About the position
Doctoral student in computational materials design: carbon- and oxygen-based conductors
Research Field: Chemistry » Computational chemistry
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Not funded by a EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No
Creating that possibility is the ambition of this project, and we are looking for a doctoral student to lead its theoretical side.
About the project
As the theory doctoral student on the project, you will:
Collaborate closely with researchers performing synthesis and characterization.
Work towards developing chemical design rules for new classes of conducting materials.
Depending on your interests and how the project develops, there is room to push further: electron–phonon coupling and superconductivity, magnetic behavior in the high-spin-density limit, or transport modelling beyond band theory.
The theory–experiment loop is important to this project.
A candidate who has completed (or is on track to complete) a master’s degree or an equivalent advanced program corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field - such as chemistry, materials science, or physics, with a strong foundation in quantum chemistry or computational condensed matter physics.*
*Note for U.S. applicants: A European MSc is roughly equivalent to completing a graduate-level degree or sufficient graduate coursework and research experience after the bachelor’s degree.
The research environment
We ask fundamental questions about computational materials design, chemical bonding, the origins of life, and quantum computation.
The project has been judged patentable by the Swedish patent office and accepted into the Chalmers Ventures technology transfer program, so there is a credible route from your calculations to an application.
The position is limited to four years, with the possibility to teach up to 20%, which extends the position to five years.
A dynamic working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg – an archipelago on the doorstep, a large international research community, and a city that is easy to live in.
Chalmers is dedicated to improving gender balance and actively works with equality projects such as the GENIE Initiative for gender equality and excellence.
TOEFL/IELTS results, or a course or project report written in English if your thesis is not in English.
Informal enquiries are welcome before you apply.
Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level.
Years of Research Experience: 1 - 4
What you’ll bring
- A candidate who has completed (or is on track to complete) a master’s degree or an equivalent advanced program corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field - such as chemistry, materials science, or physics, with a strong foundation in quantum chemistry or computational condensed matter physics.*
- *Note for U.S. applicants: A European MSc is roughly equivalent to completing a graduate-level degree or sufficient graduate coursework and research experience after the bachelor’s degree.
- You have already run electronic-structure calculations yourself.
- You have the independence, and the stubbornness, to pursue a challenging goal for several years.
- Meritorious qualifications:
- Include in your personal letter a clearly marked section of at most half a page describing one calculation you have carried out yourself: the system, the code and method, the question you were trying to answer, one thing that went wrong, and what you did about it.
- Bachelor's and, if available, master's thesis, together with your transcripts.
- Research Field: Chemistry
- Years of Research Experience: 1 - 4
- Research Field: Physics
At a glance
- Position type
- PhD
- Institution
- Chalmers University of Technology
- Department
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Research group
- Not stated
- Location
- Gothenburg, Sweden, SE
- Supervisor / contact person
- Prof. Martin Rahm
- Funding
- Salaried
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Not funded by a EU programme
There are no tuition fees.
A starting salary of 35,725 SEK per month, rising according to the doctoral salary ladder as you progress. - Duration
- Not stated
- Expected start
- Ideally by Jan 2027, exact date negotiable.
- Vacancy reference
- EURAXESS-461684
Research focus
- Discipline
- Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering
- Research area
- Not stated
- Methods
- DFT, Synthesis
- Software
- Quantum ESPRESSO, VASP, CP2K, Python
Dates to know
- Listed on FOSS Positions
- 17 Sep 2026
- Original advertisement date
- Not stated in the source
- Application deadline
- 15 Oct 2026 · 21:59 UTC
- Priority review date
- Not stated
- Last checked
- 17 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 17 Sep 2026
2026-10-15T21:59:59+00:00
How to apply
Application Deadline: 15 Oct 2026 - 21:59 (UTC)
You will join Martin Rahm's group at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. We ask fundamental questions about computational materials design, chemical bonding, the origins of life, and quantum computation. We foster an open, interdisciplinary environment that values collaboration and mentorship. You will collaborate with Daniel Weber's synthesis group in the same department, and with Saroj Dash’s group at Chalmers' Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, who does transport measurements. Calculations are run on national high-performance computing resources (NAISS) and local clusters. The project has been judged patentable by the Swedish patent office and accepted into the Chalmers Ventures technology transfer program, so there is a credible route from your calculations to an application.
How to apply
Use the button at the foot of the advert to reach the application form.
Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered.
A background check may be conducted as part of the application process.
Application deadline: 15 October, 2026
Informal enquiries are welcome before you apply. Contact Prof. Martin Rahm, martin.rahm@chalmers.se.
We look forward to your application.
Where to apply
Apply now
https://academicpositions.com/ad/chalmers-university-of-technology/2026/doctoral-student-in-computational-materials-design-carbon-and-oxygen-based-conductors/252220
Contact: martin.rahm@chalmers.se
Original sources
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