Expression of interest – Associate Professor in Polymer Characterization

The Department of Chemical Sciences of the University of Padova wants to strengthen its research and teaching activities in the field of Polymer Science. To this end, the Department is seeking candidates for a direct call of an Associate Professor in the Characterization of Polymeric Materials and/or Experimental Polymer Physics.

The Faculty of the Department of Chemical Sciences would like to meet colleagues who might be interested in the available position. We are seeking candidates who: 1) have an outstanding scientific curriculum vitae; 2) have accumulated excellent research experience in different research groups in Italy or abroad; 3) have coordinated relevant research projects in Italy or abroad in the fields of Polymer Characterization and/or Experimental Polymer Physics; 4) have an excellent track record of both nationally and internationally awarded research grants; 5) have the professional capacity to teach Polymer Science at all levels.

Interested individuals are invited to submit a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, a four-page research project they intend to carry out if hired, and a teaching statement. The documents mentioned above should be submitted to the Director of the Department of Chemical Sciences at the following e-mail address: direttore.chimica@unipd.it indicating in the subject line “PA – Polymer Characterization”.

Candidates are encouraged to apply by 30^th November, 2024.

Expressions of interest will be reviewed by a cross-disciplinary selection committee. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview and a scientific presentation. All expressions of interest will receive consideration without discrimination on any ground. In particular, the University of Padova encourages women's applications to achieve the 40% new female employee target set by the National Resilience and Recovery Plan (PNRR) and the objectives of the University of Padova’s Gender Equality Plan.

For the selected candidate, an official direct-call recruitment process will be initiated. This consists of several approval steps and requires a formal endorsement from the Italian Ministry of Education, University, and Research. For successful candidates who have held academic positions abroad there are substantial tax benefits. The procedure is expected to be completed and the position to be filled within 2025.

Eligibility criteria and additional information

The Direct Calls program of the Italian Ministry of Education, University, and Research (MUR) provides opportunities to cover academic positions through direct calls to Italian and foreign scholars meeting one of the following necessary requirements:

1. Scholars who have been holding an Associate Professor position abroad in a foreign university or research institution for at least three years.
2. Scholars who have been enrolled as Associate Professors at Italian universities for at least three years.
3. Recipients of an ERC starting grant or equivalent personal grants by foreigner science foundations.

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of  Mária Omastová, a distinguished scientist and the national representative of Slovakia to the European Polymer Federation. 
During her career, Mária held various prominent positions. She served as the President and later Vice-President of the Slovak Chemical Society from 2013 to 2016. Between 2015 and 2021, she was a member of the Presidium of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Deputy Chairman for International Relations. Her dedication and expertise were also recognized through her work at the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research in Dresden and as a visiting professor at University Paris-7.
Mária Omastová was a pioneer in the study of electrically conductive polymers and their applications in areas such as cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as the development of new materials for solar cells and supercapacitors. Her groundbreaking work on graphene oxide nanoplatforms and MXenes for electromagnetic shielding has been published in over 200 papers in reputable international journals.
Her contributions to science were acknowledged with numerous awards, including the Scientist of the Year 2016, the Pribina Cross I. Class awarded by the President of Slovakia in 2019, and she was a finalist for the ESET Science Award in 2020. Mária was also an advocate for environmental protection, working to raise awareness about plastic waste pollution.
Our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.

Katja Loos, Professor of Macromolecular Chemistry at the University of Groningen, has been elected as the President of the European Polymer Federation (EPF) for the period 2023-2025.

Katja Loos is Professor at the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials of the University of Groningen, holding the chair of Macromolecular Chemistry and New Polymeric Materials. She specialized in Organic Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry during her university studies at the Johannes Gutenberg Universität in Mainz, Germany and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, USA. She moved into the field of Enzymatic Polymerizations during her doctoral research at the University of Bayreuth, Germany and the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brasil. After a postdoctoral research stay at Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, NY, USA she started an independent research group at the University of Groningen.
Katja Loos pioneered the field of enzymatic polymerization, especially the biocatalytic synthesis of polysaccharides and polyamides, and the synthesis and self-assembly of PVDF containing block copolymers. Already early in her career Katja Loos was awarded two travel scholarships of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and she received the very prestigious Feodor Lynen Fellowship award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to conduct her postdoctoral research. During her independent research career, on the basis of her unique approach in combining modern polymer synthesis, (macro) molecular self-assembly, and utilization of the arising structures the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded her the prestigious VIDI grant in 2009 and VICI grant in 2014 and the German Research Council (DFG) the Eleonore Trefftz guest professorship within the scope of its excellency initiative. Among others she was awarded the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the IUPAC Distinguished Women in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Award and the Team Science Award of the Dutch Research Council (NWO).
Katja Loos is a Fellow of the Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).