PREP0004036 Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy Researcher

PREP Research Associate

Opportunity No.: PREP0004036

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.

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Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy Researcher

Project Description:

Developing advanced operando methods for Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy (ETEM), including the design of in situ gas and liquid environments and integration of multimodal spectroscopy. The position emphasizes real-time correlation of structure, chemistry, and function at material interfaces, development of quantitative measurement protocols, and analysis of large dynamic datasets. The researcher will collaborate with internal and external partners to advance measurement science for catalysis, energy materials, and semiconductor processing.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Develop and implement operando and in situ ETEM methodologies for gas- and liquid-phase studies
• Design, test, and integrate environmental TEM holders, cells, and stimulus control systems
• Perform multimodal measurements combining imaging, diffraction, and spectroscopy
• Establish quantitative measurement protocols and uncertainty-aware data analysis workflows
• Analyze large, time-resolved, and hyperspectral datasets using advanced computational methods
• Use multiscale and physics-based simulations to support the interpretation of electron imaging and spectroscopy data
• Correlate structural, chemical, and functional dynamics at material interfaces under realistic conditions
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and external partners on joint research initiatives

Desired Qualifications: 

• Ph.D. in materials science, physics, chemistry, or a closely related field
• 8+ years of post-doctoral or equivalent research experience
• Recognized expertise in transmission electron microscopy, including extensive experience with operando or environmental TEM methods
• Demonstrated leadership in multimodal electron imaging, diffraction, and analytical spectroscopy (EELS and EDS) programs
• Proven track record of independently leading research programs and analyzing complex, time-resolved, and multidimensional datasets
• Experience applying computational modeling or simulation frameworks to support the interpretation of microscopy and spectroscopy data
• Established record of high-impact publications, invited presentations, and successful collaboration across institutions and disciplines

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. Albert Davydov (albert.davydov@nist.gov). For questions related to the online application or NIST PREP more generally, please contact msu-nistprep@morgan.edu.

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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.

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