Call for one Postdoctoral Researcher position in the SONATA project

Position: Postdoctoral Researcher
Institution: Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology

Requirements:

1. PhD degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline (obtained no earlier than 12 years before the planned employment date, in accordance with NCN regulations).
2. Hands-on experience in the characterization of fluorescent materials using steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques (e.g., fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence lifetime measurements, TCSPC, transient emission spectroscopy, anisotropy or related methods).
3. Experience in the preparation, optimization and characterization of photocatalytic materials, preferably for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, ROS generation or related photocatalytic processes.
4. Practical laboratory experience in the synthesis and physicochemical characterization of functional organic, nanostructured or colloidal materials.
5. Knowledge of photophysical processes, excited-state dynamics and photocatalytic mechanisms.
6. Experience in structural characterization of chemical compounds using spectroscopic and analytical techniques will be considered an advantage.
7. Fundamental knowledge of colloidal systems, self-assembly phenomena and micellar materials.
8. Experience in scientific data analysis, preparation of publications and presentation of research results.
9. Excellent command of spoken and written English.
10. Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research team.

Additional assets

• Experience with carbon dots, molecular fluorophores, semiconductor photocatalysts or related nanomaterials.
• Experience with quantum yield determination, transient spectroscopy, or global analysis of time-resolved data.
• Experience in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution experiments and/or reactive oxygen species detection.
• Experience in supervision of MSc/PhD students or international scientific collaboration.

Research tasks and responsibilities:

The successful candidate will actively participate in all work packages (WPs) of the project, with particular responsibility for photocatalysis and advanced time-resolved spectroscopy.

The main research tasks will include:

1. Synthesis, optimization and physicochemical characterization of red-emitting carbon dots, molecular fluorophores and fluorophore-based micellar systems.
2. Investigation of optical and photophysical properties using steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques, including fluorescence lifetime measurements and excited-state dynamics.
3. Design, optimization and evaluation of photocatalytic systems for visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution from water.
4. Investigation of photothermal effects and their influence on photocatalytic performance.
5. Correlation of chemical structure, supramolecular organization and excited-state properties with photocatalytic activity.
6. Participation in the development of reproducible synthetic and purification protocols for red-emitting carbon dots.
7. Analysis, interpretation and dissemination of research results through scientific publications and conference presentations.
8. Active collaboration with project partners and contribution to mentoring students involved in the project.

The project offers access to state-of-the-art steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy instrumentation and the opportunity to develop novel photocatalytic systems based on red-emitting carbon dots, molecular fluorophores and self-assembled micellar nanostructures.

Application deadline: 16 September 2026, 3:00 PM (CEST)
Applications should be submitted by email to: wiktor.kasprzyk@pk.edu.pl
Expected date of the competition results: 30 September 2026

Employment conditions:

1. Salary: 11,500 PLN/month (gross employer cost, in accordance with the regulations of the National Science Centre (NCN), Poland).
2. Employment period: 12 months (with the possibility of extension).

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

1. Curriculum vitae.
2. Motivation letter explaining the Candidate’s interest in the position and describing their research experience.
3. A copy of the document confirming the award of a doctoral degree* or an official document issued by the Candidate’s home institution confirming the expected date of the doctoral defence** (signed by the supervisor and the Dean of the Faculty or the Head of the Institution).
4. Copies of documents confirming research stays, scientific training, fellowships or internships.
5. List of publications, including the total number of citations, h-index and ORCID iD.
6. List of conference presentations (oral and poster).
7. Information on participation in research projects.
8. List of inventions and patents.
9. List of scientific awards and distinctions.
10. Any other documents confirming qualifications and scientific achievements.
11. A declaration stating that, if employed, the Cracow University of Technology will be the Candidate’s primary place of employment.
12. Signed consent to the processing of personal data for the purposes of the recruitment process in accordance with the Act of 10 May 2018 on the Protection of Personal Data and Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR INFORMATION CLAUSE).

* In accordance with NCN requirements, only a person who obtained a doctoral degree no earlier than 12 years prior to 1 January of the year in which the person is employed in the project. This period may be extended by the duration of any long-term (over 90 days) documented sick pay or rehabilitation benefits received during that period due to incapacity for work. In addition to this period, the number of months spent on leave related to the care and upbringing of children, granted in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Code, may be added; in the case of women, 18 months may be added for each child born or adopted, if this method of calculating breaks in the academic career is more favourable.

In accordance with the requirements of the National Science Centre (NCN), only a person who has obtained a doctoral degree at an institution other than the Cracow University of Technology or has completed at least a 10-month, continuous and documented postdoctoral fellowship at an institution other than the one implementing the project and in a country other than the one in which the doctoral degree was obtained.

If the PhD diploma is not granted by a Polish university, the Candidate should verify whether a recognition of her/his diploma is required. More information can be found on NAWA website (nawa.gov.pl/en/recognition/recognition-for-academic-purposes/applying-for-admission-to-doctoral-studies). The recognition of the diploma, if applicable, must be attached to the application for the post-doc position.

** The document will only be accepted if the doctoral thesis has been submitted and sent for review.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND CONTACT:

• Application method: email,
• Email address for submissions: wiktor.kasprzyk@pk.edu.pl
• Email subject: „Postdoctoral Researcher – SONATA”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The Selection Committee reserves the right to invite shortlisted candidates for an interview. Selected candidates will be informed by 21 September 2026 about the date, time and format of the interview via email. One candidate will be selected for employment. Any questions regarding the recruitment process should be addressed to dr inż. Wiktor Kasprzyk at wiktor.kasprzyk@pk.edu.pl.

GDPR INFORMATION CLAUSE

Pursuant to Article 13(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (GDPR), you are hereby informed that:

1. The controller of your personal data is PK Krakow University of Technology, with its registered office at ul. Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, Poland.
2. The Data Protection Officer (DPO) of Tadeusz Kościuszko Krakow University of Technology may be contacted via e-mail at: iodo@pk.edu.pl or by telephone: +48 510 894 675.
3. Your personal data will be processed for the purpose of conducting the competition procedure for the award of a scientific scholarship to a doctoral candidate/scholarship holder, selecting the successful candidate, concluding and performing the scholarship agreement, and fulfilling statutory obligations within the Department of Biotechnology and Physical Chemistry of PK Krakow University of Technology.
4. Your personal data will be processed on the following legal bases:

• Article 6(1)(b) GDPR – processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract;
• Article 6(1)(c) GDPR – processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the Controller is subject;
• Article 6(1)(e) GDPR – processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest by the University, in particular pursuant to: the Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws of 2018, item 1668, as amended); Ordinance No. 82 of the Rector of PK Krakow University of Technology”of 14 December 2017 introducing records management and archival regulations at Krakow University of Technology.

5. Your personal data will be processed for the duration of the scholarship competition procedure. After the completion of the competition, in the case of the person awarded the scholarship, the data will be processed for the period required by applicable legal provisions, in particular those governing the awarding and settlement of scholarships and the archiving of documentation. In the case of unsuccessful candidates, personal data will be retained for up to one month following the completion of the competition.
6. You have the right to access your personal data, request its rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and to object to processing, subject to the conditions laid down in the GDPR.
7. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the President of the Personal Data Protection Office (PUODO) if you consider that the processing of your personal data infringes the GDPR.
8. Providing personal data is a requirement arising from legal provisions and a condition for participation in the competition procedure.
9. No automated decision-making, including profiling, will take place with regard to the processing of your personal data.
10. Recipients of your personal data may include entities providing services under personal data processing agreements concluded with the Controller, such as ICT service providers (including the provision and maintenance of IT systems), legal, advisory, accounting, postal and courier service providers, as well as entities and public authorities authorized to receive personal data under applicable law.
11. Your personal data will not be transferred to third countries or international organizations.