NIST PREP Postdoc Associate in Civil Infrastructure Polymer Durability
SURA is a nonprofit consortium of 57 member universities that advances collaborative scientific research and education, operates research programs and staffing initiatives, and participates in operating Jefferson Lab through the SURATech joint venture.
About Southeastern Universities Research Association
Established in 1980 to pursue construction and operation of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility, SURA now supports large-scale scientific collaboration, talent development, space-science programs, NIST research opportunities, and the operation of Jefferson Lab through SURATech with Virginia Tech.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will conduct accelerated weathering experiments on infrastructure polymer systems, characterize degradation, develop performance test methods, and maintain weathering equipment. You will build materials databases, analyze irradiance data, document and archive work, and communicate results through reports, protocols, meetings, and peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Requirements
- Ph.D. in Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, or a related polymer science field
- Hands-on laboratory experience with at least four specified material-characterization techniques
- Experience evaluating long-term polymer degradation or using accelerated weathering techniques
- Experience with analysis software such as Excel, Origin, or SolidWorks
- Strong record of scientific productivity evidenced by peer-reviewed publications
Responsibilities
- Review literature and prior degradation results
- Identify high-impact polymeric infrastructure materials for durability assessment
- Conduct accelerated weathering exposure experiments
- Characterize chemical, optical, and mechanical changes in weathered polymer samples
- Develop test configurations and methods to measure material performance changes
- Maintain the NIST SPHERE and analyze irradiance data
- Construct and contribute to UV-degradation and metadata databases
- Present results and prepare protocols, reports, and manuscripts
- Archive results, protocols, software, and documentation