Research Scientist 2

MIT•Cambridge, MA

9h•Onsite

About The Position

The Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) at MIT is seeking a Research Scientist 2 to conduct fundamental and applied research in Disruptions, MagnetoHydroDynamics (MHD) stability and control, and Machine Learning (ML) applications to fusion science and technology. This role involves leadership within the new Data Science division at PSFC, collaborating with the Magnetic Fusion Experiments (MFE) and Theory & Computing divisions. The research scientist will lead or co-lead research topics within the PSFC Disruptions Group, manage sponsored collaborations (publicly and privately funded), and have the autonomy to pursue personal research interests in plasma physics and fusion. Responsibilities include supervising graduate students and postdoctoral associates, contributing original research, and publishing findings in scientific journals and presenting at conferences. Specific research areas include developing ML-driven use cases for DOE sponsored programs (Tokamak Research or FIRE collaboratives) and creating strategies for Disruption Prevention, Avoidance, and Mitigation for SPARC and ARC. This position is 100% on-campus at MIT in Cambridge, MA.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Physics, Nuclear Engineering, Plasma Science, or a related field.
Experience with plasma physics, MHD stability, or fusion energy research.
Experience with experimental planning, experimental data analysis, and model development and deployment in control systems.
Familiarity with Machine Learning and data science applications.
Four years of experience post PhD conducting original scientific research.
Experience publishing in scientific journals.
Demonstrated skills in scientific programming (Python preferred).
Demonstrated skills in common open-source software development practices.
Strong communication and collaboration skills.
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

Familiarity with large-scale data management.
Familiarity with FAIR data principles.

Responsibilities

Conduct fundamental and applied research in Disruptions, MHD stability and control, and ML applications to fusion science and technology.
Lead or co-lead research topics in the PSFC Disruptions Group.
Manage sponsored collaborations, both publicly and privately funded.
Pursue personal research interests in plasma physics and fusion.
Supervise graduate students and postdoctoral associates.
Contribute original research to the PSFC program.
Produce work for publication in scientific journals and present at scientific conferences.
Develop ML-driven use cases for DOE sponsored programs.
Develop Disruption Prevention, Avoidance, and Mitigation strategies for SPARC and ARC.
Mentor and conduct outreach in support of a diverse research community.