the bottom-up, using non-living components?

The research of the group Bio-organic Chemistry focuses on compartmentalization strategies to construct micro and nanocapsules which can be applied in the areas of nanomedicine and artificial cell research. We design smart delivery vehicles that for example cross the blood brain barrier or are used in cancer therapy. We use nanoparticles as scaffolds for vaccine development. We construct capsules with life-like properties, such as metabolism, organelle-mimetic behavior and cell growth and motility. In our research we combine techniques from protein engineering, polymer chemistry and bioconjugation approaches to create particles with bioactive properties.

Further information on the research interests of Prof. Jan van Hest can be found on their website. https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-groups/bio-organic-chemistry/

Job Description
A PhD position is open in the Artificial Cell cluster of the research group, where your project will be focused on 3D printing artificial cells. Working alongside a team of other PhD students and postdocs, your main goal will be to develop techniques that will enable the 2D and eventually 3D patterning of artificial cells into artificial tissues. This is an exploratory project that will utilize our existing coacervate-based protocell platform to build up arrays of protocells with fine control over their contents, size, and positioning. Such control will enable the construction of the next generation of complex, multi-component, adaptive artificial tissues. There are opportunities in this project to examine both the fundamentals of diffusion-based molecular communication, as well as the application of this technology to biomedical challenges such as organoid culturing.

In this project, you will be expected to develop expertise in 3D printing of artificial cells, characterize these artificial tissues via light and electron microscopy, and collaborate with other members of the Artificial Cell cluster to incorporate new functionalities into the artificial tissues. This project could also include the chemical modification of protocell membranes, the modelling of diffusion via computational methods, and interactions with external academic/commercial collaborators. Your training over 4 years will also include the communication of your results to a broad range of audiences via oral presentations and written research (peer-reviewed publications and a doctoral thesis).

Job requirements

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Chemistry, Materials Science, Analytical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Polymer Chemistry, Microfabrication, Additive Manufacturing, or related.
• A research-oriented attitude with research project experience in at least one of the above disciplines.
• A demonstrated knowledge of at least 2 of the following: surface chemistry, supramolecular chemistry/self-assembly, polymer chemistry, organic chemistry, microscopy, rheology, cell culture/molecular biology
• Ability to work in a team, communicate effectively, conduct research creatively and independently, and initiate/foster collaborations.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.

Conditions of employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (
  
  PROOF program).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called ‘30% facility’, which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Information and application

More information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact
Jan van Hest, j.c.m.hest[at]tue.nl or +31 40 247 3515.

For information about terms of employment, click here or contact 
Sascha Sanchez, HR advisor, s.j.m.g.sanchez.van.oort[at]tue.nl, +31 40 247 7310 or 
HRServices, hrservices.gemini[at]tue.nl, +31 40 247 3161

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the 'apply now'-button on this page.
The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of
  three references.
• Brief description of your MSc thesis.

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it. Screening will continue until the position has been filled.

We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way.

Please keep in mind you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each. If necessary please combine files.

APPLY NOW

PhD on the Design and Development of Microfluidic Brain-on-Chip AI Computers

 

The Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute (EAISI) is funding 2 PhD positions for the highly innovative BayesBrain project, in collaboration with the departments of

• Mechanical Engineering,
• Biomedical Engineering,
• Electrical Engineering, and
• Mathematics and Computer Science.

The challenging goal of the project is to design a hybrid neural/in-silico AI computer which leverages the computation of neural cultures hosted on a microfluidic Brain-on-Chip device to solve real-world AI problems. The hybrid AI computer will consist of an in-silico Bayesian control agent and a Brain-on-Chip device, which shall communicate via the common principle of Free Energy Minimization (FEM).

The announced PhD position focuses on the hard-ware development of microfluidic Brain-on-Chip devices and interfaces to in-silico control agents for the purpose of building a hybrid AI computer. For this position, a critical reflection on biomaterials, electrically embedded microfluidic platforms, integrated multi electrode arrays, and fast and high-quality data acquisition systems is required. The successful candidate will design innovative ways to create microfluidic platforms and will have a central role in building the hardware of the hybrid AI system. Furthermore, the techniques developed will be usable for material and toxicity screening, drug development and individualized care and cure. The successful candidate will be hosted at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and co-supervised by Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Paired with the announced position is a second PhD position hosted at the Electrical Engineering department and co-supervised by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. The second PhD candidate will focus on the development of in-silico Bayesian control agents via probabilistic programming. The two PhD students will collaborate closely to achieve the final goal of developing a hybrid neural/in-silico AI computer. In particular, the two PhD students will work together on the development of interfaces between the in-silico Bayesian control agent and the Brain-on-Chip device.

The preferred starting date of this position is October 2021.

Job requirements

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Bioengineering, Biotechnology, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Microfabrication, with excellent grades
• Prior experience with microscopy techniques and cell cultures
• A research-oriented demeanour
• Ability and aspiration to work in a multi-disciplinary team, combining material science, neuroscience, and probabilistic machine learning
• Excellent command of written and spoken English

Prior experience with thin layer deposition and metrology techniques is a plus.

Conditions of employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (
  
  PROOF program).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called ‘30% facility’, which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Information and application

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact
dr. Regina Luttge, r.luttge[at]tue.nl or +31 40 247 5235 or dr. Burcu Gumuscu Sefunc, b.gumuscu[at]tue.nl or +31 40 247 8373.

For information about terms of employment, click here or contact HRServices.gemini[at]tue.nl.

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the 'apply now'-button on this page.
The application should include a:

• a cover letter explaining your motivation and suitability for the position
• a detailed curriculum vitae
• a written scientific report in English (MSc thesis, traineeship report or scientific paper)
• copies of diplomas with course grades (transcripts)

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it. Screening will continue until the position has been filled.

We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way.

Please keep in mind you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each. If necessary, please combine files.

APPLY NOW

PhD for advanced materials for Electrically driven sensor skins

 

Robots that mimic the soft, pliable, robust, and organic qualities of the natural world are preferred over rigid, cold, and inorganic conventional robots. Soft robotics immediately benefits industries such as agriculture, where they are already deployed in the collection of fruits and vegetables. However, to advance the emerging field of “soft robots”, these machines must be equipped with actuators and sensors to allow them to interact with their environment and render them more perceptive. Such solutions can also form the basis of smart electronic skins, which can augment the sensory abilities of humans.

However, the construction of a total soft sensor and actuator system requires the optimization and elaboration of fabrication methodologies. It also requires the fundamental characterization of new materials as a function of chemical structure and processing technique.

Project description
In this project the following objectives are to be achieved: i) Controlled integration methodologies of electrically driven LCEs on flexible and stretchable foils; ii) development of printable (strain) sensors to steer the actuation of the LCEs; iii) Understand the electrically driven haptic functions on flexible and stretchable foils.

Expected Results: (i) Insights in controllable electrically driven haptic LCE response on stretchable skin like foils (ii) advancing the state-of-the of controllable strain-sensor out-put to steer LCE actuators (iii) haptic robotic skin demonstrators.

The selected candidate will be employed at TNO as a PhD researcher and enrolled as a
PhD student at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry (CE&C), Eindhoven University of Technology. CE&C aspires to be an academic institution for education and research in chemical science and engineering of the highest international standard. The aim is to generate and to develop technology and scientific knowledge relevant for the long-term needs of society. Scientific curiosity and the use of newly generated knowledge are the main driving forces behind the continuing enhancement of the chosen fields of expertise. As a PhD student you are supervised by research staff at TNO and academic staff at TU Eindhoven. The main activities for this ERP will take place at TNO the Holst Centre (the Netherlands) performing secondments at Eindhoven University of Technology (NL), at Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon (CSIC, Spain) and at the company Vention (the Netherlands).

Job requirements

We are looking for talented, motivated and enthusiastic PhD and postdoctoral students who meet the following requirements:

• Background in chemical engineering, physics, mechanical engineering, materials science or bioengineering.
• Prior knowledge in soft matters, responsive materials and experience in microscopic techniques and device fabrication/ characterization are appreciated.
• Ability to independently work within a dynamic team and multidisciplinary research environment.
• Fluent in spoken and written English

Conditions of employment

The TU/e is located in one of the smartest regions of the world en part of the European technology hotspot ‘Brainport Eindhoven’; well-known because of many high-tech industries and start-ups. A place to be for talented scientists! 

We offer

• A challenging job in a highly motivated team at a dynamic and ambitious university. You will work with innovative analytic equipment and you will be part of a highly profiled multidisciplinary collaboration where expertise of a variety of disciplines comes together.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (PROOF program).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called ‘30% facility’, which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Information and application

More information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more detailed information
about this vacancy? Please contact dr. Danqing Liu, d.liu1[at]tue.nl.

For information about terms of employment, click here or contact Ms. P.J. van de Weijer,
HR-advisor, p.j.v.d.weijer[at]tue.nl

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the 'apply now'-button on this page. 
We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way.

The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of
  three references.
• Brief description of your MSc thesis.

The selection of applicants and the job interviews will start immediately until we find a suitable candidate. Please keep in mind you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each. If necessary please combine files.

For this vacancy we will recruit simultaneously both internal as external. In the case of equal suitability internal candidates take priority over external candidates.

An assessment can be part of the selection procedure.

APPLY NOW