Join the FunGlass Research Centre of Excellence through MSCA PF
The Centre for Functional and Surface Functionalized Glass is seeking postdoctoral researchers to apply for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship call (MSCA PF) with following deadline:
- Abstract of the project – July 15, 2024
- Full proposal – 11th September 2024 (for selected candidates)
Candidates are expected to apply for the research topic that corresponds to the scientific domains of the FunGlass Centre (described below) through which the candidate will demonstrate their excellence and potential to significantly improve the Centre’s research performance.
ABOUT FunGlass
FunGlass – Centre for Functional and Surface Functionalized Glass is an internationally recognized, rapidly developing centre of excellence fully equipped with modern infrastructure at Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín, Slovakia in a region with high concentration of glass and ceramic industry. The Centre is active mainly in the field of development and characterization of new types of functional glasses with luminescent properties, replacement of rare earth elements by transition metals in inorganic glass-based phosphors, research related to vitrification and immobilization of radioactive waste, and glass-fibers based insulation for nuclear-power plants. During its tenure, the Centre managed to build strong relationships with respected academic partners (Prof. Boccaccini FAU, prof. Wondraczek FSU, prof. Bernardo UNIPD, prof. Duran CSIC, CEITEC Brno, IIS SAS, etc.) as well as industrial partners (AGC, Lithoz, Treibacher, RONA a. s., John Manville Slovakia, Stevanato Group, Vetropack a. s., etc.) which proves the relevance of our research on an international scale and its potential for industrial applications.
OFFER for grant holders
The FunGlass Centre offers for the successful MSCA PF grant holders with FunGlass as a hosting institution:
- Contract for 2 + 2 years (2 years funded from MSCA + 2 years extension). FunGlass offers its MSCA fellows an unparalleled opportunity to extend duration of their contract by two years (under the same terms as MSCA PF grant but funded from FunGlass institutional resources)
- Opportunity to visit our institution (2-week stay) through our Visiting scientist program to receive on-site support in preparing your MSCA IF proposal
- State-of-the-art research infrastructure – including an investment of €9M in new laboratories inaugurated in 2022 (a full list of our equipment is available at https://www.funglass.eu/equipment/ )
- Mentoring from our partners who are leading experts in glass science and technology in Europe and provide strategic guidance to the following FunGlass departments: Prof. A. R. Boccaccini, FAU Erlangen (DE) – Department of Biomaterials, prof. L. Wondraczek FSU Jena (DE) – Department of Functional Materials, prof. E. Bernardo UNIPD Padua (IT) – Department of Glass Processing, prof. A. Durán CSIC Madrid (ESP) – Department of Coatings)
- Access to secondments with world leading academic and industrial partners.
- Grant proposal services – support with preparation and implementation of your MSCA IF grant from a project management team with a track record of coordinating large multinational research projects (more than €35 million in secured funding through competitive grants since 2017).
- Eligibility to participate in MSCA widening grant scheme and Recovery Plan national grant scheme: SLOVAKIA belongs among the „widening coutries“ so researchers applying for a standard European Fellowship with a host organisation in a “widening country” can opt in to be considered for the ERA Fellowships call (directly in template). Around 50 ERA Fellowships will be awarded to excellent applicants who were not selected under the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call due to budget constraints. In addition, the applicants whose MSCA PF project proposals ranked above a predefined quality threshold but which was not funded by Horizon Europe due to budgetary constraints will be awarded by the Seal of Excellence label. This project will receive the certificate of the “Seal of Excellence” together with the evaluation results letter. These projects are judged to deserve funding and are recommended to receive support from other EU or national sources (https://lnk.sk/ubc).
Utilize the option to become a FunGlass researcher through the MSCA PF program and join our team of more than 62 researchers and technicians and 33 PhD. students currently working on specific research topics at six research departments in the FunGlass Center, which are mentored by respected advanced partners’ institutions and their leading experts in glass science and technology in Europe, namely:
- Department of Biomaterials – mentored by prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini from Institute of Biomaterials at the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
- Lead by Dr. Martin Michálek
- Focuses on in depth studies of various bioactive materials based on bioglass, bioceramic and biopolymers and their treatment and functionalization with the aim of adding them new functionalities. The focus of the department is to overcome the limitations of bioglass and biomaterials in general. The second area includes addition of new functionalities to bioactive materials, with specific focus on therapeutic factors such as targeted drug release.
- Department of Coating Processes – mentored by prof. Alicia Durán from the Institute of Ceramic and Glass, Spanish National Research Centre, Spain
- Lead by assoc. prof. Amir Pakseresht
- Focuses its activities on the research, development and characterization of coatings with special attention paid to antibacterial coatings on glasses, e.g. bactericide coatings from mesoporous/mesostructured sol-gel films doped Ag/Au/Cu nanoparticles, bioactive and anti-corrosive coatings on metallic substrates, cell proliferation promoting coatings, optically active coatings, e.g. nanostructured RE-doped oxyfluorine coatings, reflective and anti-reflection coatings for solar energy production, photonic, photovoltaic, and optoelectronic applications, glass-ceramics coatings for high temperature corrosion protection of metals and self-healing corrosion protection of metals, self-cleaning/photocatalytic/hydrophilic/hydrophobic coatings on glasses, corrosion and weathering protection coatings for preservation of historic glass and other artefacts.
- Department of Functional Materials – mentored by prof. Lothar Wondraczek from Laboratory of Glass Science of Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
- Lead by assoc. prof. José J. Velázquez García
- Focuses its activities on the research, development, and characterization of glass-based functional materials with special attention paid to functional glasses with luminescent properties, new types of inorganic phosphors and fully transparent/luminescent glassy or glass-ceramics materials applicable for efficient HB-LED devices used in energy saving lighting appliances. Among the other fields of interest belong the super-efficient optically active materials: paramagnetic glasses, super-spin glasses and anisotropic glasses with high optical non-linearity.
- Department of Glass Processing – mentored by Prof. Enrico Bernardo from the Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy
- Lead by Dr. Jozef Kraxner
- Focuses on the area of applied research of glass and ceramics. The main research interests of DGP are glass properties, mainly in connection with the glass science and technology and cooperation with the glass industry in the following main research topics: optimalization and energy efficient glass melting and finning process, energy savings by reduction of heat losses and waste heat recovery, glass melting with low emissions, corrosion of refractories and also preparation of new materials from waste glass such as glass and glass-ceramic foams, solid and hollow glass and glass-ceramics microspheres for various application, new glass-ceramics composite materials prepared by additive manufacturing technique (3D printing).
- Joint Glass Centre (Vitrum Laugaricio – VILA)
- Lead by prof. Dušan Galusek, director of the FunGlass Centre
- a joint laboratory with Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at Slovak Academy of Sciences, and FChPT at Slovak Technical University. VILA department focuses its activities at the study of fundamental relations between composition, structure and physical properties of inorganic non-metallic materials, with special focus on oxide glasses and glass forming melts.
- Central Laboratories
- Lead by Dr. Dagmar Galusková
- The Central laboratories of FunGlass manage large research infrastructure, which by its significance exceeds the focus of individual department.
APPLICATION INFORMATION:
Fellowships are open to researchers meeting the following criteria:
- PhD degree at the time of the deadline for applications (applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet been formally awarded the doctoral degree will also be considered eligible to apply).
- Maximum of eight years of experience in research, from the date of the award of PhD degree, years of experience outside research and career breaks will not count towards the above maximum, nor will years of experience in research in third countries, for nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries who wish to reintegrate to Europe.
- The candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Slovakia for more than 12 months in the 36 monthsimmediately before the call deadline on 11 September 2024.
Application:
Required documents should be sent by e-mail to Mrs. Marcela Brodová (marcela.brodova@tnuni.sk) before 15 July 2024:
- Cover Letter
- A short CV (Max. 2 pages) attached by a list of the most relevant publications.
- A letter of interest including an abstract of your research proposal.
- Any additional information the candidate finds useful for the evaluation process.
USEFUL LINKS for more information on the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fewship is available:
Call: HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships – European Fellowships
INFO about MSCA PF:
Working program 2023-2025 Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions:
Relevant pages: pp.33-35 and 117-125:
