Postdoctoral Fellow in Bio-Inspired Catalysis : Toronto, Canada

Program in Bio-inspired Solar Energy 
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Applications to be reviewed starting Nov 30, 2015

The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) program in Bio-inspired Solar Energy announces an opening for a postdoctoral fellow to be jointly mentored by two or more CIFAR program members. CIFAR’s program brings together an international team with backgrounds in nanotechnology, chemistry, biology, biological engineering, materials synthesis, and more. The program unites researchers in the quest to develop new energy technologies by exploiting ever-growing insights into biological energy harvesting.

The program has identified the following two interdisciplinary scientific and engineering challenges in solar electricity and solar fuels:

1. How can coherence effects in excitonic transport in biological systems be exploited to create higher-performing materials for solar cells and photocatalysis?
2. How can the specificity and low overpotential of enzyme catalysts be understood and translated to the realization of high-current, low-overpotential, high-Faradaic-efficiency heterogeneous catalysts for CO2 reduction to liquid fuels?

We invite applications for three postdoctoral fellows to join CIFAR’s Bio-inspired Solar Energy program.

Please indicate the specific position(s) to which you direct your application in the subject line of your email:

Postdoctoral Fellow in Bio-Inspired Catalysis. The incumbent will provide expertise in innovative heterogeneous catalyst development that is inspired by the compelling efficiencies of certain enzymes (e.g.CODH) in achieving high selectivity and low overpotentials. This position is located at The University of California, Berkeley and University of Toronto under the supervision of Professor Peidong Yang and Professor Edward Sargent. The incumbent will be co-advised by Professor Chris Chang (UC Berkeley), Professor Tom Mallouk (Penn State University) and Professor Curtis Berlinguette (University of British Columbia).

CIFAR creates global research networks bringing together the world’s brightest minds – highly regarded experts in a wide variety of fields – to tackle important challenges affecting humanity’s welfare and the future health of our planet. In addition, CIFAR is committed to providing early career researchers from around the world with unique opportunities to engage in our research networks.

Established in 1982, CIFAR is a global organization, comprised of nearly 350 fellows, scholars and advisors from more than 115 institutions in 17 countries. CIFAR partners with the Government of Canada, provincial governments, individuals, foundations, corporations and research institutions to extend our impact in the world.