Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computational Nanomaterials

Two ERC (European Research Council) funded full-time posts are available from 1st September 2026 for a duration of 2 years.

The starting salary will be from £34,610 on Grade E, depending on experience and skill set.

The Role
Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy

The Faculty wishes to recruit two Postdoctoral Research Associates to support the work of Dr. Carlos L. Bassani. The successful applicant will join the project kineticSHAPES - Kinetic Pathways to Control Nanocrystal Shapes, funded by the European Research Council by the ERC Starting Grant No 101220354.

This project aims to understand non-equilibrium aspects of nanocrystal growth in well-defined shapes. The research will provide quantitative insights into the role of crystal lattice and solution concentration field on morphological features such as twinning, branching, and chirality. Research techniques primarily involve the use and further development of a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation framework, coded in C++. Other supportive research techniques may involve molecular dynamics, density functional theory, and lattice Boltzmann method. Results will be validated and applied in collaborations with experimentalists.

About You
The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, and communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically.

Applicants will possess a PhD (or nearing completion) in Physics, Chemical or Materials Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants should be able to demonstrate a combination of the following skills.

Essential

• Knowledge of mathematical modelling, scientific computing, and/or numerical simulations.
• Experience in programming, preferably in C/C++ and Python, or similar scientific computing languages.

Highly desirable

• Background in chemical physics, statistical mechanics, and/or soft condensed matter.
• Experience with one or more of the following simulation techniques: molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo, density functional theory, lattice Boltzmann method, or related methods.

Desirable

• Experience using high-performance computing (HPC) facilities.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary and/or multicultural research environments.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification (available on the university's website, accessed by the 'Apply' button) for full details of this role.

Further information
Please contact Dr. Carlos L. Bassani, c.lange-bassani@exeter.ac.uk.

Further reading
C.L. Bassani, M. Engel. Kinetically Trapped Nanocrystals with Symmetry-Preserving Shape. JACS 147 (2025), 9487-9495, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c17157

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