Available immediately.
Applications will be reviewed as received with a final advertisement end date of October 1 2024, do not delay in replying.
A postdoctoral researcher position is available in the Low Carbon Technologies Research Centre at Trinity College Dublin, led by Professor Stephen Dooley and Professor Mohammad Reza Ghaani.
Sustainable Aviation Fuels are complex mixtures of hydrocarbons produced from renewable sources, and are widely recognised to be the essential commodity in making aviation sustainable receiving enormous international attention. The EU has mandated that EU aviation fuel be SAF, at 6% by 2030 and 70% by 2050. Research is urgently required to realise these mandates.
Trinity has received considerable recognition for our work on Sustainable Aviation Fuels. The Low Carbon Technologies Research Centre is the host to the €4m Ryanair Sustainable Aviation Research Centre, to the Prescreening activity of the EU SAF Clearing House managed by the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and our new state of the art laboratory for the study of aviation fuels, the Trinity College Dublin SAF Research Facility at SMBC Aviation Capital. The SAF Research Facility is a chemical analysis laboratory co-located 500m from Trinity College Dublin in the new state-of-art head quarters of SMBC Aviation Capital, the world’s second largest aviation lessor, managing a fleet of more than 1000 aircraft.
Role:
“Prescreening” refers to determination of the molecular composition of aviation fuel candidates, and the derivation of machine learned quantitative structure property relationships, linking molecular structure to aviation fuel fit-for-purpose properties. Fit-for-purpose properties are a set of chemical and physical properties defined by ASTM D4054 (e.g., viscosity, surface tension, heat capacity, vapour pressure) that an aviation fuel must exhibit to be demonstrated as safe for use. Having Sustainable Aviation Fuels satisfy these properties is a key barrier to their deployment.
A postdoctoral researcher is sought to spearhead our work in the development of measurement methodologies to determine aviation fuel molecular composition, and predictive modelling of aviation fuel certification properties. The postdoctor will also have the opportunity to contribute hands-on leadership to several ongoing large-scale research projects in the area of Sustainable Aviation Fuels, to present their work routinely at many international conferences and high profile industry stakeholder events. The role is influential and high profile, as the postdoctor will examine the majority of SAF candidates being produced within the EU, the results of which will advise the aviation OEMs on the suitability of the SAF.
Working in a friendly and collaborative team of approximately twenty researchers and two PIs, the successful candidate will show the following essential requirements:
• A PhD in a chemistry, chemical or mechanical engineering, physics, or a closely related area.
• Experience of conducting research by one or more of: Physical Measurement or Synthesis (“by experiment”), or by Numerical Modelling/Data Science/Machine Learning (“by modelling”).
• Experience of, or interest in becoming an expert in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and/or two Dimensional Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry analysis of complex hydrocarbon mixtures.
• Interest in making fit-for-purpose fluid/fuel property measurements with a host of state of art equipment in our new specifically designed €3.6m SAF Research Facility.
• Willingness to develop to subject matter expert, transferring knowledge to our sponsors and stakeholders, including Ryanair, SMBC AC, EASA, Ricardo BV, Washington State University, Aircraft Leasing Ireland (Desirable).
• A good record of high quality peer-reviewed publications commensurate with experience.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage time independently and to manage project delivery.
• Ability to learn new skills and to teach and manage others.
• Demonstrated ability in paper writing, presentation writing and delivery.
• Experience in reporting to industry sponsors (Desirable).
Application:
Prospective candidates should send a two page CV containing names and contact details of two referees, a list of publications and a 1-page letter outlining your interest in the position and relevant experience to Prof. Stephen Dooley at
[email protected]. Please quote the entire job title in the subject line of your email. Applications will be evaluated as received and candidates of all demographics, educational backgrounds and genders that show a good record of academic achievements will be considered. Our goal is to make aviation sustainable through research, for this we seek excellent people.
