postdocal fellow (PREP0003795)

Requisition #: A-176511-26

Status: Full Time

Type: Post Doc

School: Whiting School of Engineering

Department/Program: Commercial and Government Programs Office

Salary: $98,000-$120,000

Location City: Gaithersburg

Location State: MD

Location Zip Code: 20899

Closing Date: Open until filled

To apply: apply.interfolio.com/176511

General Description

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PREP Research Associate
CHIPS Funded Project.

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards (NIST) Professional Research Experience (PREP) program. NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest and thus requires that such institutions be the recipients of a PREP award. The PREP program requires staff from a wide range of backgrounds to work on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration.

Research Title:

Engineering for a Circular Economy

The work will entail:

NIST's Engineering Lab (EL) Systems Integration Division, Life Cycle Engineering Group is seeking a researcher in product design for microelectronic circularity. We are expanding our research to develop ways of maximizing the value of U.S. microelectronics and semiconductors based on principles of circular economy.  Microelectronics are valued for their processing capabilities and the materials that they contain. Our team, together with our external partners, is developing new practices for design that will better enable recovery. 

The design research aspects of the work explore new ways to integrate circularity assessment into the design of products containing microelectronics.  We are developing new metrics and measurement methods to allow designers to assess and plan for the recoverability of these complex products. Additionally, this work focuses on the identification of information and data needs to provide decision-support to consumers and enable end-of-life stakeholders (recyclers, municipalities, waste managers, infrastructure providers) that improve the volume of valuable microelectronics to be recovered.

The methods developed in this work will be used to inform future product design and may be a basis for corporate or open standards. We will drive the state of the art forward with advanced techniques in life cycle assessment, simulation, and AI- and data-driven design.  Results will include a suite of decision support tools (metrics, models, and published research) and new standards to improve recovery outcomes, thereby strengthening supply chain resiliency via new material sources, and enabling stakeholders to respond dynamically to material availability challenges in the future.

We seek experienced research candidates with a background in products design, micro and nano engineering, and/or supply-chain interoperability, and a Ph.D. (preferred), M.S. and/or related experience with a record of research in peer-reviewed publications.  US citizenship needed.

Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Conduct a landscape survey documenting the state of the art in chip and microelectronic design, including existing efforts for reuse, recycling and refurbishment and current methods to quantify financial and environmental impact
• Partner will stakeholders in the semiconductor ecosystem to develop and test fit-for-purpose recovery metrics
• Outline best design practices for circular and sustainable microelectronic products and support the development of documentary standards to disseminate findings
• Integrate end of life data with computational design to enable better recovery outcomes for microelectronics
• Publish and present findings through internal reports, peer-reviewed conferences, and academic journals

Qualifications

Qualifications

Desired skills/technical knowledge include a combination from the following:

-         Understanding of micro/nano fabrication processes for chips and first-principle modeling

-         Experience with systems thinking and supply chain modeling

-         Familiarity with LCA and related forms of assessment used to evaluate environmental performance of products

-         Programming, data analysis and visualization with Python and/or MATLAB

• Experience or study of product design and engineering principles for sustainability.

Application Instructions

Please upload the following with your application:

-         CV/Resume

*Please limit C.V to 3 pages only and ONLY include a valid email address for your contact info. Your resume will not be considered if the following information is included on your CV/resume.

-         Self portraits

-         Phone number

-         Home address/Country

-         Citizenship status

-         Languages spoken

-         Sex/Gender

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)

Purpose: The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor's degree holders, graduate students, master's degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education

in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate administrative functions of the PREP Program.

Routine Uses: NIST will use the information collected to perform the requisite reviews of the applications to determine eligibility, and to meet programmatic requirements. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices: NIST-1: NIST Associates.

Disclosure:  Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use of the information you submit for the purpose stated. By applying to a CHIPS-funded PREP opportunity, you also acknowledge that participation in the project requires signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to beginning any work.

Salary Range

The referenced salary range represents the minimum and maximum salaries for this position and is based on Johns Hopkins University's good faith belief at the time of posting. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. The actual compensation offered to the selected candidate may vary and will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, internal equity, market conditions, education/training and other factors, as reasonably determined by the University.

Total Rewards

Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other legally protected characteristic. The university is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance and merit without regard to personal factors that are irrelevant to the program involved.

Pre-Employment Information

If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office at [email protected]. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations or accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, please visit accessibility.jhu.edu.

Background Checks

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check including education verification.

EEO is the Law:

https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf

Diversity and Inclusion

The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion.

Vaccine Requirements

Johns Hopkins University strongly encourages, but no longer requires, at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine does not apply to positions located in the State of Florida. We still require all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Exceptions to the COVID and flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. This change does not apply to the School of Medicine (SOM). SOM hires must be fully vaccinated with an FDA COVID-19 vaccination and provide proof of vaccination status. For additional information, applicants for SOM positions should visit https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/ and all other JHU applicants should visit https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/covid-vaccination-information/.

The following additional provisions may apply, depending upon campus. Your recruiter will advise accordingly. The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.