Vacature Internal Research Fellow Postdoc

Internal Research Fellow (PostDoc) in Biomimetics

Job Requisition ID: 17649

Closing Date: 6 December 2023 23:59 CET/CEST

Establishment: ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Directorate: Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality

Publication: External Only

Vacancy Type: Internal Research Fellow

Date Posted: 15 November 2023

Internal Research Fellowship Opportunity in the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality .

ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. For this purpose, we welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Our team and mission

This research fellowship will be carried out in ESA's Advanced Concepts Team (ACT), a group of researchers, mainly research fellows (post-docs) and recently graduated early stage researchers from a wide variety of academic fields aiming for an academic career. The Team's task is to monitor, perform and foster research on advanced space systems, innovative concepts and working methods. Externally, it interacts almost exclusively with academia and operates as a truly interdisciplinary team bound by the highest scientific standards. Via its research, the Team acts as a pathfinder to explore novel and potentially promising areas for ESA and the space sector, ranging from applied to basic fundamental research topics. An important task of the Team is to communicate scientific trends and results as input to the Agency's strategic planning.

The Team has performed research in biomimetics since 2002, concentrating on research topics related to artificial muscle and joints, seed dispersal, bioinspired sensing, neuromorphic computing and radiation shielding, to name but a few. This research aims to bridge the gap between nature-inspired technologies and space engineering applications.

You are strongly encouraged to familiarise yourself with the research carried out by the ACT (https://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/), especially in the field of biomimetics, and also in the complementary field of bio-engineering, as well as all of the Team's other main research lines.

You are encouraged to visit the ESA website: https://www.esa.int/

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

You will carry out research in the field of biomimetics. Areas of research and research projects will be partly chosen by you based on your own expert judgement and insight into trends and developments, and partly chosen by the Team to follow the Agency's strategic directions.

Scientifically, you will:
• propose and perform novel research in the field of biomimetics for space applications, where appropriate in collaboration with universities of ESA Member States (in particular through the Ariadna scheme: https://www.esa.int/ariadna);
• monitor, liaise with and, where appropriate, cooperate with international, European or national research programmes and projects linked to biomimetic research, placing these within a space perspective;
• monitor developments in the Team's previous biomimetic research projects.

Technical competencies

Knowledge relevant to the field of research

Research/publication record

Ability to conduct research autonomously

Breadth of exposure coming from past and/or current research/activities

Ability to gather and share relevant information

General interest in space and space research

Education

Preference will be given to applications submitted by candidates within five years of receiving their PhD. In particular for this position, the following is required:

You must have obtained:
• a degree in biology, technical biology, bio-engineering, biomimetics engineering or a related field;
• a PhD (completed before taking up duty) in biology (or possibly another discipline with a solid biomimetics focus), with the subject of your thesis relevant to the description of the tasks outlined above

Additional requirements

You should also have:

• Aptitude for and interest in prospective interdisciplinary research;
• Ability to contextualise specialised areas of research and quickly assess their potential with respect to other domains and applications;
• Academic networking to add active links to universities and research institutes;
• Ability to work in a team, while being able to work individually regarding your personal research plans and directions;
• Natural curiosity and a passion for new subjects and research areas;
• Proficiency in computer programming and data analysis.

The position of Research Fellow in ESA's Advanced Concepts Team is similar to a regular academic post-doc placement with, however, a few key differences:
1. ACT Research Fellows have no teaching obligations. However, they will likely be involved in the mentoring of Young Graduate Trainees and student interns within the Team.
2. As the Team does not have the position of professor or similar, ACT Research Fellows have more academic independence than most post-docs. They therefore have more freedom but also more responsibility for their research directions and approaches.
3. ACT Research Fellows join a diverse, changing and interdisciplinary research team embedded in a large space agency, in contrast to a more specialised, focused research group with closely related or similar abilities.
4. ACT Research Fellows need to actively reach out to other disciplines, bringing to bear their competencies in interdisciplinary research projects and encouraging other researchers to join them in their core research projects (research spanning the intersection of various disciplines).
5. ACT Research Fellows need to communicate their expertise and research results internally and externally, including the potential implications and importance for ESA's long-term strategy.

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

The Agency may require applicants to undergo selection tests.

In addition to your CV and your motivation letter, please add your proposal of no more than 5 pages outlining your proposed research in the "additional documents" field of the "application information" section.

At the Agency we value diversity and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further please contact us at .

According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States*.

Functie:	internal research fellow postdoc
Startdatum:	16-11-2023
Ervaring:	Ervaren
Educatielevel:	WO
Contracttype:	Vast
Salaris:	onbekend – onbekend
Uren per week:	1 – 40

Heb je interesse in deze vacature en wil je graag op deze functie solliciteren? Neem dan contact op met ARES - (Association of Retired ESA Staff in Nederland). via onbekend of onbekend. Of bezoek hun website onbekend.