Postdoctoral Researcher

Organization

National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)

Reference Code

NETL-Postdoc-2025-Bedick

How to Apply

A complete application consists of:

• An application, including academic history, work history experiences, and honors/awards
• Description of your goals, related experience, and related skills – refer to NETL's Core Competencies and ongoing projects when applicable
• Transcripts – Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• Two educational or professional recommendations
• You must provide contact information for at least two recommenders in your application. The first two recommendations received will be attached to your application for review by NETL. You may click the "send" (paper airplane) button to send the recommendation request email immediately after entering their information prior to submitting your application; if not, a request will automatically be sent when you submit your application. Your recommenders will receive an email with a subject line of "[Your Name] - ORISE Recommendation Request - [your email]", from Zintellect@orau.org. This email will include information on the opportunity to which you have applied, as well as a secure link to submit a recommendation for you for this application. If you ask the same person to submit a recommendation for you for multiple applications in Zintellect, they must click the unique link in each email request, but will be given the opportunity to copy over what they had previously submitted.

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

If you have questions about the application process, contact NETLinfo@orau.org.

After you have submitted an application in Zintellect, you may reach out to internship.program@netl.doe.gov to request to talk with the hosting researcher if you would like additional information on the project or to express particular interest. You must have a completed application in Zintellect to receive a response.

Application Tips

NETL values a combination of academic success, experience, and leadership potential as demonstrated in all aspects of your application. NETL's goal is to create, maintain, and support a diverse environment that encourages creative ideas and leadership. In the words of former Lab Director Brian Anderson, "our differences make us stronger and we’re united in fostering inclusivity in all aspects of our research to drive innovation and deliver solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future." In your application, show us who you are!

To increase your chances of being selected for an appointment, we recommend:

1. Tailoring your responses to align with the project. What parts of the project are most interesting to you?
2. Spending sufficient time on your essay responses and your resume. Give yourself time to review your writing!
3. Ensuring that everything you submit is grammatically correct and clearly expressed.

Application Deadline

12/31/2025 11:59:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

The National Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL's) record of success has been built on understanding the future of energy and the technologies required to make that future possible. We’ve long touted our success in developing the technologies that took on acid rain in the 1970s and mercury in the early 2000s.

Program Goals

The NETL Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program (Postdoc) is a high-intensity program designed to identify recent Doctoral graduates of high promise and to foster advanced skill development. It allows the postdoc to systematically outline career goals and helps provide the means of achieving these goals. NETL principal investigators and leads serve as mentors to postdoctoral participants during the program. This interaction affords the postdoc a unique opportunity to develop critical skills needed to become an independent professional.

The program goals include providing the opportunity to participants to:

• Develop skills and knowledge in their field of study
• Engage with new areas of basic and applied research
• Network with world-class scientists
• Exchange ideas and skills with the Laboratory community
• Use state-of-the-art equipment
• Contribute to answers for today's pressing scientific questions
• Collaborate with the broader scientific and technical communities

Project Details

Through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), this posting seeks a post-Doctoral researcher to engage in projects with the Research Innovation Center (RIC) at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in the area of Ammonia Combustion and Non-Thermal Plasma under the mentorship of Clinton Bedick. This project will be hosted at the NETL Pittsburgh, PA campus.

The project will focus on studying ammonia as a carbon-free fuel for gas turbine engines and industrial process heating. A major component (50%) of the research will involve the use of non-thermal plasma to enhance combustion characteristics and mitigate pollutant formation. Specifically, the project will: 1) perform fundamental experiments to quantify laminar flame speeds and species concentrations in canonical burner configurations, 2) setup and characterize non-thermal plasma generation via nanosecond repetitively pulsed (NRP) discharge, 3) engage in 0D/1D modeling of ammonia flame, plasma, and ammonia flame plasma configurations (ex. Cantera, ZDPlasKin, Comsol), 4) collaborate on the development and application of plasma and advanced diagnostics (ex. TDLAS, LDV/PIV, PLIF) in a variety of ammonia-relevant burner configurations.

Learning objectives may include:

1. Learn about the technical challenges and R&D needs associated with ammonia combustion - in particular relating to model validation and combustion strategy optimization.
2. Learn about the underlying physics associated with non-thermal plasma generation and how it can be used to impact combustion characteristics and/or emissions formation in flames. Specifically, as relevant to ammonia.
3. Learn about the development and application of advanced diagnostic techniques for flames and plasmas.

Stipend: The selected participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

• Post-Doctoral stipend is $7735 per month.

Deliverables: To document the effectiveness of the program, participants are required to submit a pre-appointment and post-appointment survey, as well as a reflection on their appointment experience when they renew or end their appointment. The reflection should summarize their project(s), additional activities, and overall experience. Details are provided as the appointment end date approaches.

Participants may also have the opportunity to contribute to manuscripts, journal articles, book chapters, conference presentations, posters, patents, and other publications as a part of their appointment. Such achievements should also be reported to ORISE; additional details are provided after an offer has been accepted.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory system, is owned and operated by the DOE. NETL supports the DOE mission to advance the energy security of the United States. This is an educational opportunity offered by NETL and administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. Participants in the program are not considered employees of NETL, DOE, the program administrator, or any other office or agency.

Qualifications: To be eligible, you must either:

• have received a Doctoral degree within the last five years or be currently enrolled in a Doctoral degree program and complete the degree prior to the appointment start date.

The ideal candidate would have some, but not necessarily all, of the following:

• Good communication and technical writing skills
• Highly preferred technical: prior experience with plasmas, strong Python/Matlab skills, prior combustion experience
• Preferred technical: prior experience with nanosecond repetitively pulsed (NRP) plasmas, prior experience with advanced laser/imaging diagnostics (plasma and/or combustion - ex. TDLAS, LDV/PIV, PLIF, emission spectroscopy)

Point of Contact: Ryan

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
• Discipline(s):
• Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
• Communications and Graphics Design (2 )
• Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (17 )
• Earth and Geosciences (21 )
• Engineering (27 )
• Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
• Life Health and Medical Sciences (51 )
• Mathematics and Statistics (11 )
• Physics (16 )
• Science & Engineering-related (2 )
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (29 )
• Age: Must be 18 years of age

Affirmation

I certify that I attend or attended a regionally accredited college or university and:

• Have an earned a Doctoral degree no more than five years before the date of application.

OR

• Will receive a Doctoral degree by the appointment start date