Research Fellow (BCC-Superalloys) - School of Metallurgy and Materials - 96647 - Grade 7

Position Details

School of Metallurgy and Materials

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary £38,784.

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to June 2028 

Closing date: 22nd September 2026

Background

The University of Birmingham is seeking a Research Fellow to create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a range of activities within the Materials for Extremes research group.

The Materials for Extremes research group seeks to discover fundamentally new alloys for extreme environments across nuclear fusion/fission reactors, aerospace gas turbines and concentrated solar power. This involves: (1) Alloy Design, supported by computation methods; (2) Production through arc melting, powder metallurgy or additive manufacturing; (3) Characterisation using advanced electron microscopy (SEM, EBSD, TEM), APT and x-ray diffraction methods; (4) Mechanical Testing and failure investigation, including macro-, micro- & in-situ testing, (5) Irradiation damage studies, using University of Birmingham’s proton/neutron facilities.

The postholder will work on “bcc-superalloys” (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.116761)  to achieve top scientific outputs (e.g. Ti https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2017.06.038, W https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2021.101014, Fe https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121095) with a focus on developing novel alloys with improved ductility and irradiation damage resilience. They will be closely supported in their own development, for example: learning new scientific skills, making funding applications & Fellowships, supervision/teaching opportunities, training courses, conferences, collaborative networks & academic/industrial secondments - UK and internationally.

The postholder will work within the specified research project, operating within these areas of specialism: alloy design & development, characterisation, mechanical & irradiation testing. They will analyse and interpret research findings and results, contribute to generating funding and contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and public understanding of the discipline.

Role Summary

• Work within specified research grant: Bcc-superalloys: Engineering Resilience to Extreme Environments.
• Operate within an area of specialism (can include alloy design & modelling – CALPHAD/DFT/ICME, experimental alloy production, advanced characterisation (SEM, EBSD, TEM, STEM, APT, diffraction), and/or testing (mechanical / environmental)
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Publish research in top journal articles, and present at international conferences
• Contribute to writing bids and generating funding 
• Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods 
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Contribute to teaching activities for undergraduate/graduate students if required.
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person Specification

• First degree in area of materials, manufacturing, mechanical engineering, solid state physics or a related discipline.
• Doctoral degree (such as PhD), or close to completion of a doctoral degree relevant to advanced manufacturing, physical metallurgy or advanced characterisation.
• A track record, or a demonstrable potential of high-quality peer-reviewed publications.
• High level experimental and analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant modelling tools, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively 
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

An ideal candidate should have some or all of the following attributes: 

• Experience in alloy synthesis including arc melting and heat treatment
• Experience of microstructural characterisation 
• Experience of mechanical testing
• Good organisational, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good report writing skills and the ability to present results using Powerpoint.

Informal enquiries to Prof Sandy Knowles, email: [email protected] 

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.