Research Associate in Bioinspired Mesoporous Silica

Introduction

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world‑class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits and join us to become part of something special.

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Academic Career Pathways.
• A range of generous family‑friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • support for those going through the menopause
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page:  (opens in a new window).

We have invented a green method to produce bioinspired mesoporous silica (BMS). Preliminary research and market analysis shows that this invention has commercial potential which needs to be demonstrated in terms of the application and scalability. A related project is studying the performance of BMS, in this project, we will investigate and demonstrate the scalability using our custom‑built pilot plant. The expected outcome is reproducible and robust production of up to 1kg.

This will derisk commercialisation and help plan future manufacturing.

• Commission the pilot plant by running preliminary trials.
• Trial BMS synthesis/process at lab scale to establish benchmarks.
• Develop a plan for scale‑up, process intensification and design of experiments to study a range of parameters.
• Implement these plans to undertake multiple production runs/cycles.
• Using multiple methods, quantify the product quality and understand the dependence on processing conditions using fluid dynamics theory.
• Investigate and optimise downstream processing (separations, purification and drying).
• Use inputs from industry and external partners to inform scale‑up and optimisation.
• Produce up to 1 kg BMS in a single batch and demonstrate reproducibility.
• Explore the use of feedstock from various sources.
• Take a lead role in writing up research, individually or in collaboration with colleagues, and disseminate results as appropriate by, for example, peer reviewed journal publications, technical reports and presentations.
• Collaborate with colleagues on the development of impact and knowledge exchange activities by, for example, participating in initiatives which establish research links with industry and influence public perceptions.
• Supervise researchers and provide advice to students, and attend and contribute to project meetings, research advisory meetings and research group meetings.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

• Essential: A good honours degree (or equivalent experience) and a PhD or equivalent research experience relevant to this position (assessed at application).
• Essential (application):
  Experience of applying…