Research Assistant/Associate in Novel Materials for Stratospheric Aerosol Injection - Delivery (Fixed Term)

A position exists, for a Research Assistant/Associate in the Department of Engineering, to work on Novel Materials for Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (Delivery).

The post holder will be located in Central Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK.

The key responsibilities and duties will explore the range of possible non-sulphate aerosols - mostly powdered ceramics with different coatings - and will consider how to create a steady flow of 1000 Bar low voidage emulsion (particle voidage greater than 40%). Alternatives include a high-pressure pump or batch filling and depressurising into a buffer / separation vessel from which a continuous emulsion flow and recycled gas flow is taken.  The work will include the design and scaleup and perhaps the construction of a large-scale system which can be tested at ground level.  There is no plan to test any device in the stratosphere.

Teaching/learning support, networking and planning the use of resources also takes up a small portion of this position.

The skills, qualifications and experience required to perform the role will include a good working knowledge of fluidization, fluid mechanics and compressible flow and an interest in practical design and experimentation.  It will be helpful to have a working knowledge of multi-phase flows, and in particular of abrasive slurries. The applicant will have obtained or be close to obtaining a PhD in Chemical Engineering, Colloid Science, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Science or Applied Maths - with fluid mechanics included as part of the study.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, which will be amended to Research Associate once the PhD has been awarded.

Salary Ranges:

Research Assistant: £32,546 - £35,116

Research Associate: £37,174 - £45,413

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 10 June 2028 in the first instance.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above. 

To apply for this vacancy, you need upload two (2) CVs (Curriculum Vitae) in different formats: a Narrative CV and your standard CV (full details in the Further Particulars). 

This is a real vacancy that is being studied as part of the Action Research on Research Culture project (ARRC, https://www.arrc.group.cam.ac.uk/).

The ARRC team are investigating the effects of CV format on shortlisting. If you consent to take part in the study, the ARRC team will use information from the shortlisting process to understand the impact of different CV formats. The recruiting academic will not be told whether you have joined the study so your choice about whether to take part in the study cannot influence the decision on who to appoint. Further details can be found in the 'Further particulars' document. If you have questions about the ARRC project, please contact: arrcproject@admin.cam.ac.uk

If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact Professor Hugh Hunt (hemh1@cam.ac.uk) for enquiries of a technical nature and Liz Howard (div-c@eng.cam.ac.uk) for queries related to the application process.

Please quote reference NM46702 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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