International Call
Agnes Pockels Junior Research Group Program
Technology Assessment, Sustainability Research
Cluster of Excellence Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials
Systems (livMatS), University of Freiburg
The Cluster of Excellence Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems
(livMatS) strives to promote early scientific independence and the advancement of
excellent female researchers. Female researchers are severely underrepresented at
higher career levels, particularly at the Junior Research Group level. The Agnes Pockels
Junior Research Group Program targets female researchers within three to five years of
their postdoctoral experience and is an essential building block of the Cluster’s early
career advancement and gender equality objectives.
Aims
The Cluster’s Agnes Pockels Junior Research Group Program aims to increase the number of
female researchers at the Junior Research Group level and provide excellent female
re-searchers with the means and room to establish their own group in a highly interdisciplinary
research environment at the University of Freiburg. The intended focus of this Junior Research
Group includes the
areas of technology assessment and / or sustainability research with a
focus on life cycle assessment of materials and modelling and assessing the circular economy of
materials. Method competence for the evaluation of process upscaling and transforming
materials systems is desirable.
The Cluster of Excellence
Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS) at
the University of Freiburg develops completely novel, bioinspired materials systems that adapt
autonomously to various environments and harvest clean energy from their surroundings. The
research program of livMatS is characterized by highly interdisciplinary collaboration between
researchers from engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, psychology, philosophy, and
sustainability research. Research in four interlinked research areas targets
Concepts for Energy
Autonomy and Integration, Concepts for Adaptive and Active Materials Systems, Concepts for the
Longevity of Systems Functions, and Societal Challenges – Sustainability Assessment and Investigation
of Psychological, Philosophical, and Ethical Implications of Living Materials Systems. Research in
these areas is integrated through the devel-opment of technology demonstrators..
The chosen candidate will become a Principal Investigator of
livMatS. She is expected to
establish a vigorous and independent research program and build up an internationally visible
research group that
makes central contributions to the research area Sustainability
Assessment and Investigation of Psychological, Philosophical, and Ethical Implications of
Living Materials Systems in
livMatS. The candidate is expected to publish in high-ranking
journals, attract additional funding for her own group, and integrate and strengthen the
interdisciplinary and collaborative environment of the Cluster.
Duration, Funding and Starting Date
Funding within the program is up to 500.000 € from the Cluster’s budget for gender and equality
measures. The funding can be used for the candidate’s position and the establishment of a
Junior Research Group. The candidate will be employed at the University of Freiburg. The
position is a full-time position (100%) for a period of up to 3.25 years. The salary will be
determined in accordance with the salary category TV-L E 14. The funding includes a doctoral
researcher position (36 months, 65%, TV-L 13) and consumables. Funding is granted for a period
of up to 3.25 years, but can only be granted until the end of the Cluster’s first funding period in
December 2025.
We offer access to institutional infrastructure, including modern laboratory space and
state-of-the-art facilities at the
Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired
Technologies (FIT) and opportunities to collaborate with the application-oriented
Fraunhofer-Institutes ISE and IWM and the Ökoinstitut e.V., who are partner institutions of the
Cluster, as well as career advancement training and mentoring opportunities at the University.
Funding can only be used for activities at the University of Freiburg.
We envisage candidates to start their group between October 2022 and January 2023.
Target Group and Funding Criteria
The call targets
female researchers within three to five years of their postdoctoral experience
in the areas of technology assessment and / or sustainability research with a focus on life cycle
assessment of materials and modelling and assessing the circular economy of materials.
Applicants must have a track record of outstanding academic work in their field, with first and/or
corresponding author publications. Additional criteria include prizes and awards, a proven
record of obtaining extramural funding, and international mobility. Excellent interpersonal and
leadership skills are essential. We expect fluency in English.
The proposed concept for a Junior Research Group will be judged according to its academic and
methodological quality, prospects of success, originality, and relevance to the livMatS research
program.
Application
Applications need to be submitted by July 4th, 2022 to
positions@livmats.uni-freiburg.de. The
use of the Agnes Pockels Junior Research Group Leader Program template is mandatory and a
formal prerequisite for the submission of your application. All parts of your application need to
be in English. The template that also contains an overview of the documents that need to be
submitted can be found on the
livMatS Homepage at
https://www.livmats.uni-freiburg.de/career/agnes-pockels-jrg