Research Fellow

Based in the School of Chemistry, you will work with Dr Dominik Kubicki and Birmingham's Facility for Electron Microscopy, alongside protein scientists, materials chemists and engineers. You will develop the microscopy and image-analysis workflows that reveal how protein assembly and the microstructure of the materials that they fabricate. Your evidence will guide which materials the team redesigns, advances and scales up.

This job is part of an Advanced Research + Invention Agency-funded project. 'Hephaisteion: Direct Lithium Extraction using inorganic membranes made by proteins' is part of ARIA's Universal Fabricators programme. We aim to use proteins to programme the manufacture of inorganic membranes with precisely controlled pores. The ambition is to translate molecular design into scalable materials manufacturing.

The work centres on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), reproducible sample preparation and quantitative analysis of membrane coverage, morphology, thickness and defects. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) expertise is highly desirable. You will organise imaging around project priorities, troubleshoot artefacts and maintain traceable links between samples, images and analyses.

This is an opportunity to help establish a new way of making functional materials, contribute to research publications and engage with ARIA workshops and the wider Creator community. Training and collaboration will support your development across microscopy, biological self-assembly and materials manufacturing.

Main Duties:

- Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
- Analyse and interpret microscopy data to quantify coverage, morphology, thickness and defects, and relate these to assembly and mineralisation conditions
- Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
- Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
- Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
- Contribute to developing reproducible microscopy and quantitative image-analysis methods, controlling preparation and imaging artefacts
- Undertake management/administration arising from research
- Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
- Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
- Collect research data through SEM and sample preparation, with supported TEM of selected samples; maintain traceable sample metadata, images and analyses
- Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
- Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
- Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
- Promote equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture

Person Specification:

- First degree in materials science, physics, chemistry, biological sciences or a related discipline and a PhD (or close to completion) relevant to microscopy, or equivalent research qualifications
- High level analytical capability, including quantitative analysis and interpretation of microscopy images
- Ability to communicate complex information clearly
- Practical SEM and sample-preparation experience, fluency in image-analysis methods and ability to develop new workflows; TEM experience is highly desirable, with training and specialist support available
- Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
- Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
- Ability to contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
- Ability to co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
- Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

UK and International Travel may be required for this role.