Research Fellow in Sustainable Polymer Chemistry

Contract Type: Fixed Term contract up to December 2025 

The aim of the project is to develop sugar-based polymeric materials to enhance both their sustainability and facilitate scale up – while retaining their excellent materials properties. The project will be hosted in the Dove group, in the School of Chemistry at the University of Birmingham and is part of a multidisciplinary EPSRC/BBSRC funded plastics sustainability project that is focussed on the circularisation of medical testing waste plastics and is in collaboration with investigators across 7 departments as well as 4 industry partners.

The postholder will be responsible for the chemistry-focussed aspects of the project which will include synthesis, experimental development through to application and data interpretation. Training will be provided in all of the component techniques but demonstrable experience in a number of the aspects is required. Given the multidisciplinary nature of the project it presents an outstanding opportunity to learn more about sustainability in plastics from a diverse range of disciplinary views. As such, it is expected that the postholder will have experience in communication to specialist, non-specialist and mixed specialist audiences.

You should have completed an experimental PhD (or one near to completion) chemistry. You should have good synthetic chemistry experience that includes working a range of chemical synthesis methods as well as experience with the analysis of polymers and materials, and be comfortable working on medium-sized (multi gram) scales. You will also have expertise and experience of molecular characterisation techniques such as NMR spectroscopy, GPC etc and ideally have experience of materials characterisation such as thermal or mechanical techniques. You should have a practical mindset with a strong focus on problem solving and hands-on experience in a laboratory environment including instrumentation set-up and maintenance. You should have a record of publishing in leading international journals and/or at conferences.

The role will also offer the opportunity to contribute to the development of research strategies within the group as well as cosupervise masters students in the development of broader supervisory skills. Additionally, you will be expected to contribute towards the scientific health of the school of chemistry through outreach and teaching activities and should therefore possess good skills and ideally experience in these areas.

For further information please contact Prof. Andrew P. Dove, a.dove@bham.ac.uk. 

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the 'Apply' button above.

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