Research Fellow - Biomass/Biomaterials Growing Media

About the role

The School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at NTU is recruiting a Research Fellow to join a project funded by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) under the Singapore Food Story R&D Programme 2.0. The project develops sustainable growing media for urban farming that delivers nutrients under control in soil- and hydroponics-based cultures. The fellow contributes to the design, fabrication and characterisation of the media, with an emphasis on structure-property relationships and their effect on agricultural performance.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct thorough literature reviews and generate periodic updates
• Synthesise, functionalise and characterise porous materials using techniques such as SEM, XRD, DLS, FTIR, TGA/DSC, MTS and ICP-MS
• Run assays to understand degradation and nutrient-release kinetics of the platform
• Correlate material properties and nutrient release with plant growth by measuring seed germination, seedling development, crop yields and nutritional profiles
• Develop scale-up strategies and collaborate with local and overseas farms and industry partners for large-scale trials and industrial production
• Supervise junior research staff and undergraduate and graduate student projects
• Manage logistics and laboratory inventory, coordinate with the multidisciplinary team and external collaborators, and write reports and manuscripts

Required profile

• PhD in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Biomaterials or a related field
• Strong research record with publications, grant applications or patents
• Preferred: experience in biomaterials, biomass recycling, functionalisation and characterisation, agriculture research, and hydrogels, aerogels or porous materials
• Good communication and writing skills, and good coordination and project management skills
• Able to plan and run experiments with minimal supervision, take initiative to improve processes and meet deadlines