Research assistant (praedoc) (m/f/d)

In the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1349 "Fluorine-Specific Interactions" (www.sfb1349.de), 50 PhD students and Postdocs are conducting research in the field of fluorine chemistry in 20 working groups of the Freien Universität Berlin, the Humboldt University Berlin, the Technical University Berlin, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing and the Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology on fluorochemical issues. The scientific objectives are to understand and control the complex interactions that can emanate from fluorinated structural units in chemical systems. For this purpose, the wide-ranging expertise of the different working groups involved in synthesis/biosynthesis, analytics/spectroscopy, and theory/modeling will be complementarily and synergistically linked to systematically expand our understanding of both the conceptual underpinning of Fluorine-Specific Interactions and their many consequences across many areas of chemistry.
The CRC 1349 has been funded by the German Research Foundation since 2019 and, after successful re-evaluation, will be extended for another four years from 2023.

Job description:

• Collaboration on the C4 Network project “Microscopic Mechanisms of Superhydrophobicity and Superlubricity of Fluorinated Surfaces” as part of CRC 1349
• Performance and evaluation of MD simulations to characterize the interaction of fluorinated molecules in aqueous solution with the aim of optimizing adsorbent materials for fluorinated molecules
• Calculation of reaction dynamics using non-Markovian reaction rate theory
• Calculation of linear and nonlinear spectra in the microwave and infrared range from ab initio and force-field simulation trajectories and their interpretation in the framework of the generalized Langevin equation

Requirements:
Successfully completed university degree (diploma or master's degree) in physics or a comparable subject.

Desirable:

• Experience with performing and evaluating atomistic MD simulations
• Knowledge of statistical mechanics of equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems
• Very good academic performance, especially in numerical simulation methods, statistical mechanics, and stochastics
• Very good oral and written English skills.

For further information, please contact Prof. Roland Netz, rnetz@physik.fu-berlin.de

Applications should be sent by e-mail, together with significant documents (Cover letter, CV), indicating the reference code, no later than December 1st , 2025 in PDF format (preferably as one document) to Prof. Dr. Roland Netz: rnetz@physik.fu-berlin.de or postal to

Freie Universität Berlin
Fachbereich Physik
Institut für Theoretische Physik
AG Netz
Prof. Dr. Roland Netz
Arnimallee 14
14195 Berlin (Dahlem)

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Freie Universität Berlin is an equal opportunity employer.