Postdoctoral Researcher: Infrastructure Polymer Durability

Johns Hopkins University; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore seeks a PREP Research Associate to advance the durability assessment of polymeric materials used in civil infrastructure. You will conduct laboratory weathering experiments on infrastructure polymers, participate in a collaboration with NIST, and help identify materials with high impact for stakeholders.

Responsibilities include collecting degradation data, developing test configurations, and contributing to design equations and metadata databases.

Qualifications

• Hands-on laboratory experience with polymer characterization techniques.
• Experience evaluating long-term degradation of polymers and accelerated weathering.
• Familiarity with data analysis and software tools (Excel, Origin, SolidWorks).

Responsibilities

• Review literature and degradation results from SPHERE and outdoor weathering experiments.
• Identify polymeric materials for durability assessment based on literature and market needs.
• Conduct accelerated weathering on SPHERE and other devices as appropriate.
• Characterize chemical, optical, and mechanical changes using spectroscopy, microscopy, and mechanical tests.
• Develop test configurations to measure performance changes in infrastructure applications.
• Maintain SPHERE with technicians and collect irradiance data.
• Contribute to a SPHERE metadata database and present results in meetings.
• Write protocols, technical reports, and manuscripts for publications.

Skills

Tensile tests

DMA

Nanoindentation

DSC

TGA

FTIR

Raman

UV-Vis

Color tests

Optical microscopy

SEM

Infrared thermography

Pull-off tests

Three-point bending

Moisture absorption

Excel

Origin

SolidWorks

R

Python

Tools

Excel

Origin

SolidWorks

R

Python

Job description

Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore seeks a PREP Research Associate to advance the durability assessment of polymeric materials used in civil infrastructure. You will conduct laboratory weathering experiments on infrastructure polymers, participate in a collaboration with NIST, and help identify materials with high impact for stakeholders.

Responsibilities include collecting degradation data, developing test configurations, and contributing to design equations and metadata databases.