Postdoctoral Associate - Materials Science & Nanoengineering
About the role
The NSF-funded READINESS Programmable Cloud Laboratory (PCL) at Rice University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to help develop AI-enabled, cloud-accessible autonomous laboratories for next-generation electronic and quantum materials. The position works at the intersection of materials science, AI for Science, experimental automation, and cloud infrastructure, bridging AI and digital frameworks with physical synthesis and characterization systems to enable secure, remotely accessible autonomous experimentation. We seek a highly motivated researcher at the intersection of materials science, AI for Science, experimental automation, and cloud infrastructure. The successful candidate will bridge AI/digital frameworks with physical synthesis and characterization systems and help enable secure, remotely accessible autonomous experimentation. This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at Rice University Campus. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.
Responsibilities
- Develops AI/ML and agentic AI frameworks, digital twins, and closed-loop optimization workflows for autonomous materials synthesis.
- Connects AI frameworks with physical synthesis and characterization instruments through APIs, communication protocols, data pipelines, and hardware/software control interfaces.