Chemical Analysis (Post-Bachelors Level) Position - National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) - Posted Dec. 4th, 2025

Position Overview

The U.S. - India TRUST Fellowship offers a 12-month postdoctoral position at the Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), under the guidance of Principal Investigator Dr. Murthy Dharmapura. Running from August 2026 to July 2027, this fellowship aims to advance strategic technology cooperation between the United States and India through a public-private partnership. The proposed research project, titled "Tuning Bi-based semiconductors for cost-effective and efficient solar fuel production at scale," focuses on developing sustainable technologies for low-cost solar fuel production as an alternative to thermo or electrocatalytic approaches. Fellows will receive a monthly stipend of $1,650, complimentary in-campus housing and meals, health/medical insurance, a contingency research grant of up to $1,000, and on-ground logistical and visa support. The fellow or their U.S. university is responsible for covering the cost of round-trip economy airfare.

Key Responsibilities

• Design earth-abundant, visible-light absorbing Bi-based semiconducting photocatalysts for sunlight-driven H2 evolution and CO2 conversion.
• Establish structure-property-efficiency correlations in promising semiconductor materials.
• Synthesize materials utilizing state-of-the-art research infrastructure, including sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), furnaces, and reactors.
• Perform detailed optoelectronic characterizations using techniques such as electrochemistry, solar simulation, spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
• Conduct performance evaluations of the materials using gas chromatography and spectrometry.

Qualifications & Skills

• Must be a post-doctoral researcher from a leading U.S. institution.
• Must have a research focus that aligns with the TRUST initiative's strategic technology fields, such as Semiconductors, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, Defense and Space, or Biotechnology.
• Must possess the analytical and technical skills necessary to utilize a range of spectroscopy tools and complementary analytical techniques to reveal mechanistic insights into photophysical processes.
• Preference will be given to U.S. citizens who have no prior experience in India.