Graduate Research Fellowships in Soft Condensed Matter, Patterned Surfaces and Colloids at Centro de Física Teórica e Computacional

Centro de Física Teórica e Computacional, Lisboa Graduate Research Fellowships (BI)

Deadline for applications: 15 July 2010.

Applications are invited for up to four Graduate Research Fellowships under Project PTDC/FIS/098254/2008, Patterned surfaces and colloids: the effects of texture on fluid adsorption and self-assembly, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) of Portugal, as follows:

1. Duration:
12-24 months full-time, starting September 2010. Preference will be given to candidates wishing to pursue studies leading to a doctoral degree.

2. Subject:
`Soft condensed matter` - the class of materials for which the relevant energy scale is close to the energy of thermal agitation - exhibits dramatic emergent phenomena that arise from simple interactions.

This project aims to study a new generation of materials, where surface texture plays a dominant role in determining he structure and properties of adsorbed or self-assembled fluid phases. It comprises three theoretical and computational sub-projects investigating:
- liquid-crystal structure induced by patterned substrates;
- the self-assembly of colloids with anisotropic interactions; and
- nematic emulsions. The combined study of these systems will shed light on the principles governing the interplay of geometry and fluctuations on the mesoscale.

3. Supervision:
Professor Margarida Telo da Gama and other members of the Condensed Matter Physics Group at CFTC (cftc.cii.fc.ul.pt), as appropriate.

4. Academic Requirements:
First Degree or MSc in physics or related areas.

5. Pay:
At the appropriate point in FCT payscales (tax-free).

6. How to apply:
Send CV and letter of motivation to Professor Margarida Telo da Gama, Centro de Física Teórica e Computacional, Avenida Proessor Gama Pinto 2, P-1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal. The successful candidates will be interviewed for the purpose of assigning them to one of the three sub-projects. Ideally vacancies should be filled in the order A, B, C, but we are flexible and candidates` preferences will be taken into consderation whenever possible.

7. Deadline for applications:
15 July 2010.

Website link:
www.cftc.cii.fc.ul.pt