Open Positions

At present there are openings for Ph.D. students: (for further information please contact Prof. Stampfl and see http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/reschols/scholarships/ and do a search under "Research Scholarships" and go to the second page)

Ph.D.:
Students should have an H1 (or high 2A) Honours degree in Physics or Chemistry. The scholarship is available for a three year period at the rate of around $20k p.a. plus a possible extension for 6 months. Top-up scholarships of $5k may be possible for outstanding candidates. Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents who have lived continuously in Australia for at least 12 months. Full curriculum vitas including certified University record of academic grades should be included.
Overseas Students are encouraged to apply for an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) which covers the tuition fees. In addition to the IPRS, the University of Sydney awards International Postgraduate Awards (IPA) to IPS holders, which provides a living allowance to the value of approximately around $20k per annum (maximum 42 months). Top-up scholarships of $5k may be possible for outstanding candidates.

Postdoctoral:
No Positions available

Why is electronic structure theory a hot research area?

Electronic structure theory, i.e., the theoretical prediction of materials properties from fundamental quantum mechanics without recourse to empirical parameters, has advanced significantly in recent years, serving basic science as well as applied research in numerous industries. The applicability of current methods covers an extraordinarily wide range of fields and interdisciplinary research topics that embrace Condensed Matter Physics, Materials Science, Computer Science, Chemistry, Biology and Engineering. Through such first-principles calculations, many fundamental problems that challenge scientists in universities and research laboratories can be tackled.

The significance of modern electronic structure theory has also been recognised by the award of The 1998 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "to Walter Kohn for his development of the density-functional theory and to John Pople for his development of computational methods in quantum chemistry".

Why will industry need these methods?

Due to its accurate and reliable predictions of materials properties, electronic structure theory now increasingly replaces more empirical methods in Industrial Research and Development. As the rapid improvement of modern methods together with the exponential increase in computing power allows ever more complex simulations to be performed, this trend is certain to continue, creating numerous Job Opportunities for qualified physicists, particularly in the semiconductor, oil, chemical, and pharmacy sectors. Some examples illustrating the range of industrial problems that can be addressed using electronic structure theory are: In these, and many other fields, computer simulations have aided, stimulated, and sometimes replaced experimental investigations, leading to accelerated product development.