Assistant professor in Materials Science with specialization in inorganic materials for efficient and high-rate conversion and capture technologies (WISE Fellow)

LINKÖPING UNIVERSITY
hereby advertises a position as

Assistant professor in Materials Science with specialization in inorganic materials for efficient and high-rate conversion and capture technologies (WISE Fellow)

formally based at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM)

Description of the subject area
The research environment comprising materials physics and materials chemistry at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University is recruiting an Assistant Professor with a generous “WISE Fellow” starting package (see details below).

IFM has a broad expertise and internationally leading scientists in materials physics, including theory, modelling, materials synthesis, and characterization. In particular, IFM has expertise in synthesis of thin films, nanoparticles, 2D, 1D and mesoporous materials, which are characterized in our state-of-the-art laboratories with respect to structure and composition, down to atomic level, using e.g. diffraction, spectroscopy and advanced microscopy. IFM currently have about 400 employees organized in 14 divisions.

This recruitment is connected to the Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability (WISE, wise-materials.org). WISE, funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, is the largest-ever investment in materials science in Sweden and will encompass major efforts at seven of Sweden’s foremost universities over the course of (at least) 10 years. The vision is to enable a sustainable world through materials science.

This particular WISE Fellow Assistant Professorship relates to research in the field of surface physics/chemistry of functional materials, with a focus on catalytic reactions such as water splitting or CO2 capture and conversion. The ultimate aim of this WISE Fellowship is to develop and enable sustainable methods and materials for catalytic capture and conversion technologies, together with leading materials scientists at the department. The placement of the position is at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University. This placement will provide the recruited Assistant Professor with access to IFM’s open research environment of knowledge and expertise sharing as well as IFM’s synthesis, characterization, and cleanroom facilities and equipment.

The WISE Fellow recruitment packages includes (i) salary for the recruited faculty member (4 years FTE during max. 5 years); (ii) research/consumables funding; (iii) salary for two PhD students (4 years each); (iv) salary for two postdocs (2 years each); and (v) additional support for overheads and facilities.

Duties
An Assistant Professor’s duties may comprise educational responsibilities or research, and administrative tasks. Assistant Professors are responsible for monitoring developments within their subject areas and developments in the wider community that are significant to their role as a faculty member at a higher education institution. The holder of the appointment will participate in teaching at undergraduate and advanced levels. However, for this specific position, the balance of duties is tilted more towards research than teaching. The position as a WISE Fellow gives you the opportunity to develop your own research track at IFM and be active in the WISE program regarding conferences, workshops, and networking. The position may also involve leading multi-partnership projects (nationally and internationally) and participating in the management of activities. As a WISE Fellow and Assistant Professor at Linköping University, you will supervise students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering's various programmes, as well co-supervise PhD students. The work may include the design and responsibility of new courses. As teaching and/or research takes place in English, you must be able to demonstrate the ability to teach and conduct research in English.

Employment as an assistant professor
The purpose of the employment as an assistant professor is to give the teacher the opportunity to develop independence as a researcher and to obtain both the scientific and teaching qualifications required for employment as senior lecturer.

Qualifications
An applicant who has received a Degree of Doctor or has the equivalent academic expertise shall be qualified for this appointment.

Priority shall be given to a person who has been awarded a doctoral degree or achieved equivalent academic expertise no more than five years before the deadline for applications for employment as research fellow. A person who has been awarded a doctoral degree or has achieved equivalent expertise at a previous date may, however, be considered in special circumstances. Special circumstances is here used to describe: sick leave, parental leave, and other similar circumstances.

Grounds for assessment
As grounds for assessment when appointing a research fellow, the level of proficiency required to qualify for the appointment shall apply. For this position special weight is given to scholarly proficiency, followed by teaching proficiency, in turn followed by remaining proficiencies which should be considered equally.

Scholarly proficiency must have been demonstrated through: original research resulting in publication, through planning and managing research, and through the ability to obtain research grants. Scholarly proficiency can also be demonstrated through the ability to achieve results in research through collaboration with other teachers and through the ability to provide information about research.

Your background is focused towards experimental research related to clean energy and sustainability, in particular, the physics and chemistry of functional surfaces and processes for, e.g., water splitting and/or efficient capture and conversion of CO2. You need to have extensive experience from characterization of materials with respect to such processes. In particular, we are looking for expertise in characterization of catalysts in the form of functional ceramic materials, and expertise in evaluation of catalytic-active sites, reactions (including intermediates) and reaction mechanisms for, e.g., water splitting and/ CO2 reduction. The goal is to perform fundamental science investigations for development of efficient and high-rate capture and conversion technologies. The position also includes responsibility for establishing an experimental research platform for characterization of inorganic materials for catalytic reactions.

Your required documented expertise in this area must be evident from scientific leadership (e.g., leading authorship in publications), attracted funding/recognition, and supervision. You are particularly suitable for the position if you have experience from being in charge of lab activities in the area of the announced position, potentially including setting up a functional laboratory for capture/conversion technologies. Of particular merit is previous research on inorganic materials as catalysts.

Teaching proficiency is demonstrated through the ability to convey relevant knowledge and skills, to stimulate students such that they drive their own learning process, to create engagement and interest in the subject area, and the ability to structure and organise both the content and forms of work in relation to the goals of the subject area. In addition, the teaching proficiency must have been demonstrated through the ability to contribute to the development and renewal of education and the ability to reflect on their own attitude to education and the results of their work.

Appointment procedure 
The position will be appointed by the Vice-Chancellor of the University on the advice of the Appointments Board. A letter of intent will be required of the applicants who make the short list for the position. 
 
Form of employment 
An assistant professor may be employed until further notice, for a minimum period of four years and a maximum period of six years, as determined by the institution of higher education before the employment begins. The employment may be renewed, by a maximum period of two years, if, as a consequence of sick absence, parental leave, or other special circumstances of the assistant professor, additional time is necessary in order to achieve the purpose of the employment. 
 
The length of employment for this position is 4 years. 
 
An assistant professor shall, after application, be promoted to associate professor if he/she is qualified for employment as associate professor and has been assessed following a test to be suitable for such employment according to the grounds for assessment that the institution of higher education has determined. The grounds for assessment are stated in the Rules of Appointment of Linköping University. 
 
Starting date  
By agreement.
 
Salary 
The University applies individual salary scales based on the experience of the employee and the labour market. 
 
Union representatives 
Information about union representatives, see Help for applicants. 
 
Application procedure 
Apply for the position by clicking the “Apply” button below. Your application must be received no later than 16 August, 2023. 
 
Applications and documents received after the date above will not be considered. 
 
Please attach your selected research publications electronically, in pdf or word format, in the application template. Research publications, e.g. monographs, which cannot be sent electronically should be sent in three sets by mail to Linköping University, Registrar, S-581 83 Linköping, Sweden. The publications must be received by Linköping University no later than the deadline for application. 
 
Please note that printed publications will not be returned. They will be archived at Linköping University. 
 
In the event of a discrepancy between the English translation of the job announcement and the Swedish original, the Swedish version shall take precedent.