Postdoctoral Associate

Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Cambridge, MA

43d

About The Position

POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE, Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC), to carry out fundamental and applied research in support of the Fusion Energy Data Ecosystem and Repository (FEDER) FIRE collaborative, targeting the creation and implementation of a scalable data infrastructure for fusion energy research; work in the Disruptions group (https://disruptions.mit.edu/) and focus on data management and workflow development, integrating diverse data sources (including simulation, experimental, and engineering data), and ensuring compliance with data standards, besides leading/supporting applications development and experiment realizations on DIII-D and international tokamaks; support the creation and validation of machine learning models, particularly in areas like plasma disruption and stability, and plasma-material interaction, and ensure these models are fully integrated into FEDER for use across the fusion energy community; make original research contributions to the PSFC program; produce work for publication, present work at scientific conferences, and mentor graduate and undergraduate students.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Physics, Nuclear Engineering, Plasma Science, Computer Science, or a related field
• Familiarity with large-scale data management, curation, and FAIR data principles
• Experience conducting original scientific research as well as publishing in scientific journals
• Demonstrated skills in scientific programming (Python preferred), workflow automation, and/or control system integration
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multi-institutional environment, including staff and students from MIT, other universities, national laboratories, and private industry
• Commitment to mentoring and outreach in support of a diverse research community

Nice To Haves

• Experience with plasma physics, MHD stability, or fusion energy research preferred

Responsibilities

• Carry out fundamental and applied research in support of the Fusion Energy Data Ecosystem and Repository (FEDER) FIRE collaborative.
• Target the creation and implementation of a scalable data infrastructure for fusion energy research.
• Work in the Disruptions group and focus on data management and workflow development.
• Integrate diverse data sources (including simulation, experimental, and engineering data), and ensuring compliance with data standards.
• Lead/support applications development and experiment realizations on DIII-D and international tokamaks.
• Support the creation and validation of machine learning models, particularly in areas like plasma disruption and stability, and plasma-material interaction, and ensure these models are fully integrated into FEDER for use across the fusion energy community.
• Make original research contributions to the PSFC program.
• Produce work for publication.
• Present work at scientific conferences.
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees