Research Associate Positions (23) at University of Hamburg, Germany

Duties include academic services in the project named above. Research associates may also pursue further academic qualifications outside of their work responsibilities.

Your research focus will be on the mechanistic investigation of low-temperature direct ammonia fuel cells (DAFCs). To overcome the limitations in transport and storage of hydrogen, green ammonia is the next generation of carbon free energy carrier. You will learn and improve your skills and knowledge to better understand and engineer the electrode-electrolyte interface for single DAFC.

What You Will Do:

• development of novel electrochemical diagnostic tools for low-temperature direct ammonia fuel cells
• characterization of catalyst-coated membranes
• perform in situ/ex situ structural characterization methods
• design of novel catalyst materials for ammonia oxidation reaction

Duties primarily include teaching and research. Research associates may also pursue further academic qualifications outside of their work responsibilities.

• teaching (25% of work hours [4 LVS], preferably in German, English possible)
• building femtosecond spectroscopy instrumentation (incl. Interfacing with software)
• experimental project design (incl. Literature research)
• data analysis and simulations (e.g. Python, Matlab, DFT codes)
• publication: Preparation and submission of publications, participation in conferences

Within our research group, the successful candidate will be responsible for:

Experimental Research:

• development of new synthesis methods for the production of clusters from semiconductor materials (e.g. CdSe, CdS, PbS)
• characterisation of clusters using standard methods (e.g. IR spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, MS spectroscopy, DSC, XRD) and single cluster fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy
• modification of cluster surfaces with different molecular ligands
• crystallisation of clusters into macroscopic materials
• characterisation of macroscopic materials using spectroscopic and microscopic methods

Data Analysis and Interpretation:

• analyze experimental data using appropriate methods and software
• interpret the results in the context of refining theoretical models based on the latest development in the field

Collaboration and Communication:

• work collaboratively with other researchers, both within the group and in interdisciplinary teams
• present research findings in group meetings, departmental seminars, and international conferences
• prepare manuscripts for publication in high-impact scientific journals

Compliance and Safety:

• ensure compliance with safety regulations and ethical standards in all research activities

Our group is deeply involved in detector R&D and construction of the CMS experiment.

Candidates are expected to take a leading role in the assembly and quality control of pixel sensor modules for the new CMS Inner Tracker for the high luminosity phase of the LHC. A close collaboration with international partner institutes is expected.

Specific responsibility of the candidate will be:

• further development of measurement setups and analysis tools for the quality control of pixel modules
• leading role in all aspects of the assembly and quality control testing of 500 CMS Inner Tracker pixel modules
• integration of pixel modules on detector structures (requires travel to Switzerland)
• laboratory and test beam, characterization of novel LGAD sensors

Interested candidates will be offered the opportunity for independent research, advanced training, supervision of students and development of teaching skills. Additional scientific accomplishments are encouraged. The position is financed through the federal initiative FSP-CMS “Physics with the CMS Experiment” by the German Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

The research associate will have the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research at the intersection of ultracold quantum gases and ultrafast physics for investigating novel quantum systems in a joint research project of the groups of Prof. Dr. Markus Drescher and Prof. Dr. Klaus Sengstock.

The project involves generating ultracold rubidium atoms arranged in arbitrary geometries using optical tweezer technology for designing new functional quantum systems. As a unique tool, ultrafast laser pulses are used to excite atoms into high-lying Rydberg states for quantum simulation or to ionize ultracold atoms for investigating fundamental properties of atom-ion hybrid systems with applications in quantum technology.

The Cluster of Excellence “Quantum Universe” performs research to understand mass and gravity at the interface between quantum physics and cosmology. The research team includes leading scientists from mathematics, particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology at the University of Hamburg and DESY.

Topics will include Higgs boson cosmology, early universe, axions, baryogenesis, cosmological phase transitions at the electroweak scale and beyond, inflation, gravitational-wave signatures of physics beyond the Standard Model, predictions of spectra of primordial origin.

Doctoral research associates will become members of the Quantum Universe Research School (QURS), which provides academic and key skills training, as well as career planning support. In addition, they will receive individual budgets to facilitate the attendance of summer schools and conferences, and to support other educational measures. Additional travel money for project-specific duties will be provided by the hosting research groups. Doctoral researchers may participate in teaching at the University and in the organization of the Cluster via an early career council.

The Cluster of Excellence “Quantum Universe” performs research to understand mass and gravity at the interface between quantum physics and cosmology. The research team includes leading scientists from mathematics, particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology at the University of Hamburg and DESY.

Topics will include particle physics beyond the Standard Model, dark matter, axions, early universe, baryogenesis, cosmological phase transitions, inflation, gravitational-wave signatures of physics beyond the Standard Model.

Doctoral research associates will become members of the Quantum Universe Research School (QURS), which provides academic and key skills training, as well as career planning support. In addition, they will receive individual budgets to facilitate the attendance of summer schools and conferences, and to support other educational measures. Additional travel money for project-specific duties will be provided by the hosting research groups. Doctoral researchers may participate in teaching at the University and in the organization of the Cluster via an early career council.

The Signal Processing (SP) research group of the Universität Hamburg, http://uhh.de/inf-sp is known for cutting-edge research on Statistical Signal Processing and Machine Learning for speech signals. Applications include assistive listening devices (earbuds, hearing aids, cochlear implants), voice-controlled assistants (smart speakers, smart phones, robots), and virtual meetings. The specific duties of the research associate are

• research on novel data science and artificial intelligence methods applied to speech signals
• the participation in the acquisition and scientific supervision of third-party funded projects
• publication and dissemination of scientific results
• support and assistance with organizational and administrative tasks during the start-up phase of the new study program “Data Science and Artificial Intelligence”
• the position includes the responsibility to teach 4 hours/week in the computer science department

Research associates will be expected primarily to teach and conduct research. The research associate will also have the opportunity to pursue further academic qualifications, in particular a doctoral dissertation. At least one-third of set working hours will be made available for the research associate’s own academic work.

Our research focuses on the synthesis of biohybrid nanostructures and the investigation of their structural and functional properties.

Within our research group the successful candidate will be responsible for:

Experimental Research:

• solution-based synthesis of isotropic and anisotropic nanoparticles
• preparation of protein samples for encapsulation experiments
• design and conduct experiments using synchrotron-based X-ray methods
• perform experiments to characterize nanoparticles encapsulated in protein cages using X-ray methods such as SAXS or total X-ray scattering
• combine these results with complementary techniques such as TEM or SEM

 Data Analysis and Interpretation:

• analyze experimental data using appropriate methods and software
• interpret the results in the context of refining theoretical models based on the latest development in the field
• maintain accurate and detailed records of all research activities and findings
• support the application for beamtime at suitable synchrotron beamlines

 Method Development:

• develop and optimize methodologies to study nanoparticles encapsulated in protein cages
• implement improvements to existing protocols and instrumentation to enhance research outcomes

 Collaboration and Communication:

• work collaboratively with other researchers, both within the group, at the beamlines and in interdisciplinary teams
• present research findings in group meetings, departmental seminars, and international conferences
• prepare manuscripts for publication in high-impact scientific journals

 Teaching and Mentoring (six hours per week on average [2,6 LVS]):

• assist with teaching duties, including laboratory practicals and tutorials, as appropriate
• mentor undergraduate and master’s students involved in related projects 

Compliance and Safety:

• ensure compliance with safety regulations and ethical standards in all research activities

We are opening a position at the Center for Free-Electron Laser (CFEL) Science in Hamburg. The project will focus on the implementation of machine-learning-based closed-loop experimentation at the XUV Free-Electron Laser FLASH at DESY in Hamburg in order to enable robust user operation for attosecond science with FELs. The analysis of electron-spectroscopy-based metrology of ultrashort pulses with attosecond resolution will be the basis for an automatized control of the machine optimization. Building a strong collaboration network between photon science, accelerator science and technology is key to this project, hence, project planning and communication will be a substantial part of the tasks. The position is part of the BMFTR project OPTIX, Optimized Processing and Training for Intelligent Experimentation.

This unique opportunity offers the candidate access to cutting-edge technology and a collaborative and diverse environment aimed at pushing the technological, methodological, and scientific frontiers of ultrafast science.

(18) Postdoctoral Fellowship Position

Postdoc Fellowship Position summary/title: Research Associate for the Project “Attosecond Timing Tool based On angular Streaking for Experiments at the European XFEL (AttoSee)” 

Deadline : 13.03.2026

View details & Apply

Duties include teaching and research in the respective department or institute. Research associates may also pursue independent research and further academic qualifications as well as acquire teaching experience. These duties are intended to promote academic achievement. Therefore, at least one-third of set working hours will be made available for the associate’s own academic work.

The postdoc should complement research activities of the Soil Protection working group in the Department Earth System Sciences and is expected to develop a research concept tailored for activities with a short-term (up to three years) and a long-term (up to six years) perspective. The concept should address current and future impacts of global change on soil water fluxes and carbon dynamics in Drylands. The working group is part of the Cluster of Excellence “Climate, Climate Change and Society II,” where we focus on the dynamics of soil functions in Southern African drylands and in (semi)arid regions.

The Research Associate candidate will develop innovative synthetic methodologies to produce disordered metal nitride-based nanoparticles and heterostructures, with an emphasis on uncovering emergent properties at nanoscale. The research will involve synthesizing and optimizing these heterostructures, alongside laboratory studies to assess their photo-electro-catalytic behavior. The candidate will also explore alternative materials or conditions to enhance functionality.

Another key aspect of the work will be designing, proposing, and executing experiments using large scale X-ray facilities such as synchrotron, XFEL, or other relevant methods to identify and characterize photo-catalytic active sites. The candidate will work independently while collaborating closely with other members of the CUI-AIM II consortium and Koziej Lab.

The work will involve refining the printing process, developing suitable materials, and conducting laboratory studies to evaluate water absorption, control, and the functional response of the printed structures. The candidate will also explore alternative materials, additives, or conditions to enhance the reactivity and adaptability of these systems.

The candidate is expected to work independently while collaborating closely with other members of the “BlueMat” consortium, Koziej Lab and interdisciplinary partners.

Research associates will be expected primarily to teach and conduct research. The research associate will also have the opportunity to pursue further academic qualifications, in particular a doctoral dissertation. At least one-third of set working hours will be made available for the research associate’s own academic work.

Teaching duties currently comprise 3.0 teaching hours per week. The Research Associate candidate will develop innovative synthetic methodologies to produce high-quality thin films and devices, with an emphasis on uncovering emergent properties at the nanoscale. The research will involve synthesizing and optimizing these 2D material-based heterostructures, complemented by studies to evaluate their photo-electro-catalytic behaviour. Additionally, the candidate will investigate alternative materials and fabrication conditions to enhance their functional properties.

A key aspect of the work will include designing, proposing, and executing experiments utilizing large-scale X-ray facilities such as synchrotrons, XFELs, and other advanced characterization methods. These experiments aim to study operando their structure-function relationships. The candidate will work independently while collaborating closely with group members and external facilities.