11 Postdoctoral Fellowship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States

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 seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will focus on applying computational methods in the areas of interfacial chemistry of rare-earth elements for energy and bio-inspired processes and molten salts chemistry for nuclear-reactor applications. This position resides in the Carbon and Composites Group in the Separations and Polymer Section, Chemical Sciences Division (CSD), Physical Sciences Directorate, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

The postdoc will perform molecular dynamics simulations, statistical mechanics (e.g., rate theory) and electronic structure theory (e.g., density functional theory), and machine learning based computational studies of molecular and periodic systems. The postdoc will also work within a multidisciplinary multi-institutional team involving specialists in theory, spectroscopy, organic chemistry, and biochemistry.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to lead the fabrication and integration of cutting-edge quantum photonic architectures, with a focus on merging advanced materials into on-chip photonic platforms to harness quantum effects through monolithic fabrication and design. This position resides in the Nanofabrication Research Laboratory, Nanomaterials Synthesis and Nanofabrication Section of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) in the Physical Sciences Directorate (PSD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

As part of our research team, you will collaborate with leading experts in quantum photonics, theory, and nanofabrication across ORNL. Your role will involve developing innovative fabrication methods to create monolithic photonic circuits, as well as extensively characterizing these systems. The CNMS is equipped with a unique state-of-the-art nanofabrication facility, which has recently undergone several instrumental upgrades suited to meet evolving nanofabrication challenges including atomic layer deposition, electron beam lithography, and direct-write plasma focused ion beam instrumentation. In addition, new physical and chemical vapor deposition systems are being installed, which will enable new film deposition and growth strategies critical to the success of this work. As part of your responsibilities, you will identify fundamental structure-property relationships by systematically analyzing how specific synthesis and fabrication strategies impact key photonic properties, such as propagation loss, entanglement efficiencies, and other optical characteristics.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to use advanced scanning probe microscopy for the development and application of multiscale excitonic probes. In this role, you will study buried interfaces in monolithic 3D heterogeneous integration (M3D HI) systems, with a particular emphasis on vertically stacked 2D/3D semiconductor heterostructures. 

This position resides in the Functional Atomic Force Microscopy (FAFM) group in the Nanomaterials Characterization Section, Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), Physical Science Directorate (PSD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). You will join our team as part of the Department of Energy’s Nanoscale Science Research Center (NSRC)-CHIP project.  

As part of our research team, the successful candidate will lead experimental efforts using advanced nanoscale optical and scanning probe techniques—including spatially and temporally resolved photoluminescence, electroluminescence, and a strong focus on photoinduced force microscopy (PiFM)—to investigate exciton dynamics, charge transfer, and interfacial disorder. Responsibilities will include designing experiments, preparing and characterizing samples, analyzing data from complementary techniques such as scanning microwave impedance microscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, and cathodoluminescence, as well as collaborating with theorists for data-model integration. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of novel nanoscale metrology frameworks with direct implications for the design of next-generation optoelectronic devices. Ideal candidates should have a strong background in optical spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy, or condensed matter physics, and a passion for working in a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary environment. You will play an integral role in the development of PiFM and closely collaborate with other scientists across the network of NSRCs for synthesis, device fabrication, theoretical calculations, and other characterization methods, as well as across multiple CNMS groups and divisions at ORNL.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will support the Accelerator Physics Group in the Research Accelerator Division, Research Accelerator Division, Neutron Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

The qualified candidate will study, simulate and develop software for beam transport and beam dynamics in SNS superconducting linac, beam transfer lines and SNS Ring. The qualified candidate will also design software to monitor and control the SNS accelerator in real time and work in SNS Control Room.

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.

The Manufacturing Systems Analytics (MSA) group at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts applied machine learning, decision science, and multi-modal sensor research and development for energy applications, with a focus on advanced manufacturing technologies. The MSA group consists of staff members with backgrounds in mechanical engineering, materials science, computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and optical engineering, and frequently collaborates with partners in industry, academia, and other government organizations. To support ORNL strategic research and development activities at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) (https://www.ornl.gov/facility/mdf/), we are accepting applications for Postdoctoral Research Associate positions. The selected candidates will conduct their research in the broad field of data science to develop new data driven methodologies to assess and to improve the quality of components fabricated using advanced manufacturing processes.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will support the Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Research & Analysis (MEERA) Group in the Manufacturing Science Division (MSD), Energy Science and Technology Directorate (ESTD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to work in the areas of life cycle energy impacts analysis, technoeconomic analysis, and industrial energy efficiency analysis research under the Strategic Analysis and Industrial Energy Efficiency Programs.

The MEERA Group conducts techno-economic, value chain, trade, patent, and global analyses relevant to advanced energy and manufacturing technologies. MEERA is currently supporting a multi-laboratory DOE Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) project to develop an independent, objective, and publicly available geothermal well life cycle assessment analysis. This project will conduct research into alternative geothermal well designs that can improve the life cycle value of geothermal wells, reduce costs, improve productivity, and mitigate risks. The project builds upon previous MEERA work focusing on casing and cementing activities that identified the cost of casing, cement and cement additives, and annulus area as key variables in reducing total drilling cost. This project expands the analysis to other aspects of geothermal well development including well completion, production, and abandonment phases.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will focus on creating innovative uncertainty quantification and visualization algorithms that enable trusted visual representation and analysis of large-scale 2D/3D scientific data. This position resides in the Data Visualization Group in the Data and AI Systems Section, Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This position presents a unique opportunity to develop cutting-edge high-performance computing (HPC) and machine learning/artificial intelligence (ML/AI) techniques that incorporate uncertainty into visualizations, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of scientific discovery. It also offers exciting prospects for direct collaboration with domain experts—such as those in neutron scattering and urban science—to apply and evaluate research methods on large, domain-specific scientific datasets.