As part of the European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant project DEEP-SEE,
the Theoretical Chemistry and Molecular Thermodynamics axis of the Laboratoire
de Chimie at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Lyon (ENSL) seeks to appoint a 
full-time Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) to model the enrichment processes
of rare earth elements (REE) in bioapatites (nominally Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl)) from 
marine deposits.

Background
REE are essential to modern life, yet we know little about how they concentrate 
at the Earths surface, especially on the seafloor, which holds vast reserves. 
For example, Japanese researchers discovered recently a REE deposit that can 
supply the world for centuries. REE are concentrated in fossilized fish bones 
by post-mortem uptake from pore-waters all over the pelagic sediments of the 
global ocean. The DEEP-SEE project aims to elucidate the chemical reactions 
that lead to the economic enrichments of REE through the characterization of 
their crystal chemistry using X-ray emission spectroscopy and the modeling of 
their incorporation mechanisms using computational chemistry.   

Project
The PDRA will be office-based at the ENSL under the supervision of Dr. Stephan 
Steinmann, and will report to Dr. Alain Manceau, Principal Investigator of 
DEEP-SEE. Spectroscopic measurements will be performed at the European Synchrotron 
Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble by Alain Manceau and his colleagues, 
including two ERC-funded PDRA specializing in spectroscopy and aqueous 
geochemistry. While this position focuses on the modeling aspect of the 
DEEP-SEE project, close collaboration with the ESRF-based team and some 
travelling to Grenoble to attend meetings is anticipated. It is also anticipated 
that the PDRA will disseminate findings through publications in leading 
international journals and present the work at international scientific 
conferences and stakeholder events.

Applicant
The successful candidate should hold a PhD in Chemistry or Geosciences and 
should have knowledge and experience of the fundamental processes that 
govern chemical reactions at the solid-water interface. Experience in 
exploiting numerical/computational skills to interpret experiments is 
essential. Experience with VASP and/or Orca is a plus. Writing skills and 
proficiency in English are important; autonomous problem solving is a plus.

The contract runs for 12 months, renewable for a further 6 or 12-month 
period, depending on the project progress. The salary depends on the 
experience of the PDRA, starting at a net salary of about 2100 euros/month 
for young graduates. 

Workplace
The Theoretical Chemistry and Molecular Thermodynamics group benefits from 
the international recognition in the field of theoretical modeling of 
heterogeneous catalysis as well as processes at the solid/liquid interface 
in general. Students from all-over the world have been or are part of the 
team, where English is the main language of scientific discussions. In 
addition, the team benefits from the international context of ENS Lyon, 
which welcomes hundreds of students each year. Lyons listing by UNESCO 
as a World Heritage Site gives recognition to the long history heritage 
of the city. It is also recognized for its gastronomy and, last but not 
least, Lyon is a vivid city with thousands of students.

Informal enquiries can be made to Dr. Stephan Steinmann.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter highlighting their 
research interests and experience, a CV including the list of publications, 
and contact information for three references to stephan.steinmann]-[ens-lyon.fr 
and alain.manceau]-[ens-lyon.fr

The closing date for the receipt of applications is 29/02/2024, but delayed 
submissions may be considered until the position is filled. The starting-date 
is negotiable.