General Description

Salary: $78,000-$88,000 a year

PREP Research Associate

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards (NIST) Professional Research Experience (PREP) program. NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest, thus requires that such institutions must be the recipient of a PREP award. The PREP program requires staff from a wide range of backgrounds to work on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration.

Research Title:

Mechanical Testing and Modeling for Heterogeneous Multilayered Polymeric Structures  

The work will entail: 

The Infrastructure Materials Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology seeks a researcher with knowledge of finite element analysis and extensive expertise in one or more of the following technical areas: instrumented mechanical testing, adhesion testing, polymer degradation characterization, and material damage analysis and modeling.

If selected, you will play a significant role in the projects related to the reliability study of polymeric materials used in electronic applications. This includes working with NIST staff and external partners on planning and executing experimental research and modeling to evaluate the reliability and service lifetime of heterogeneous multilayered polymeric structures in semiconductors and other applications. The results will be used to understand the root causes of the multilayer failures, providing a scientific basis for test method development, material selection, and product quality assurance for the semiconductor industry.

Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

-         Developing new test methods for mechanical properties of heterogeneous multilayered systems.

-         Characterizing the degradation of materials and interfaces before, during, and after exposure to accelerated laboratory aging.

-         Developing reliability models based on robust datasets of materials and interface properties before and after aging.

-         Providing technical leadership on finite element modeling of failure mechanisms in multilayered polymeric structures.

-         Disseminating research results through presentations at conferences, publication of journal papers, and technical reports.

Qualifications

-     Ph.D. in Physics / Mechanical Engineering / Materials Science / Electrical Engineering

-     Strong oral and written communication skills

-     Currently living in the United States

-     Experience in:

-         Finite element modeling of heterogeneous systems

-         Nano- and micro-scale materials characterization

-         Degradation or failure analysis of polymeric materials

-     Experience in experimental design and corresponding software development preferred

Application Instructions

Please upload the following with your application:

-         CV/Resume

-         2 professional references

*Please limit C.V to 3 pages only and ONLY include a valid email address for your contact info. Please DO NOT include telephone numbers, home address or photos on your resume.

Privacy Act Statement

Authority:  15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)

Purpose:  The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the  Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor's degree holders, graduate students, master's degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.  

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate administrative functions of the PREP Program.

Routine Uses:  NIST will use the information collected to perform the requisite reviews of the applications to determine eligibility, and to meet programmatic requirements. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices:  NIST-1: NIST Associates. 

Disclosure:  Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use of the information you submit for the purpose stated.

About Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University remains committed to its founding principle, that education for all students should be grounded in exploration and discovery. Hopkins students are challenged not just to learn but also to advance learning itself. Critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and entrepreneurship are all encouraged and nourished in this unique educational environment. After more than 130 years, Johns Hopkins remains a world leader in both teaching and research. Faculty members and their research colleagues at the university's Applied Physics Laboratory have each year since 1979 won Johns Hopkins more federal research and development funding than any other university. The university has nine academic divisions and campuses throughout the Baltimore-Washington area. The Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the Whiting School of Engineering, the School of Education and the Carey Business School are based at the Homewood campus in northern Baltimore. The schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing share a campus in east Baltimore with The Johns Hopkins Hospital. The Peabody Institute, a leading professional school of music, is located on Mount Vernon Place in downtown Bal...timore. The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies is located in Washington's Dupont Circle area.

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