Postdoctor in Metal hydrides for hydrogen storage and compression for stationary applications

About the position

A position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow in hydrogen storage is available at the Department of Technology Systems.

The appointment is a fulltime position and is for a period of three years. 10% of which is devoted to required duties, usually in the form of teaching activities.

Preferred starting date as soon as possible; suggested 1st March 2024.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.

Job description / Project description / Development plan:

Applications are invited for a 3-year Postdoctoral position in Metal hydrides for hydrogen storage and compression for stationary applications. The position is part of the Centre for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME) HYDROGENi, which is a collaborative effort from over 50 Norwegian and European partners focusing on research and innovations within hydrogen and ammonia.

The successful candidate will be working at ITS under supervision of Professor Sabrina Sartori and work closely with our partner company Siemens, and other international academic collaborators with the goal of enabling the use of metal hydrides as hydrogen storage and compression for emerging large-scale applications.

Efficient hydrogen storage is key for the deployment of hydrogen as an energy carrier. For effective use of metal hydrides in hydrogen storage and compression systems, the alloy composition needs to be optimized to improve the performances, the cost and environmental sustainability of the medium. The candidate will focus on the synthesis and characterization of metal hydrides, for instance TiFe-based materials and multicomponent alloys, and the effect of element substitution on the structural and hydrogenation properties, on cycle life and resistance to contamination.

Solid-state synthesis, structural and hydrogenation characterization will be performed at laboratories at UiO, at Synchrotron and Neutron powder diffraction beamlines, and at facilities of our collaborators. A pilot system containing the new metal hydrides will be tested and optimized under realistic conditions of the designed stationary hub envisioned by Siemens.

The candidate will be part of a vibrant research group at the Energy Systems section of the Department of Technology Systems, UiO, at Kjeller, interacting with a team of researchers, PhD and master students, and a network of international colleagues (for instance prof. Jacques Huot, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, among others). Furthermore, the candidate will interact with a national network of PhD candidates through a parallel project HySchool (Norwegian research school on hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels) where ITS is leading the activities on hydrogen storage and distribution.

The research and innovation environment of HYDROGENi will offer a unique opportunity to enable cross-disciplinary ideas towards sustainable introduction and use of hydrogen technologies. With this project the research fellow will expand competences in a growing field of global relevance and will be exposed to the development of new concepts, methods and technologies relevant to national and international stakeholders.

More information can be found here: HYDROGENi.

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.

Qualification requirements:

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in chemistry, physics, energy, engineering, or equivalent. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis are eligible for appointment.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• Documented knowledge or research background on metal hydrides, hydrogen technology, energy storage
• Competence in solid-state synthesis (for instance arc melting, ball milling)
• Experience with X-ray diffraction
• Familiarity with pressure-composition-temperature measurements
• Experience with Rietveld refinement
• Familiarity with other microstructural analysis techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
• Experience supervising Master/PhD students
• The candidate must be eligible to obtain a security clearance according to the Norwegian National Security Act (Lov om Nasjonal Sikkerhet, a.k.a. “Sikkerhetsloven”), at a level that satisfies the partners of the project HYDROGENi, i.e., preferably being a citizen of Norway or a NATO country.

Desired qualifications:

• The candidate should also possess good interpersonal and communication skills and show high level of motivation to work as part of an international team

Personal skills:

• High interest in the research topic
• Critical thinking, attitude for teamwork and knowledge sharing, capacity to work independently in a well-organized, attention-focused and timely manner
• Willingness to travel abroad for short periods of research to collaborative partners
• Positive and inclusive attitude to colleagues and students with various backgrounds and skills
• Ability to express yourself, orally and written, in a clear and concise way
• Interest in supervising PhD and Master students

We offer:

• Salary NOK 575 400 – 657 300 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Professionally stimulating working environment
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Postdoctoral development programmes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

The application must include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation and research interest)
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
• A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, as well as the candidates motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

Formal regulations:

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a fulltime research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months ( thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years)

No one can be appointed twice as a Postdoctoral fellow financed with funds from The Research Council of Norway (NFR).

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

Contact persons:

For further information about the position please contact: Professor Sabrina Sartori, main supervisor at ITS, e-mail: sabrina.sartori@its.uio.no

For questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact: HR Adviser Olga Holmlund, e-mail: olga.holmlund@mn.uio.no

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