Basic and Applied Research Toward Improving Battery Safety, Performance, and Reliability
Navy research aims to improve battery safety, performance, and reliability for various applications by studying battery degradation, testing new technologies, and analyzing failure modes.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: December 1, 2024 | February 1, 2025 | March 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | June 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | September 1, 2025 | November 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: $99,200 stipend plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical postdoctoral fellowship duration 2-3 years.
Summary: Postdoctoral fellowship to conduct research improving battery safety, performance, and reliability for Navy applications through fundamental and applied studies of electrochemical energy storage devices.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents with a Ph.D. in relevant technical fields; requires prior contact with Research Adviser; relocation and health insurance benefits included.
Description
This postdoctoral research opportunity at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) focuses on advancing the safety, performance, and reliability of electrochemical energy storage devices, primarily batteries, which power critical Navy platforms ranging from expeditionary units to shipboard, undersea, air, and space applications. The research group evaluates commercial and Navy-relevant batteries, investigates fundamental energy storage and degradation mechanisms, and explores novel technologies such as solid-state and metal anode batteries.
Research leverages advanced characterization tools including:
- Isothermal Battery Calorimetry for heat generation analysis
- In situ optical microscopy and X-ray computed tomography for electrode morphology
- In situ X-ray and Raman spectroscopy for chemical composition
A major research emphasis is quantifying the severity of high-energy battery failures under abusive testing conditions. The program seeks candidates with expertise in relevant characterization techniques (e.g., SEM, XRD, Raman, FT-IR, Accelerating Rate Calorimetry, electrochemical methods, battery electrode fabrication).
