Master of Science (MSc) student position offer at the Faculty of Chemistry - announcement and recruitment results

Master of Science (MSc) student position offer at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Poland

Project title: “Superalkalis as building blocks for the design of unique functional materials and the catalysts for nitrogen conversion into ammonia"

Project leader: dr Celina Sikorska

Position name: MSc Student position (magistrant/stypendysta)

Number of positions: 2

Requirements:

1. BSc degree in Chemistry, Physics, or related disciplines or evidence that the Candidate will obtain a BSc (licencjat), Eng (inżynier), or equivalent degree in one of these disciplines by October 1, 2023.
2. Command of English at least sufficient to read scientific papers; Polish or English for communication.
3. Ability to work with UNIX-operated workstations at least at the medium-advanced level.

Project information and task description:

Two 17-month Master Scholarships are available to work on designing new superatoms and examine their potential chemical applications, using computational chemistry with quantum chemistry techniques. We have recently shown that designing novel superatomic systems and exploring their physicochemical properties might be used to create desirable functional materials. [1-5] The main research goals of the project are to understand how ionization energy, electronic structure and composition of superatoms relate to activating N₂.

1.  Sikorska C., Gaston N. (2022). Molecular crystals vs. superatomic lattice: a case study with superalkali-superhalogen compounds. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 24: 8763-8774.
2.  Sikorska C., Gaston N. (2020). N₄Mg₆M (M = Li, Na, K) superalkalis for CO₂ activation. Journal of Chemical Physics 153:144301.
3.  Sikorska C., Gaston N. (2021). Bimetallic superalkali substitution in the CsPbBr₃ perovskite: Pseudocubic phases and tunable bandgap. Journal of Chemical Physics 155:174307.
4.  Sikorska C. (2019). Magnesium-Based Clusters as Building Blocks of Electrolytes in Lithium-Ion Batteries. Chemphyschem 20:2236-2246.
5.  Sikorska C. (2019). Magnesium-Based Oxyfluoride Superatoms: Design, Structure, and Electronic Properties. Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling 59:2175-2189.

The student employed in the project will participate in carrying out the following tasks:

1. Geometry optimization and frequency calculations for newly designed superalkalis.
2. Electronic structure calculations for chosen molecular clusters.

The postgraduate MSc students will work on computational calculations at the University of Gdańsk.

Conditions of stipend:

1. A 17-month stipend contract based on project funds.
2. Monthly gross stipend from project funds: 1500 PLN for 17 months. This sum includes obligatory social security taxes.
3. The successful candidate must apply to be enrolled in the Master Studies (studia magisterskie) at the Faculty of Chemistry, the University of Gdańsk.
4. Start date: October 1, 2023.

The application package must include the following:

1. Cover letter.
2. A full Curriculum Vitae, including your university transcript (i.e., list of grades
   awarded) and the information clause (agreement to process personal data for the purpose of application; it can be found on the Project page: https://etoh.chem.ug.edu.pl/Polonez2023)
3. A copy of the BSc diploma or documented proof that the applicant will obtain the BSc degree (scan/electronic version acceptable) or a document stating that Candidate is expected to obtain the BSc title by October 1, 2023.
4. Recommendation letter from the supervisor of the BSc work.

The application package can be submitted in person to the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland, mailed to dr Rafał Ślusarz at the above address or, preferably, e-mailed to dr Rafał Ślusarz to address rafal.slusarz@ug.edu.pl; the cover letter can be included in the email body, scans of the other documents attached to the email.

Selected candidates will be invited for an interview, which will be conducted in person at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk or online. The candidates will be notified of the time and form of the interview by email.

Any questions should be sent by email to dr Rafał Ślusarz at rafal.slusarz@ug.edu.pl

Application deadline: June 30, 2023

The recruitment procedure was conducted in accordance with the Regulations for awarding NCN scholarships for NCN-funded research projects.

As a result of the recruitment procedure completed on Tuesday, 11 July 2023, two people were qualified to implement the project: Natalia Rogoża, M.Sc. and Natalia Wiszowska, M.Sc.

Congratulations!