You are a young polymer chemist, a chemical engineer or a biologist? You are crazy about your research, but you would also like to know more about industrial innovation processes? You are a team player and you truly believe that one can achieve way more by working together? You are both creative and open to your team-mates’ new ideas? You would like to tackle big challenges in the fields of smart polymers, additive manufacturing & engineering and bio-based polymers?

The two-day Leibniz Young Polymer Scientist Forum provides a forum to sharpen current scientific questions, to identify new challenges and to team up in order to tackle these challenges. Of all applicants we will select 20 participants to form interdisciplinary teams. During the Forum, each team will be introduced to a specific research challenge in one of the three main topics. Short introductory talks will help you to get a better understanding of the research questions to be approached. Poster flash-talks, given by the participants, will help you to get acquainted with your fellow team-mates and to explore their research skills. Ample time will then be given to the teams to work on a particular challenge and identify a strategy, which will be presented on day 2 of the Forum. Exchange with experienced scientists as well as experts from industry will stimulate this process. In addition, participants will get the chance to gain insight in the application potential of scientific achievements and learn how to identify requirements for the implementation of an innovation process.
We cordially invite creative, dedicated PhD students and postdocs with a background in polymer sciences, biology or engineering to apply for this two-day event, taking place in Aachen/Germany on June 28-29, 2018.

We are looking foward to two days full of lively discussions!

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-orientated innovative processes and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world with more than 36,000 employees. In fiscal 2016, the enterprise generated sales of around €12.7 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about €2.165 billion.

Pioneering fundamental research and its impact New materials constitute the key for the development of pioneering technologies. In this context, the DWI — Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials faces a central challenge of modern materials research: the development of active and interactive materials. This concerns, for example, materials that – mimicking natural materials — can self-assemble, self-regulate or move autonomously. By enabling progress in the medical and hygiene sector, among others, and in the areas of mobility, environment and sustainability, these innovative materials can contribute towards an optimal life in the 21st century.

At the DWI, young researchers and experienced scientists are jointly investigating the key questions for developing these future materials. Hereby the institute combines sophisticated fundamental research with concepts for a fast practical implementation.

I) Smart Polymers
We are interested in ideas and concepts for polymers with additional functionality such as

• Thermally conductive, electrically insulating polymers
• Polymers for electrically driven actuators, or
• Polymers for non-biocidal antifouling surfaces and coatings
• Acrylamide-free superabsorbent polymethacrylates (SAP’S) that change properties when exposed to liquid

II) Additive Manufacturing & Engineering
We are looking for concepts like

• Solving the issue of interlayer adhesion at FDM/FFF printing
• Improved adhesion on PEEK resp. how to compatibilize PEEK

 
III) Biobased Polymers
New concepts for „natural protection of sensitive ingredients through functionalized polypetides, oligo- or polysaccharides”

• Protection against water, oxygen, smell, taste
• Protection to enable controlled release e.g. in the gut

PhD students and postdocs who recently finished their PhD thesis in the research fields of smart polymers, additive manufacturing & engineering or biobased polymers are encouraged to apply for participation in the Leibniz Young Polymer Scientist Forum. A committee consisting of DWI Scientific Board members and experts from Evonik Industries will select and invite 20 candidates. At the end of May, all applicants will be informed about the outcome of the selection process and we will provide further information about the Forum.

Registration tool

Please provide the following information for your registration.:

1. A short letter of motivation: Why are you the perfect candidate for the Leibniz Young Polymer Scientist Forum? (max. 1500 characters incl. spaces).
2. A short CV
3. An abstract describing your research interests, including information about your current PhD thesis or postdoc project (max. 2000 characters incl. spaces).
4. Three ‘keywords’ describing you and your research interests (Example: Antifouling applications; release systems; fan of statistics).
5. Please indicate two of the three main topics you would like to work on during the Forum. This information will help us to form the teams.
6. Your estimated travel costs.

Deadline for application: April 30, 2018

A committee consisting of members of the DWI Scientific Board and experts from Evonik Industries will select the team with the best presentation. This team receives the Evonik Young Scientist Award and will be invited for an ‘Evonik Day’, including a guided tour of the production facilities and discussion with young professionals and Evonik recruiters.

The Leibniz Young Polymer Scientist Forum is free of charge for accepted participants. The organizers will also take care of accommodation and catering for the participants. Travel expenses for participants from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium will be fully covered (Deutsche Bahn, 2nd class) and we will partially reimburse travel costs for participants from other European countries.

DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials
Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
www.dwi.rwth-aachen.de