PhD, Master’s & Postdoc Opportunities in Material Characterization in United States

The Reinhart Group at Penn State University is recruiting a postdoctoral scholar to work on AI/ML for autonomous materials discovery through the new LATTICE Programmable Cloud Laboratory Test Bed. The project contributes to a national network of AI-orchestrated laboratories focused on materials discovery for electronics, photonics, and quantum technologies . The postdoctoral researcher will help develop and apply domain-specific machine-learning models that support agentic operations on material...

Michigan State University’s RISE Materials Lab is recruiting 1–2 Postdoctoral Scholars to work on advanced materials for energy infrastructure and resource resilience. The group designs materials that address challenges at the intersection of materials science, chemistry, and process engineering. Research in the lab may involve materials characterization, thermodynamic modeling, life-cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, and machine-learning-guided materials design. The portfolio includes ...

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate for research on residual stress characterization in advanced manufacturing using neutron diffraction. The position is based in the Engineering Diffraction Group within the Engineering Diffraction and Imaging Section, Neutron Scattering Division, and Neutron Sciences Directorate. The project investigates residual strain and stress in alloys produced through additive manufacturing and advanced joining methods. Using neutron...

This postdoctoral research opportunity at DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory is centered on the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel materials with two main directions: tuned optical control and membrane filtration . The project focuses on covalent organic frameworks and related functional materials, with an emphasis on how material structure can be engineered to influence absorbance and optical response, or to support filtration applications. The work sits within the Army Research Labo...

This research opportunity is hosted by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory’s Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD) in Adelphi, Maryland. The project sits at the intersection of silicon carbide materials science, quantum device concepts, optoelectronics, and power-device integration , with a clear emphasis on enabling next-generation functional devices based on wide-bandgap semiconductors. The advertised research directions focus on three closely related themes. First, the selected resear...

Ph.D. opportunity in advanced materials and nuclear engineering at Virginia Tech Eda Aydogan is recruiting a highly motivated Ph.D. student to join her research group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering's Nuclear Engineering Program at Virginia Tech, beginning in Fall 2027. The research centers on advanced materials under extreme environments, with applications in nuclear and structural materials engineering. Research topics include radiation effects and microstructural evolution in meta...

The University of Miami’s Department of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate for an on-site, full-time research position in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. The appointee will develop and characterize nanoporous materials—including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), zeolites, and related porous materials—for photocatalytic water purification and contaminant removal. Responsibilities include designing and synt...

Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois, United States, is seeking a Postdoctoral Appointee in atomic layer deposition (ALD) for X-ray optics fabrication . The position is based in the X-ray Science Division’s Optics Group. The postdoctoral researcher will develop and optimize ALD processes for depositing thick multilayer structures on flat and patterned substrates. Research will include characterization of film thickness, crystallinity, strain, and optical properties using X-ray diffrac...

Argonne National Laboratory is seeking a Postdoctoral Appointee to join the Materials Science Division’s Quantum States and Crystalline Matter Group in Lemont, Illinois, United States. The project focuses on the discovery and study of novel quantum materials , particularly superconductors. The postdoctoral researcher will conduct exploratory synthesis and crystal growth of solid-state inorganic materials, including chalcogenides, pnictides, halides, hydroxides, and intermetallic compounds. Resea...