Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | November 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: $82,764 stipend plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Postdoctoral fellowship to develop multi-scale computational models predicting microstructure evolution in metal additive manufacturing, integrating simulations and experimental characterization.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens with a doctoral degree earned within the last 5 years; research conducted on-site at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD; requires prior contact with research advisers.
Description
This fellowship opportunity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focuses on advancing the understanding and optimization of microstructure evolution in metals during additive manufacturing (AM). AM processes involve extreme heating and cooling cycles that produce complex and often unexpected microstructures and phases in metallic alloys. The research aims to integrate multiple computational modeling tools across different time and length scales—including density functional theory (DFT), CALPHAD-based thermodynamic models, phase-field models, and finite-element methods (FEM)—to predict phenomena such as microsegregation, homogenization, precipitation, and stress relaxation during and after the AM build process.
The project also involves extensive use of experimental characterization techniques such as scanning and transmission electron microscopy, thermal analysis, and x-ray diffraction to establish processing-structure-property relationships. The ultimate goal is to develop predictive models that can optimize both AM processing parameters and conventional alloy compositions for improved performance and reliability.
Due Dates
- February 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- May 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- August 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- November 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
Note: If a deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, it is moved to the next business day.
Funding Amount
- Base stipend: $82,764 per year
- Travel allowance: $3,000 annually
- Typical appointment length: 2 years
- No supplementation indicated
Eligibility
- Citizenship: Open to U.S. citizens only
- Applicant level: Postdoctoral researchers who have earned a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Sc.D., M.D., D.V.M., or equivalent) within the last 5 years as of the application deadline
- Prior affiliation restrictions: Applicants with current or recent prior employment or postdoctoral fellowships at NIST may be ineligible; research collaborations without continuation of the same project or adviser are generally acceptable
- Must be able to conduct research on-site at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD
Application Process
- Applicants must first contact one or more of the listed Research Advisers at NIST to discuss potential research projects and confirm funding availability:
- Carelyn E. Campbell (carelyn.campbell@nist.gov, 301-975-4920)
- Lyle Edward Levine (lyle.levine@nist.gov, 301-975-6032)
- Mark R. Stoudt (mark.stoudt@nist.gov, 301-975-6025)
- Complete an online application via the NRC Research Associateship Programs portal
- Submit required materials including:
- Profile information (contact, education history, transcripts)
- Research proposal (max 10 pages) detailing problem statement, background, methodology, expected results, and significance
- Letters of recommendation (minimum 3, including dissertation adviser)
- Follow formatting and submission guidelines carefully (e.g., PDF format, page limits, no headers/footers)
- Applications are reviewed by expert panels; scoring above 70/100 is typically required for award recommendation
- Applicants will receive reviewer feedback approximately one week after review finalization
Additional Information
- Health insurance enrollment is required throughout the tenure; a group plan is available with shared costs
- Relocation assistance is provided for awardees moving more than 50 miles to the host laboratory
- Annual travel allowance supports conference attendance, meetings, or fieldwork
- Applicants may apply to up to three different Research Opportunities but only one per sponsoring federal agency per cycle
- Previous NRC Research Associateship awardees must wait at least two years after termination of prior award before applying again
- The program encourages diversity and does not discriminate based on race, gender, age, or other protected categories
External Links
Contact Information