Quantitative Aerosol Metrology for Environmental, Climate and Health Applications
NIST is researching lab-based methods to accurately measure the size, mass, and optical properties of nanoparticles to understand their impact on the environment, climate, and health.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | November 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: Stipend approximately $82,764 per year plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Postdoctoral fellowship at NIST to develop and improve quantitative laboratory measurements of nanoparticle (aerosol) size, mass, and optical properties for environmental, climate, and health applications.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens with a doctoral degree earned within the last 5 years; research is lab-based with emphasis on metrology and instrumentation.
Description
This fellowship opportunity is offered through the NRC Research Associateship Programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), specifically within the Chemical Sciences Division of the Material Measurement Laboratory. The research focuses on advancing quantitative aerosol metrology — the precise measurement of size, mass, and optical properties of nanoparticles (aerosols) — to better understand their impacts on the environment, climate, and human health.
Key research areas include:
- Using optical spectroscopy techniques such as cavity ring-down and photoacoustic spectroscopy to measure extinction and absorption of complex atmospheric aerosols (e.g., soot, brown carbon, inorganic species, and their mixtures), supported by optical modeling (Mie theory, DDA, T-matrix).
- Employing measurements and numerical simulations to characterize aerosol instrumentation transfer functions and parameter spaces to reduce measurement errors and uncertainties.
- Investigating aerosol dynamics and particle interactions with three-dimensional interfaces under various flow conditions.
- Developing metrology methods for detecting nano-plastics from diverse sources under different environmental conditions.
- Quantifying and sizing particle precursors and sub-20 nm native particles relevant to ultrapure water and semiconductor manufacturing.
- Assessing ultrafiltration element efficiency in process streams.
The projects are almost exclusively laboratory-based with a strong emphasis on metrology and instrumentation development.
