The Cluster of Excellence Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS) at the University of Freiburg invites applications for up to

23 positions for doctoral researchers and 3 positions for postdoctoral researchers

to be filled in 2022. The vision of the Cluster of Excellence Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS) is to combine the best of two worlds – nature and technology. livMatS develops life-like materials systems inspired by nature. The systems will adapt autonomously to their environment, harvest clean energy from it, and be insensitive to damage or recover from it. The purely technical, but behaviorally quasi-living materials systems that are being developed in livMatS meet people's demands for future-oriented environmental and energy technologies. Research into the acceptance and social relevance of these autonomous systems and their sustainability are thus important components of development.

Research is carried out in four interlinking research areas which target Concepts for Energy Autonomy and Integration, Concepts for Adaptive and Active Materials Systems, Concepts for the Longevity of Systems Functions, and Societal Challenges – Sustainability Assessment and Investigation of Psychological, Philosophical, and Ethical Implications of Living Materials Systems. Different research areas within livMatS is integrated into functional materials system within the Demonstrator Area.

The research program of livMatS is characterized by highly interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers from a broad range of fields including engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, psychology, the humanities, and sustainability sciences.

We invite applications from exceptional candidates in the fields specified above who are committed to interdisciplinary research in a cutting-edge environment. Key selection criteria include the applicants’ thematic fit to the livMatS research foci, their academic performance and references, and their overall motivation to join the Cluster.

PhD positions will be filled as part-time positions (65%) and receive their salary according to the salary group TV-L 13. Postdoc positions will be filled as full-time positions (100%) and receive their salary according to the salary group TV-L 13. Application deadline is June 30^th, 2022. We will acknowledge the receipt of all applications, but we will contact only short-listed candidates for job-interviews. We aim to fill positions between July and October 2022.

More information on the application procedure and potential supervisors within livMatS can be found on the livMatS website at https://www.livmats.uni-freiburg.de/en/career/call-for-applications.