The Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Catalysis in the Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne has an immediate opening for a Ph.D position in bioinorganic chemistry. The successful candidate is expected to develop bio-inspired coordination compounds for hydrogen activation and hydride transfer reactions. He or she will engage in inorganic synthesis in a daily base, characterize the newly synthesized compounds using multinuclear NMR, IR, UV-Vis, EPR, Mössbauer, magnetism, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and crystallography, and study the electronic structure of these compounds employing DFT methods.

EPFL is one of the two Swiss federal institutes of technology. It has three missions: education, research, and technology transfer at the highest international level. With 107 nationalities represented on campus and more than 50% of the professors coming from outside of Switzerland, EPFL is one of the world’s most cosmopolitan universities. More information about EPFL and the Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering can be found at:
http://www.epfl.ch/ and http://isic.epfl.ch/index.html.

EPFL is located idyllically on the shore of Lake Geneva, overlooking the French Alps. Lausanne offers students a wide palette of cultural and sports activities and is also known internationally as the Capitale Olympique. In a country of spectacular natural beauty, it is the most beautiful of cities. More information about Lausanne can be found at:
http://switzerland.isyours.com/e/guide/lausanne/index.html
http://www.lausanne-tourisme.ch/view.asp?Check=True&CurOS=2&

Salary: The annual salary is roughly 50,000 CHF (ca. 40,000 USD or 30,000 Euro) for a Ph. D. student.

Requirements: An M.S./M.Phil. in Chemistry is generally required, although exceptional candidates with only a B.S. in Chemistry will be considered. Only motivated candidates who finish with at least a first-class mark (e.g. GPA > 3.0/4.0) and/or have proven records of academic excellence are encouraged to apply. Training in synthetic and mechanistic inorganic chemistry, and knowledge and experience with inert-atmosphere manipulation techniques are desirable. Applicants whose first language is not English are recommended to provide results of the TOEFL and/or GRE tests, or other measure(s) of English proficiency.

The appointment will be for four years subject to the successful completion of the admission examination after the first year. A maximum of 4 years may be taken to finish a Ph.D. thesis. More information about the doctoral program can be found at: http://phd.epfl.ch/page55507-en.html. The contract can start immediately but the position remains open until filled. Excellent candidates will be invited for an on-site interview at EPFL. Interested candidates should include a curriculum vitae, a list of publications, names and contacts of three references, and a brief description of research interests. Due to the time constraint, we are not able to reply to every application.

For applications and further information please contact:

Prof. Xile Hu
E-mail:

Webpage: http://isic2.epfl.ch/page66550-en.html