Gianluca Levi

A fully funded PhD position is available in the physical and theoretical chemistry group of Assoc. Prof. Gianluca Levi at the University of Trieste , Italy. The project is part of the ERC Starting Grant NEXUS (“New excited state methods for overcoming challenges in sunlight conversion”) and runs for three years. The PhD researcher will develop and apply efficient methodologies for calculating excited electronic states and simulating photoinduced dynamics of molecules in condensed phase. The work builds on recent advances in variational density functional methods for excited states and multiscale molecular dynamics, and will involve implementation in open-source tools such as GPAW and ASE. Research applications include photoactive molecules, next-generation molecular motors, singlet fission systems for dye-sensitized solar cells, and molecular clusters relevant to astrochemistry. The project also aims to support the interpretation of ultrafast experiments at synchrotron and X-ray free electron laser facilities. The successful candidate will join a collaborative and internationally connected research environment working at the forefront of atomic-scale modelling. Collaborations extend to theoretical and experimental groups in Iceland, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The position is expected to start on 1 November 2026 . The annual scholarship is €20,424 , which is about €4,000 above the standard Italian PhD scholarship, and additional funds are available for conferences and research visits. Applicants should hold, or be about to obtain, a Master’s degree in Chemistry, Physics, or a closely related field. Strong preparation in quantum mechanics and electronic structure theory, together with some programming experience, is preferred. The application deadline is 31 August 2026 at 23:59 (Europe/Rome). Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest using the online form and may contact the supervisor by email for questions.