Research Associate; f​/m​/d) Cluster of Excellence ' Martian Mindset limited; befristet

Research Associate (f/m/d) for the Cluster of Excellence 'The Martian Mindset' | limited (befristet) The Martian Mindset - Cluster of Excellence

“The Martian Mindset - A scarcity-driven engineering paradigm” is a newly funded Cluster of Excellence and was established at the University of Bremen in 2026. In this context, a position is available as soon as possible
, as a

Research Assistant (f/m/d) salary scale (German) 13 TV-L, 100 % (39.2 h per week)

limited until 30.06.2029 according to § 2 WissZeitVG.

Part-time work is generally possible and to be agreed with the respective project leaders.

The workplace and employment will be at the University of Bremen, Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) in the research group of Prof. Dr. Marc Avila.

EG 13 TV-L

as soon as possible

The University as an

Employer:

With approximately 20,000 students and about 3,500 employees, the University of Bremen is a medium-sized university. It ranks among Germany’s leading universities in terms of external funding and research.

The Martian Mindset:

Our scientists are developing the “Martian Mindset” in order to rethink the production of materials and components from scratch. The scarcity of resources and extreme conditions on the red planet serve as a setting to develop a new paradigm of sustainability that will lay the foundations for a fossil-fuel-free production of materials and parts from scarce resources in a highly automated and resilient way.

The Cluster of Excellence will thus contribute to the sustainable human exploration of space and power a green transition on Earth.

The challenging and interdisciplinary research in “The Martian Mindset” spans ten multifaceted foci across three areas, whereas this position is to be filled within the Research Area 1, Sourcing:

In this research area, we investigate how to produce high-added-value materials and chemicals from low-grade ores using atmospheric gases as the only source of carbon and nitrogen and without burning fossil fuels. The focus of this position falls under modelling and simulation of multiphase flows electrolysis systems.

This project aims at developing numerical models that faithfully describe the generation, detachment and interaction of bubbles in electrolytes. The initial focus is on the generation of oxygen in water electrolysis under terrestrial and Mars conditions, but the models developed will offer a robust framework extendable to molten salt electrolysis.

The gas dynamics in electrochemical cells spans multiple scales in space, from (sub) nanometer to cell size (mm), and similarly for time, which cannot be all resolved simultaneously. Accordingly, multiscale, multiphase models will be developed that parametrize the effect of the unresolved (small) scales. Results from other projects in the Cluster that focus on the nano and micro scales will be leveraged to inform parametrizations and/or train the models with machine-learning techniques.

A central focus is the quantification of uncertainty in the multi-scale approach. The resulting model predictions will directly inform reactor design and optimization in collaboration with experimental groups in the Cluster.

This project enhances the “Martian Mindset” scarcity-driven engineering paradigm by paving the way for the accurate, robust design of electrochemical technologies on Earth and in space conditions.

More information on the other research foci, the project leaders and the Cluster of Excellence itself can be found on our website:

As a researcher in The Martian Mindset, working at one of the five participating institutions on the campus of the University of Bremen, you will join a vibrant and dynamic scientific community of internationally renowned researchers. You will be involved…