Applications are invited for a Research Assistant/Associate (Postdoctoral Researcher), to work on the development of advanced electrodes for redox flow batteries. The post holder will be located at the University of Cambridge in the group of Prof. Michael De Volder at the Department of Engineering (). The applicant will work closely with colleagues in the Department of Chemistry (Prof Clare Grey, Dominic Wright and Alex Forse) as well as in the Department of Material Science (Prof Vasant Kumar and Manish Chhowalla).

This project is sponsored by Shell () and focusses on improving the performance of redox flow batteries (RFBs). RFBs are particularly interesting for storing renewable energy because unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, they store energy in electrolyte tanks rather than in solid electrodes. This allows their capacity to be scaled up in a cost-efficient way by changing the volume of electrolyte. This project focusses in particular on the development of RFBs using aqueous organic electrolytes and addressing the optimisation of the electrodes and catalysts for these organic RFBs. Operando measurement techniques (e.g. NMR, MRI, FT-IR and UV-VIS) will be set up for studying and optimising the architecture of the RFB cells and the material chemistries used in these batteries.

We will consider candidates with various research backgrounds including engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, and material science. Applicants are required to have a PhD or be close to obtaining a PhD and have relevant experience in RFBs.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, which will be amended to Research Associate once the PhD has been awarded.

Salary Ranges: Research Assistant: £27,929 – £32,348Research Associate: £34,308 – £42,155

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 12 months in the first instance.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.