About the Role 

The Research Fellow will contribute to the research efforts of the Future Industries Institute, in particular will undertake research on the ARC Future Fellowship project titled “Organic Bionics: Soft Materials to Solve Hard Problems in Neuroengineering”. 

The aim of these projects is to improve electronic communication with nerve cells using soft organic conductors. The project will explore methods to identify and control the specific cell types that adhere to organic conductor surfaces from neural cell cultures, develop methods to measure the dynamic response of the cleft that forms at the cell-electrode interface, create nanostructured surfaces and optimise their properties to promote neuron adhesion, and optimise organic conductor materials and devices for optical or piezoelectric activation of co-cultured nerve cells.
  
About UniSA  

The University of South Australia is Australia’s University of Enterprise. Our culture of innovation is anchored around global and national links to academic, research and industry partners. Our graduates are the new urban professionals, global citizens at ease with the world and ready to create and respond to change. Our research is inventive and adventurous and we create new knowledge that is central to global economic and social prosperity.

UniSASTEM links engineering, mathematics, science, defence and cybersecurity, environmental science, aviation, information technology, construction and project management, harnessing the connections across disciplines to bring big ideas to fruition. Our researchers are solution focused and collaborative to deliver technical expertise and advice to industry, government and community groups to make commercially viable and sustainable impacts. We integrate research into our teaching, with students working alongside researchers in first-class facilities, what’s discovered one day is taught the next. Our graduates are entrepreneurs and trailblazers, who design and build the world they want to live in. UniSA STEM also incorporates leading edge research organisations; the Future Industries Institute, the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments and the Centre for Industrial Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

The Future Industries Institute brings together world-class strength in high-tech manufacturing, nanomedicine, minerals and resource engineering plus environmental science, with the end goal of building economic growth through innovative partnerships and translational research. The Institute builds on the significant capability, infrastructure and reputation of the University’s existing research strengths and substantial research infrastructure and supports state and national research priorities. 

Core Responsibilities

• Undertake research under limited supervision to achieve project grant outcomes; i.e. develop new strategies to improve nanoscale mechanical signalling for nerve cell adhesion to electrodes
• Design and perform a range of experiments including appropriate controls to achieve planned research outcomes
• Prepare or contribute to the preparation of refereed journal publications, conference and seminar papers arising from the research
• Provide advice to post graduate students in the appointee’s area of expertise
• Undertake administrative duties associated with relevant research projects, as required from time to time

 
Essential Skills and Experience 

• A PhD qualification in an area of physical or chemical sciences or engineering, or biomaterials science/bioengineering
• Evidence of high-quality research outputs relative to career opportunity, which is published and presented in journals or conferences with a high reputation in their field
• Demonstrated experience with soft material device fabrication and nanoengineering techniques (e.g. spin-coating, solution coating and printing, 3D printing, nanolithography etc)
• A proven ability to characterise surfaces using advanced microscopy (e.g. SEM, TEM, AFM, confocal microscopy etc)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills demonstrated through written work such as research reports, research publications and educational materials, and through effective liaison with external partners, colleagues and students

Benefits

Getting a great job working with the best is just the start. UniSA rewards its staff with a wide variety of benefits such as: 

• Access to great personal development opportunities 
• Generous superannuation contributions of 17% 
• Flexible working conditions 
• A range of salary packaging options, including vehicle leasing, laptops and car parking fees 
• Various on-site services available at our campuses which may include on-site gym membership 

Culture 

As a University of Enterprise, we offer a dynamic and agile workplace culture, one that embraces challenges and thrives on breaking new ground. Our staff are creative and innovative thinkers, communicating with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm. We embrace diversity and inclusion in a vibrant, engaging environment.  Our people are authentic, resilient, and influential, and we deliver results.
 
At the University of South Australia, we value workplace diversity and are committed to providing a supportive, inclusive, and respectful work environment for all people. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, women, members of the LGBTIQ+ community, people of culturally diverse backgrounds and people with disability. 

We are committed to providing an equitable and barrier free recruitment process and encourage you to share any support, adjustments and/or access requirements you have by contacting our Recruitment Central team on (recruitment@unisa.edu.au). Anything you tell us will be kept completely confidential.   

Start Your Unstoppable Career!  

For a copy of the position description and to apply, please visit Working at UniSA.  The online application form will list the specific selection criteria that you need to address.  
 
Please address your cover letter to Emma Kelvin, Consultant: Recruitment Central.  For further information about the position or the recruitment process, please contact UniSA Recruitment Central on +61 8 8302 1700 or via email at recruitment@unisa.edu.au using job reference number 6330. 

Applications close: 11.30pm Sunday 18 August 2024