Vacancies

AMBER has a central role in improving the scientific and technical skills of the current and future workforce. We recruit the best and the brightest from across the globe to deliver on our mission of research excellence that brings solutions to societal and industrial challenges. Researchers trained in AMBER develop a broad skill base that reflects the needs of industry, as well as supporting those researchers who wish to follow an academic career path. AMBER provides our researchers with opportunities to work with companies, gaining valuable appreciation of the culture of product development, as well as exposure to business and management processes that are industry-relevant, creating a broad skills base that matches the needs of industry. For our postdoctoral and early career researcher (ESR) cohort interested in remaining in academia, our funding team collaborates with other SFI Centres in TCD to deliver a Pathways to Funding training programme annually to prepare individuals to apply for independent research funding.

OPEN POSITIONS

Two postdoctoral researcher positions for the following project:

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in determining the hydrogen readiness of materials.
Applications are invited for two AMBER and GNI funded research positions:

Background:
Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) and AMBER, the Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research have joined forces to undertake important research to determine how compatible the materials that make up Ireland’s gas network are with green hydrogen – an important step for green hydrogen in the decarbonisation journey of Ireland’s gas network. This collaboration aims to explore the impact that green hydrogen blended with natural gas and biomethane, as well as pure green hydrogen has on existing materials within Ireland’s gas network.

Project Summary:
The hydrogen readiness of gas network materials (HyMatNet) project aims to explore the impact green hydrogen has on existing materials within Ireland’s gas network. Identifying any components within the network that have a low compatibility with hydrogen, which may need to be replaced or adapted ensuring safety in transporting hydrogen. Materials will be selected for testing based on a state-of-the-art review. These materials will be tested to determine compatibility issues such as hydrogen embrittlement, induced cracking or decohesion, crack propagation, plasticity changes, permeation, chemical compatibility etc. depending on the materials.

There is also need for a more simplified hydrogen testing procedure. The project will explore if a link can be established between the two hydrogen testing methodologies, simplified hydrogen tests (electro-chemical charging and nano-hardness test) versus more complex hydrogen tests (hydrogen environmental testing).

A key element of this project is to continuously monitor, report on and contribute to the current and future activities within the gas sector relevant to the hydrogen readiness of materials. The researchers will work closely with other members of a multidisciplinary team including PIs, engineers, postdoctoral research fellows and postgraduate researchers in AMBER, GNI and the wider hydrogen research community.

Applicant criteria & eligibility:
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship 1:

• The candidate must have a PhD in mechanical engineering, metallurgy, material science and related disciplines.
• The candidate must have extensive experience and expertise in microstructural characterization of metallic materials (SEM, EDX, XRD, EBSD).
• The candidate must have relevant experience in the area of hydrogen embrittlement of materials.
• The candidate must have strong communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, as demonstrated by a strong track record of publications and presentations commensurate with career stage.
• The candidate must have good leadership skills with the ability to maintain excellent working relationships with both internal and external partners.
• The candidate must be a self-determined individual with a capacity to apply new, pre-existing or adjacent technologies to problem solving with minimal supervision.
• The candidate must have the ability to work individually and in a team.
• The candidate must have excellent written and oral proficiency in English.
• Experience of working with industrial collaborators is an advantage but is not essential.

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship 2:

• The candidate must have a PhD in mechanical engineering, design engineering, material science and related disciplines.
• Experience and expertise in microstructural characterization of metallic materials (SEM, EDX, XRD, EBSD) would be an advantage but is not essential.
• The candidate must have relevant experience in mechanical engineering design or mechanisms or machines.
• The candidate must have strong communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, as demonstrated by a strong track record of publications and presentations commensurate with career stage.
• The candidate must have good leadership skills with the ability to maintain excellent working relationships with both internal and external partners.
• The candidate must be a self-determined individual with a capacity to apply new, pre-existing or adjacent technologies to problem solving with minimal supervision.
• The candidate must have the ability to work individually and in a team.
• The candidate must have excellent written and oral proficiency in English.
• Experience of working with industrial collaborators is an advantage but is not essential.

Funding: These positions are funded by the Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research Centre (AMBER) and GNI. Salary will be commensurate with experience and based on the IUA salary scales (https://www.iua.ie/for-researchers/researcher-salary-scales-career-framework/)

These positions will be based in Trinity College Dublin (https://www.tcd.ie/) within AMBER (http://ambercentre.ie/) with regular travel to GNI anticipated.

How to apply:
Application is via Google Form only.

• To apply for Postdoctoral Research Fellowship 1, please complete the form linked here.
• To apply for Postdoctoral Research Fellowship 2, please complete the form linked here.

Positions will remain opened until filled. Only short-listed applications will be acknowledged.
For further information and informal inquiries on the positions, please contact:

Dr. Rocco Lupoi
Associate Professor,
Mechanical, Manufacturing & Biomedical Engineering
Trinity College Dublin
Email: lupoir@tcd.ie