The School of Integrative Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign seeks an NSF-funded postdoctoral researcher focused on bioinspired design. The successful candidate will work under the mentorship of Drs. Andrew Suarez and Marianne Alleyne to work at the intersection of bioinspired engineering or engineering-informed biology. This position is embedded in a research team that will provide training and mentoring. The selected candidate will work closely with laboratories at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Princeton University, and multiple National Laboratories. This is a salaried, one-year, full-time research position with benefits and a chance for renewal.
The individual in this role will:
- Design and conduct research at the intersection of bioinspired engineering or engineering-informed biology with a focus on biomechanics or biological materials. The specific research topic and questions will be crafted by the successful candidate and their mentor(s).
- Lead in the writing of a review paper on the history of BID research, interventions designed to enable BID, and key opportunities to advance BID research and practice
- Aid in the writing of an NSF proposal for a center grant designed to leverage and grow the unique interdisciplinary community of BID scholars on UIUC’s campus
- Have the chance to work in different laboratories at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Princeton University, and several national labs.
Required Qualifications
- Ph.D. in a related field
- Background in design, biomechanics, and/or biological materials
Preferred Qualifications
- Evidence of success working in diverse interdisciplinary research contexts
- Active research trajectory related to BID
- Experience studying scaling laws, abstracting biological principles, and being able to form and evaluate analogies.
Biologists, engineers, designers, and scientists from other related fields are all encouraged to apply. Potential applicants with questions should reach out to Prof. Marianne Alleyne at vanlaarh@illinois.edu
The salary is commensurate with experience and will be set according to university policies. The start date is approximately Jan 31, 2023, and can be adjusted to some extent according to the needs of the candidate.
Please submit the following documents when applying for this position.
- A research statement covering previous experience, interest, and commitment to pursuing in-depth research experience related to bioinspired design.
- A resume or CV.