Staff Scientist - Kitchener, Canada - InsideHigherEd

Description

Date Posted: 03/20/2024
Req ID: 30501
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Acceleration Consortium
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

Description:

The Acceleration Consortium (AC) at the University of Toronto (U of T) is at the forefront of a groundbreaking shift in scientific exploration that aims to expedite the advancement of technology and its commercialization. The AC serves as a dynamic hub that unites academia, industry, and government, harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, materials sciences, and high-throughput chemistry to establish self-driving laboratories (SDLs), also known as materials acceleration platforms (MAPs). These innovative labs swiftly engineer materials and molecules essential for a sustainable, flourishing future, impacting diverse fields from renewable energy and tech gadgets to pharmaceuticals. AC Staff Scientists play a pivotal role in propelling the realm of AI-powered autonomous discovery forward, focusing on creating the necessary materials and molecules to combat major societal issues like climate change, water contamination, and forthcoming health crises.

The Acceleration Consortium secured a notable $200M Canadian First Research Excellence Grant spanning seven years to develop self-driving labs for chemistry and materials, marking the largest grant ever received by a Canadian University. This significant funding will empower the Acceleration Consortium over the next seven years to bring its vision to fruition.

The AC is actively progressing in constructing seven cutting-edge SDLs encompassing:

• Inorganic solid-state materials
• Organic small molecules for advanced materials
• Drug discovery utilizing chemical probes
• Polymers for materials science and biological applications
• Formulations for pharmaceuticals, consumer products, and coatings
• Biocompatibility with organ-on-a-chip technology
• Synthetic scale-up of materials and molecules

We are seeking dedicated staff scientists to spearhead the development of both the hardware and software infrastructure necessary for each SDL, as well as to lead research endeavors capitalizing on these labs for materials and molecule exploration.

The AC's Staff Scientists are accomplished and seasoned researchers tasked with independently enhancing AI-driven autonomous discovery, crafting essential materials and molecules, and tackling society's most pressing challenges such as climate change, water pollution, and future pandemics. This role will report to the Academic Director and Executive Director of the Acceleration Consortium. We welcome applications from individuals with diverse expertise and backgrounds crucial to supporting the evolution of Self-Driving Labs and materials discovery.

Staff Scientists at the AC collaborate with a diverse array of leading experts at the U of T, including renowned personalities like Alàn Aspuru-Guzik, Christine Allen, Cheryl Arrowsmith, Frank Gu, Jason Hattrick-Simpers, Anatole von Lilienfeld, Milica Radisic, Sophie Rousseaux, Florian Shkurti, Dwight Seferos, Dave Sinton, and Helen Tran.

The recruited team will specialize in various areas, including:

• Artificial Intelligence / Automation
• Machine Learning for Molecules and Materials
• Physical, theoretical and/or computational chemistry
• Robotics
• Experimental planning and design
• Programming and high-performance computing
• Cheminformatics
• Automated Chemical Synthesis and Characterization
• High-throughput materials synthesis and processing
• Nanomaterial synthesis and characterization
• Polymer physics
• Structural, electrochemical, and microstructural characterization of materials and molecules
• Screening electrocatalytic conversion
• Analytical chemistry and separation method development
• Chemical reactions and analytics
• GLP formulation skills
• Electrochemistry
• Organic synthesis methodology development
• Drug Discovery / Medicinal Chemistry
• Medicinal chemistry
• Protein biophysics/biochemistry
• Mass spectrometry
• Controlled release properties and processes
• Organ on a chip / Organoid
• Pluripotent stem cell differentiation
• Molecular biology
• Toxicology pharmacology

The components and duties of the work include:

1. SDL and Automation Development
   • Collaborating with the AC community, including faculty and partners, to identify the essential functionalities of the SDLs to be constructed.
   • Devising SDL blueprints aligning with user needs and conceiving innovative tools for automated material synthesis and characterization.
   • Creating bespoke hardware and Python software packages for SDL establishment.
   • Overseeing the selection, acquisition, and setup of necessary equipment for the SDLs.
2. Research Direction
   • Independently formulating research initiatives that leverage the AC's SDLs and support the research goals of AC faculty and industry collaborators.
   • Utilizing SDLs to produce and analyze significant volumes of candidate molecules, aligning theoretical models with empirical data, forecasting promising candidates utilizing computational resources and machine learning algorithms, and elucidating structure-property correlations of emerging materials and molecules.
   • Tasks include: managing the research and development projects of AC's industry partners implemented within AC labs, outlining plans to support research partnerships, estimating financial resources necessary for programs and projects, ensuring research outcomes meet partner specifications, raising awareness of AC's research capabilities through conference presentations, participating in research proposal preparation and submission to funding bodies, and drafting manuscripts for peer-reviewed publications and seeing them through the publication process.
3. Other
   • Providing consultancy services connected to the application of SDLs for materials discovery for AC's partners.
   • Assisting in research-oriented events such as the Annual Symposium.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Education

• Ph.D. in Physical/Material Chemistry or a related field

Experience

• Five (5) to 10 years of research and development experience, with a focus on Physical, Material, Medicinal, and/or Analytical Artificial Intelligence for Chemistry.
• Prior engagement with industry partners and involvement in industry-driven research and development undertakings.
• Proficiency in AI and automation along with experience in self-driving laboratory development.
• History of presenting research findings at academic conferences.
• Demonstrated record of academic and research achievements.

Skills

• Effective oral and written communication skills in English.
• Collaborative approach in working with team members and partners.
• Capacity to work autonomously.

Other

• Strong publication background.
• Successful track record in writing and preparing various forms of scientific content for peer-reviewed journals.

Closing Date: 07/31/2024, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: Research Associate
Appointment Type: Grant - Continuing
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone: A maximum salary of $150,000 (salary assessment based on skills and experience)
Job Category: Research Administration & Teaching

Qualified candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply; however, priority will be given to Canadians and permanent residents.

Diversity Statement

The University of Toronto champions Diversity and strives to cultivate an inclusive environment that enhances our ability to effectively address and serve the needs of our global community. We actively encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black individuals, women, persons with disabilities, and individuals representing diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have exhibited a dedication to equity, diversity, and inclusion, acknowledging that diverse viewpoints, experiences, and expertise play a crucial role in advancing our academic mission.

Applicants will be invited to complete a brief Diversity Survey as part of the application process. Participation in this survey is voluntary, and the information collected is confidential, not accessible to selection committees or human resources personnel. Data will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For further details, please visit the provided link.

Accessibility Statement

The University is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive community, actively striving to enhance diversity among its members. Our principles regarding equity and diversity are closely intertwined with our unwavering pursuit of excellence in fulfilling our academic mission.

As per the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), we endeavor to make our recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes as accessible as possible, providing accommodations for applicants with disabilities as needed.

If you require accommodations during any stage of the application and hiring process, please reach out to us.

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