Predoctoral Position to Visualize Ultrafast Solar Energy Transport On The Nanoscale

ICFO is offering **1 Predoctoral fellowship position** to well-qualified graduate students, who wish to **obtain a doctoral degree in the Molecular Nanophotonics Research Group at ICFO.**.

Our PhD-program brings together _top-level training and teaching for young scientists_, benefiting from the extensive course offerings of local universities and focused instruction by ICFO professors, _in a stimulating, international and interdisciplinary environment_. PhD-students have the opportunity to take advantage of our _network of excellence_, consisting in partners of national and international research institutes and universities, as well as industrial partners in the field.

This fellowship is associated with the research project Generación de Conocimiento 2024, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

El proyecto PID2024-156564OB-I00 está financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, la AEI y el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional: MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 / FEDER, UE

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**Description of the Project and Main Tasks and Responsibilities**

Photosynthesis powers life by conversion of sunlight photons to charges and fuels: dedicated antennas funnel the sun’s energy towards reaction centres. Amazingly, nature reaches almost perfect efficiency, while it regulates down at high light level for protection and survival. While the protein complex and reaction centres are known, it is largely unknown how they dynamically organize and transfer for perfect efficiency and protection. We want to learn from nature.

In this project we combine advanced nanofabrication, superresolved microscopy and ultrafast spectroscopy to visualize energy transport on the nanoscale. To address any relevant function of photosynthesis one to needs to operate at natural conditions, far below shut-down: the light level of One Sun.

Combining chemical and nanofabrication approaches we will control the organization of the protein membrane architecture, its packing/order, and tune the optimum for transport. Controlling the chemical environment (pH etc) we will investigate the dynamic response and protection mechanisms on light stress, operating both below and above one Sun.

This multidisciplinary project “SolTrans” combines the expertise of two ICFO groups: Prof. Dr. Niek van Hulst’s group on nanofabrication and nanophotonics, and Prof. Dr. Nicoletta Liguori’s group on photosynthetic complexes and ultrafast spectroscopy.

**Eligibility**
- Have an excellent academic record, previous research experience and a strong commitment for scientific research.
- Have a high working knowledge of English.

**Conditions**

ICFO PhD positions are offered for a period of 4.5 years. The **conditions** of the positions awarded in the scope of the ICFO PhD fellowship program are as follows:

- Initial contract for a period of up to 6 months (referred to as the “initial trainee period”), while being pre-admitted to the PhD program, with an explicit follow-up/ renewal procedure at the end of this first stage. (1). During this period, students already take part in the ICFO working environment, join a research group, and work with their supervisor to define a research project.
- After this initial training period, students are formally enrolled in a PhD Program with a local university (as a general rule, the UPC PhD in Photonics program administered by ICFO), and the full PhD Fellowship activated.

Salary is offered according to the institutional salary scales.
- All fellowships include medical care coverage and work accident insurance through the Spanish Social Security system, providing access to the Spanish public health care system.
- As part of the fellowship, ICFO will provide budget as deemed necessary and with the corresponding approval from the corresponding Group/Team Leader to enable the PhD fellow to complete his/her assigned research project. This budget is managed by the Group/Team leader, and will include consumables and other materials, training and other related costs, such as registration fees, travel and subsistence costs for participation in national or international events, conference, meetings, schools, and/or other training activities.
- A Curriculum Vitae, including contact details,
- Scanned copies of the complete (Bachelor and Master equivalent) official academic transcripts in English or Spanish,
- Official document or website from the degree granting university
- Academic transcript including this explicit description
- Letter or certificate from faculty, school or department, addressed to ICFO on official letter-head, signed by a person responsible for admissions into the PhD program
- The names and contact details of 2 referees.

**Selection process**

All students admitted into the ICFO PhD program must pass through a selection process involving the evaluation of submitted documents, an eligibility and admissibility check and an int