Applications are being received until the position is filled

Position. The BGI, University of Bayreuth, Germany, is seeking a candidate for a PhD position to investigate volatilisation of planetary building materials. The candidate will perform experiments to volatilise e.g. silicate liquids representing molten planetary mantles to investigate vapour-liquid equilibration processes and chemical properties of vapour and liquid. The position is part of a project that seeks to quantify the role of vapour loss during planet formation and is funded by European Research Council Starting Grant Vaploss. As such, the candidate will work in a team that further consists of two post-doctoral researchers and the PI (Dr. Remco Hin) on the project.
The position is funded for 3 years. The salary will be typical for German funded PhD candidates (i.e. 75% of the lowest sublevel of grade E13 TV-L of the pay scale for the German public sector).

Working environment. The BGI has a long history of experimental petrology-based research into Earth and planetary sciences, including chemical and physical aspects of planetary accretion. This environment provides the candidate with ample opportunity to develop their academic skills.
In addition to its existing experimental, analytical and computational facilities, the BGI is currently opening new cleanrooms for trace metal isotope geochemistry and equipping a mass spectrometry facility with state-of-the-art (laser-ablation) MC-ICPMS instrumentation. A new high-temperature furnace for experiments up to 3000°C will soon be installed as part of ERC project Vaploss.

Application requirements. The candidate should hold a MSc degree or equivalent in a relevant field (for instance, Earth Sciences, Materials Sciences, Physics, Chemistry). Experience with experimental petrology and/or analytical equipment would be advantageous. Good communication skills in English are desirable, as is the ability to work in a (multidisciplinary) team. The application should consist of a single pdf file containing a CV (max. 2 pages), list of publications (if available), contact details for two suitable referees, and a cover letter (max. 2 pages) detailing your education/research experience and your motivation to apply for this position. The application file should be sent to Dr. Remco Hin (remco.hin@uni-bayreuth.de), who can also be contacted by potential applicants for further inquiries about the position.