Job Offer: Agnes Pockels Project Fellowship Program (IPROM)

The Research Cluster Interactive and Programmable Materials (IPROM) at the Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies (FIT) at the University of Freiburg (Germany) launches an open call for one project.

IPROM strives to promote the advancement of excellent emerging female researchers. Female researchers are severely underrepresented in the STEM fields. The Agnes Pockels Fellowship Program aims to foster aspiring female researchers at the doctoral/postdoctoral level and is an essential building block of the Cluster’s early career advancement and gender equality objectives.

Research program
The aim of the Research Cluster Interactive and Programmable Materials (IPROM) funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation is the development of innovative technical materials that respond to changing environmental conditions with a response, which is preprogrammed into the material and thus triggers a material adaptation to changes in the surrounding and the load conditions. In order to do so, they have to be able to change their internal structure and/or their external shape as a consequence of an external stimulus, e.g. by adapting the adhesion, wettability or mechanical properties of the materials. This concept opens up new opportunities for the production of complex objects in many areas such as optics, medical technology or architecture. Research in the different research areas will be integrated through the development of technology demonstrators.

Application criteria
The Cluster invites applications from exceptional female candidates who are committed to interdisciplinary research in a cutting-edge environment. Key selection criteria include the applicants’ thematic fit to IPROM’s research foci, their academic performance and references, and the quality and feasibility of the envisioned project. Applicants should have a PhD degree in a relevant academic field. We expect enthusiasm, a strong motivation to work in an interdisciplinary team, and good self-organization. Fluency in English is mandatory.

What we offer
You will have access to university research infrastructure, including modern laboratory space and state-of-the-art facilities at FIT, the Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF) as well as the Department of Microsystems Engineering. You will join an international team of over forty senior scientists and thirty early career researchers and have access to career advancement training and international networking opportunities within our cluster and at the University of Freiburg. A total of 50.000 € will be available for the project which can be spent on personnel, consumables as well as investments.

Application process
Your application should include your CV, academic track record as well as a 5-page project pitch including a working title, your research question(s), references to key papers, your idea and its contribution to IPROM’s research program. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please send your application to Stefanie.Meisen@fmf.uni-freiburg.de. The application deadline is 26 April 2022.