Research Associate (SDL1, Two-year Term)

University of Toronto; Toronto; On-site; CAD 56,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Toronto, Acceleration Consortium, invites applications for a Research Associate (Limited Term) for a 2-year appointment. The role focuses on automated, high-throughput materials discovery and synthesis under senior staff guidance. The position is housed in the SDL1 (Inorganic Materials) stream at St.

George campus. The successful candidate will design workflows, analyze data with AI/ML tools, and contribute to publications and proposals.

Qualifications

• PhD in engineering, materials science, chemistry, mechatronics, or a related field.
• Minimum 1 year of demonstrated research experience in automated, autonomous, or high-throughput systems.
• Experience developing, integrating, or operating laboratory automation platforms for materials synthesis, characterization, or testing.
• Hands-on experience with laboratory instrumentation and characterization techniques such as SEM, XRD, XRF, spectroscopy, photochemistry, or related tools.
• Experience designing, synthesizing, and evaluating inorganic catalytic materials for energy conversion.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research in automated and high-throughput materials discovery, including synthesis, processing, characterization, testing, and application-driven evaluation.
• Design and execute high-throughput experimental workflows to investigate structure-property-performance relationships in inorganic materials.
• Develop, implement, and optimize automated research workflows with real-time monitoring, data acquisition, feedback, and reproducibility controls.
• Analyze experimental datasets using computational, statistical, and/or AI/ML methods to extract insights into material performance, stability, and process-structure-property relationships.
• Adapt and improve experimental platforms, testing workflows, and characterization protocols to address specific research questions and improve data quality.
• Designing, modifying, and fabricating custom laboratory apparatus, fixtures, and devices.
• Develop research protocols, data-management practices, technical documentation, and best practices for automated and high-throughput experimentation.
• Contribute to manuscripts, technical reports, presentations, research proposals, and collaborative project planning.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Education

PhD degree in engineering, materials science, chemistry, mechatronics, or a related field

Tools

SEM

XRD

XRF

Spectroscopy

Photochemistry

Laboratory automation platforms

Job description

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Research Associate (SDL1, Two-year Term)

Date Posted: 09/18/2026
Req ID: 50250
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Acceleration Consortium
Campus:St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: 00055590
Existing Vacancy: Yes

Description:

The Acceleration Consortium at the University of Toronto invites applications for a Research Associate (Limited Term) for a 2-year appointment. The anticipated start date is December 1st 2026.

The Acceleration Consortium (AC) at the University of Toronto (U of T) is leading a transformative shift in scientific discovery that will accelerate technology development and commercialization. The AC is a global community of academia, industry, and government that leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, materials sciences, and high-throughput chemistry to create self-driving laboratories (SDLs). These autonomous labs rapidly design materials and molecules needed for a sustainable, healthy, and resilient future, with applications ranging from renewable energy and consumer electronics to drugs.

The Acceleration Consortium (AC) promotes an inclusive research environment and supports the EDI priorities of the unit.

The Acceleration Consortium received a $200M Canadian First Research Excellence Grant for seven years to develop self-driving labs for chemistry and materials, the largest ever grant to a Canadian University. This grant will provide the Acceleration Consortium with seven years of funding to execute its vision.

This posted position is for a role within the AC’s SDL1 (Inorganic Materials).

Supporting and under the guidance of Staff Scientists / Senior Staff Scientists, the Research Associate is expected to carry out and contribute to research projects, by way of their expertise, in the areas below.

• Conduct research in automated and high-throughput materials discovery, including synthesis, processing, characterization, testing, and application-driven evaluation.
• Design and execute high-throughput experimental workflows to investigate structure-property-performance relationships in inorganic materials.
• Develop, implement, and optimize automated research workflows with real-time monitoring, data acquisition, feedback, and reproducibility controls.
• Analyze experimental datasets using computational, statistical, and/or AI/ML methods to extract insights into material performance, stability, and process-structure-property relationships.
• Adapt and improve experimentalplatforms, testing workflows, and characterization protocols to address specific research questions and improve data quality.
• Designing, modifying, and fabricating custom laboratory apparatus, fixtures, and devices.
• Develop research protocols, data-management practices, technical documentation, and best practices for automated and high-throughput experimentation.
• Contribute to manuscripts, technical reports, presentations, research proposals, and collaborative project planning.

Applicants should apply online at the link below and include a covering letter, curriculum vitae and three reference names with their contact addresses and phone numbers.

Any questions regarding this position should be directed to Sean Caffrey ([e-mail]).

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• PhD degree in engineering, materials science, chemistry, mechatronics, or a related field
• Minimum 1 year of demonstrated research experience in automated, autonomous, or high-throughput experimental systems
• Experience developing, integrating, or operating laboratory automation platforms for materials synthesis, characterization, or testing
• Hands-on experience with laboratory instrumentation and characterization techniques such as SEM, XRD, XRF, spectroscopy, photochemistry, or related analytical tools
• Experience in the design and optimization of photocatalytic or photothermal reactor systems for applications such as hydrogen production, CO2 conversion, or hydrocarbon dehydrogenation.
• Demonstrated experience in the design, synthesis, and evaluation of inorganic catalytic materials for photocatalytic, photothermal, or photoelectrochemical energy conversion.

Additional skills required include project management, leadership and interpersonal skills to assist in the guidance and implementation of the research project that is comprised of a multi-disciplinary and international team of scholars.

Please refer to our website ( https://people.utoronto.ca/employees/) for some general information about benefits.

Closing Date: 11/30/2026, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: Research Associate
Appointment Type: Grant - Term
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:
R01 -- Research Associates (Limited Term): $55,661 - $104,364
Job Category: Research Administration & Teaching

Lived Experience Statement
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.

Diversity Statement The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.
As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP .

Accessibility Statement The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.
The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.
If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact [e-mail] .

The University of Toronto has implemented a process to substantiate Indigenous Membership/Citizenship/Enrolment for candidates who identify as Indigenous. For more information about this process, please refer to the Indigenous Substantiation Website .