Offered
A predoctoral contract (1 year, extendable to 4 years) to carry out a PhD at the interface of catalysis and spectroscopy. The project will be jointly implemented by the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ, Valencia) and the ALBA-CELLS Synchrotron Light facility (Barcelona, Spain).
The research institutions
The Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ) is a joint research center of the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) and the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), located in the excellent and vibrant UPV Campus at the coast side in Valencia (Spain). It is an international reference center in the area of catalysis and new materials which hosts 33 staff scientists alongside >75 PhD and postdoctoral researchers, and holds the Severo Ochoa Excellence Accreditation, which recognizes and supports Spanish research institutions, from all scientific and technological areas, which demonstrate international scientific leadership through high-impact scientific innovations. The institute has also a long tradition of R&D and technology transfer activities in cooperation with industrial partners. The center is a multidisciplinary institute which offers high-quality training and outstanding research facilities. Web: https://itq.upv-csic.es/en/
The ALBA-CELLS Synchrotron Light facility is the largest research infrastructure in Spain and one of the largest in Europe. ALBA is a 3rd generation Synchrotron Light facility located in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), being the newest source in the Mediterranean area. It is a complex of electron accelerators to produce synchrotron light, which allows the visualization of the atomic structure of matter and thus rationalize its properties. ALBA is an internationally oriented facility committed to scientific excellence. Web: https://www.cells.es/en
The project. The 4-year research project is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. It is a research effort at the interfaces of material science, chemistry and physics. The major goal is the fundamental understanding of the structure and dynamics of metal species as active centers for catalytic reactions in the gas phase to valorize carbon raw materials alternative to petroleum. The selected candidate is going to spend research periods at both the ITQ (precision materials synthesis, characterization and catalytic testing) and ALBA (commissioning and optimization of spectroscopic cells, X-ray absorption-diffraction experiments and atomic level structural analysis at the newest NOTOS beamline). The PhD thesis is going to be associated to the «Sustainable Chemistry» doctorate program of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), Web: http://www.upv.es/index-en.html.
Candidate qualifications. Candidates should hold a BSc degree in Chemistry, Material Science/Physics, Chemical Engineering or a related discipline. The average BSc grade should be equal to or higher than 8/10 (or equivalent according to foreign rating systems). Candidates should also hold (or be about to obtain) a MSc degree. Skills in material science and spectroscopy are valuable, but not mandatory. Good written and oral communication skills in English are necessary.
Conditions: Salary ca. 17000 €/year (Netto), 1 year extendable to 4 years.
Contact. CV, academic transcript (including Bachelor) and motivation letter should be sent per email to Dr. Gonzalo Prieto (prieto@itq.upv.es) before 1st September 2019.
