Student-stipend holder Recruitment No 66/2026

Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences; Polska; On-site; PLN 25,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS in Warsaw offers a student scholarship position within the FENG project. The role focuses on hydrofunctionalization catalysis, ligand/catalyst library synthesis, and data-driven chemistry.

You will join a multidisciplinary team working at the interface of catalysis, organic synthesis, and AI-driven modelling. The stipend is 2500 PLN per month for 9 months, with an emphasis on developing experimental expertise and contributing to a predictive model for catalyst

Qualifications

• Student status in chemistry (or related) field is required.
• Strong interest in chemical synthesis and catalysis.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• Fluency in English.

Responsibilities

• Participation in the preparation of new ligands/catalysts.
• Comprehensive structural characterization of the obtained compounds.
• Optimization of the synthesis of selected compounds.

Skills

Independent problem solving

Team player

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor degree or equivalent

Job description

Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences

Organisation/Company Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences Department Team 07 Research Field Chemistry » Organic chemistry Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Bachelor Positions Application Deadline 19 Oct 2026 - 12:00 (Europe/Warsaw) Country Poland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Other Job Status Extra Information Student-stipend holder Hours Per Week 20 Offer Starting Date 2 Nov 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number Recruitment 66/2026 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Student – scholarship position available in the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS within FENG.02.02-IP.05-0063/25 „Smart Engineering of Catalysts for Hydrofunctionalization Reactions: From Selectivity Control to a Predictive Model” project financed from the funds of Priority 2 of the European Funds for Smart Economy Program 2021–2027 (FENG) Action 2.2 First Team, with the Intermediate Institution being the Foundation for Polish Science.

Principal Investigator: dr Dawid Lichosyt

Hydrofunctionalizations of alkenes and alkynes—among the most important examples of which are hydrocyanation and hydroformylation—are processes of tremendous industrial importance, enabling the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, polymers, and functional materials. One of the fundamental limitations of these reactions is the lack of precise control over selectivity. This leads to the formation of product mixtures, including regio- and stereoisomers as well as isomerization products, which is particularly significant for unsymmetrical substrates. These issues arise mainly from the limitations of established catalysts based on transition-metal complexes (Ni, Rh) supported by symmetrically constructed phosphine ligands, which do not provide adequate selectivity control. This project aims to develop a new, holistic approach to controlling selectivity in hydrocyanation and hydroformylation, based on the use of desymmetrized phosphine ligands and advanced artificial intelligence methods. The planned strategy relies on the synthesis of a broad library of new catalysts (>100) with diverse structures and the evaluation of their catalytic performance in both processes (>1000 substrate–catalyst–conditions combinations). The resulting experimental dataset on catalyst activity (TON, TOF) and selectivity will be used to develop predictive machine-learning models that enable accurate in silico identification of optimal catalyst–substrate–conditions combinations and the design of new, more selective catalysts. This will substantially reduce the time required to develop catalysts with the desired selectivity and will lower experimental costs in future practical applications. The proposed approach has the potential to significantly improve industrial processes, leading to more sustainable and economically efficient technologies for the production of high value-added compounds.

Responsibilities:

• Participation in the preparation of new ligands/catalysts
• Comprehensive structural characterization of the obtained compounds
• Optimization of the synthesis of selected compounds

Requirements

Research Field Chemistry » Organic chemistry Education Level Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Student status in chemistry (or related) field is required , as well as a strong interest in chemical synthesis and catalysis. The candidate is expected to be highly motivated for scientific work, capable of independent problem solving, able to work effectively in a team, and systematic and reliable in conducting experiments. Prior experience in organic synthesis or coordination chemistry, and understanding scientific literature will be considered an advantage.

Specific Requirements

At the starting date of the work within the project, the candidate should be a student of first or second degree studies or uniform master's studies.

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Research Field Chemistry » Organic chemistry Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

Additional Information

9 months. We offer:- a scholarship position in the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS with a monthly stipend of 2500 PLN financed from FIRST TEAM FENG No. FENG.02.02-IP.05-0063/25 project, which is financed from the funds of Priority 2 of the European Funds for Smart Economy 2021–2027 Program (FENG) Action 2.2 First Team, with the Intermediate Institution being the Foundation for Polish Science.The stipend is planned for around - the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary, international research team- engagement into an ambitious research program and possibility to build the academic careerThe selected candidate will join a highly experienced, multidisciplinary team working at the interface of catalysis, organic synthesis, and data-driven chemistry. They will have the opportunity to develop advanced experimental expertise in ligand/catalyst library synthesis for hydrofunctionalizations reactions. The project will enable them to address selectivity challenges of direct industrial relevance and contribute to more sustainable, economically efficient catalytic technologies.

Complete application should include the following documents:

• Scientific CV, including a list of scientific achievements (scholarships, publications, patents, conference presentations, etc)

The committee will consider the following criteria:

• Competence to carry out specific tasks in the research project
• Previous scientific achievements
• Fluency in English

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Institute of Physical Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences Country Poland City Warsaw Postal Code 01-224 Street Kasprzaka 44/52 Geofield