13 Postdoctoral Fellowship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will focus on polymer synthesis and characterization for fundamental understanding of depolymerization and polymerization of polymers coupled with autonomous chemistry https://www.ornl.gov/project/precision-synthesis-polymers-mastering-reaction-equilibria. This position resides in the Soft Materials and Membranes group in the Separation and Polymer Chemistry section, Chemical Sciences Division, Physical Sciences Directorate, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).  

As part of our team, the postdoc will synthesize novel polymers (both polymerization and depolymerization) especially utilizing robotic autonomous chemistry, unravel mechanistic understanding, valorize to new polymers using depolymerized building blocks, as well as conduct their characterization. The project is highly collaborative, and the postdoc will work with other polymer scientists, physicists, computational scientists, as well as neutron scattering experts.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to develop AI-driven automation workflows for aberration-correction scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to accelerate the characterization of degradation mechanisms in catalysts and electrochemical devices. This position resides in the Applied Microanalysis and Thermophysics (AMAT) Group in the Materials Analysis & Interface Science Section of the Materials Science and Technology Division (MSTD), Physical Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).  

As part of our research team, you will collaborate with world leaders in catalysis and electrochemistry through national laboratory consortia of the Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI).  Your role will be to work with the new aberration-corrected Thermo Fisher Spectra Ultra STEM to help drive the development of automated routines for analyzing catalyst structure and degradation mechanisms.  A key area of research will involve Python scripting within the Thermo Fisher AutoScript environment to control operation of the microscope beam, stage, detectors, and spectrometers, with a particular emphasis on annular dark-field STEM imaging, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy, at the intersection of electron microscopy, software engineering and machine learning.

We are seeking Postdoctoral Research Associates who will focus on materials joining and allied materials sciences and manufacturing technologies. These positions reside in the Materials Joining Group in the Materials Analysis and Interface Science Section, Materials Science and Technology Division, Physical Sciences Directorate, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).  

Multiple positions are available to support R&D with different research focuses. They include innovations in joining and materials processing/synthesis, AI/ML for process monitoring and control, and physics based computational modeling of joining processes or performance of welded structures. As a postdoc, you will conduct research and development at the forefront and often at the intersection of above topic areas as part of our multi-disciplinary team, with access to the vast research resources in a national laboratory environment, to advance your career.

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to work at the intersection of tensor networks, quantum algorithms, scientific computing, topological physics, and quantum hardware. As part of our team, you will perform research to develop new scalable quantum simulation algorithms, based on multi-linear representation theory, and apply them to real world applications spanning qubit engineering to quantum algorithmic analysis to applications across the physical sciences (condensed-matter or high energy physics, data science). You will Interpret, report, and present research concepts and results to national audiences.

This position resides within the Quantum Computational Science Group in the Computational Sciences and Engineering Division (CSED) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). CSED performs transdisciplinary computational science and analytics at scale to produce advancements in  physical sciences, engineering, and biomedicine and health. The Quantum Computational Science group addresses this mission through the development of quantum computational methods and software for diverse scientific applications.

Do you have a passion for applying AI methods for accelerating scientific discoveries and an ability to think outside of the box in a collaborative and open environment?  If so, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Learning Systems Group within the Data and Artificial Intelligence Systems section invites you to apply to our new postdoctoral research associate position in AI for Science.

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to conduct cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence for scientific discovery within a national laboratory environment. The successful candidate will develop and apply advanced machine learning techniques—including multimodal AI, computer vision, and large language models—to complex scientific and engineering challenges. This role emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, scalable data systems, and impactful research aligned with mission-driven science.

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will help solve some of the most challenging problems faced by the nation. You will perform groundbreaking research on a wide range of significant problems, and you will apply your work to exciting research in multi-disciplinary domains alongside globally recognized experts. You will bring creative thinking, teamwork, and machine learning skills to bear as you develop new methods to address scientific and engineering problems, collaborate with leaders in your field and across the laboratory, while working with the world’s fastest computers, and disseminate innovative results through publications and presentations.

The Learning Systems Group at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory focuses on artificial intelligence and computational research and applies this knowledge to support the nation’s leading initiatives. We hire top researchers who are ready to tackle the hardest problems faced by both the US and the world. Researchers of the Learning Systems group are changing the world with their research, and we are committed to hiring and retaining highly motivated, energetic, and creative individuals that will help us continue our breakthrough scientific endeavors.

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will focus on the physics and materials science of PLD-synthesized twisted oxide and hybrid quantum materials. This position resides in the Neutron & X-Ray Scattering, & Thermophysics group in the Materials Analysis and Interface Science Section, Materials Science and Technology Division, Physical Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).  

As part of our research team, you will work in a highly collaborative environment with a broad spectrum of expertise, including epitaxial synthesis, twisted membrane fabrication, quantum transport, neutron/x-ray scattering, and spectroscopy. You will perform cutting-edge research on correlated quantum heterostructures, including epitaxial synthesis by pulsed laser deposition, characterization, analyzing data, and writing papers.

The Multiscale Biomedical Systems Group within the Advanced Computing in Health (ACH) section of the Computational Sciences and Engineering Division (CSED) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) seeks a motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate.

This position primarily focuses on large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and AI-integrated multiscale modeling of complex biosystems. The successful candidate will also contribute to efforts that bridge molecular, cellular, and systems-level modeling, with growing relevance to emerging paradigms such as whole-cell modeling and networked biological systems.

You will work at the intersection of high-performance computing (HPC), computational biophysics, and machine learning, leveraging leadership-class computing resources and collaborating across ORNL, federal agencies, and academic partners.

The Power System Resilience (PSR) Group in the Electrification and Energy Infrastructure Division (EEID) within the Energy Science and Technology Directorate (ESTD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to perform R&D in the areas of electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulation and software development as well as dynamic and transient inverter modeling and different applications of the simulation. Selection will be based on qualifications, relevant experience, skills, and education. You should be highly self-motivated and independent in conducting research under general guidance and are expected to prepare manuscripts for scientific publication and present the work to sponsors and at conferences.

The PSR Group supports the research on energy security and resilience of the power grid at the Energy Department (DOE) through advancement of modeling, simulation, and real-time monitoring of the power grid, including research supporting the Office of Electricity (OE), Grid Deployment Office (GDO), Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER), and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) on the integration of new technologies, identifying and validating new ways of using existing and emerging grid assets to ensure grid reliability, grid resilience, environmental stewardship, and affordability of energy supplies. The PSR group focuses on resilience, data analytics, protection, and EMT simulation research.

We are accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position who will focus on the intersection of material science, materials characterization, and data science to develop new methodologies for assessing and improving the quality of components fabricated using advanced manufacturing processes.  This position resides in the Manufacturing Systems Analytics (MSA) Group in the Manufacturing Science Division (MSD), Energy Science and Technology Directorate (ESTD), at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will focus on advanced electron microscopy research for quantum or energy materials. This position resides in the electron Microscopy and Microanalysis (e-MMÅ) group in the Nanomaterials Characterization Section, Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), Physical Science Directorate (PSD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).  

As part of our team, you will investigate the atomic and electronic structures in energy and quantum materials and correlate them with relevant properties for energy and data storage applications. You will utilize ORNL’s new capabilities of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). A particular focus of the research will be understanding heterogeneities, such as interfaces in quantum materials or energy materials. Advanced electron microscopy capabilities, such as 4D-STEM and high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), will be integrated with in situ experiments. You will play an integral role in electron microscopy and closely collaborate with other scientists for synthesis, theoretical calculations, and other characterization methods across multiple divisions at ORNL. 

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will focus on advanced scanning probe microscopy to study the dynamics of ferroic systems, including ferroelectric and ferroelastic materials, under external stimuli such as electric fields, light, strain, and temperature. This position resides in the Data Nanonanalytics (DNA) Group within the Nanomaterials Characterization Section of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), Physical Sciences Directorate (PSD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

As part of our research team, you will investigate the functional properties of novel ferroic material systems and correlate their nanoscale ferroelectric, ferroelastic, optical, and electrical responses with structure and environment, with relevance to microelectronic devices and low-power, three-dimensional, non-von Neumann computing architectures. You will utilize ORNL’s unique ultra-high-vacuum, glovebox, and ambient atomic force microscopy capabilities, together with band-excitation and internally developed modalities, to probe environmental- and temperature-dependent behavior and to develop new scanning probe techniques aimed at discovering underlying physical mechanisms. A particular focus will be on the dynamics of topological structures such as ferroelectric and ferroelastic domains and domain walls, as well as on understanding the nanoscale behavior of emerging ferroelectrics, including wurtzite- and fluorite-structured materials, through advanced measurement approaches and multidimensional data analysis. You will play an integral role in atomic force microscopy research and collaborate closely with scientists across ORNL in materials synthesis, device fabrication, theory, and complementary characterization.