PREP00040204 Fiber & Composite Materials Science Researcher

PREP Research Associate

Opportunity No.: PREP0004204

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (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, and 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.

APPLY ONLINE HERE

Fiber & Composite Polymer Materials Science Researcher

Project Description:

The Materials Measurement Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking qualified candidates (U.S. Citizens Preferred) for a fiber, composites, and polymer scientist position to lead metrology development in thermomechanical/thermal analysis, chemical analysis, electron microscopy, and structure–property relationships for complex high strength fibers as well as polymeric and composite materials. This role requires hands-on ownership of advanced instrumentation, development of robust and reproducible test methods, and translation of results into actionable guidance for materials design, performance evaluation, and reliability.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Design and execute thermomechanical characterization of polymeric/composite systems
• Develop techniques to fabricate model fiber/composite systems with novel properties
• Lead thermal, thermomechanical, and chemical/structural characterization of materials
• Author peer-reviewed publications and present research to stakeholders
• Support collaborative programs and deliver stakeholder technical solutions

Desired Qualifications: 

• U.S. Citizens Preferred
• Ph.D. in materials science, polymer science, fiber science, chemical engineering, or a related discipline
• Expertise in molecular spectroscopy, with experience analyzing single fibers
• Hands-on experience with thermal analysis (DSC, DMA/TGA/TMA)
• Experience working with complex materials (high-strength fibers, composite armor, or structural composites)
• Background in polymer viscoelasticity and physics
• Strong quantitative/data skills (Matlab/Python/Origin)
• Demonstrated record of technical writing and public speaking
• Ability to lead projects, mentor students/postdocs, and coordinate collaborations
• Experience in long-term reliability studies

Other Details:

• Full-time: the participant is expected to work 40 hours a week
• Location: the participant will work at the NIST Gaithersburg Campus.
• Duration: this is expected to be a one-year position. Extensions are sometimes granted depending on the availability of funds.
• For questions related to the research project or the nature of the work in this position, please contact Dr. Amanda Forster (amanda.forster@nist.gov). For questions related to the online application or NIST PREP more generally, please contact msu-nistprep@morgan.edu.

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 the 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 the information you submit for the purpose stated.