Postdoctoral Fellow; PREP

Johns Hopkins University, founded in 1876, is America's first research university and home to nine world‑class academic divisions working together as one university.

$82,000 - $89,000 per year. This range reflects the minimum and maximum salaries for this position.

PREP Research Associate – part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Professional Research Experience (PREP) program. The role supports collaborative research between NIST and academic institutions, performing technical work that underpins scientific research.

This position focuses on real‑time research in material flammability testing and modeling, supporting the U.S. Fire Research Division's efforts to develop experimental and analytical tools that calibrate material properties and validate fire‑growth predictions.

• Develop a material flammability database that maintains tools (experimental and analytical), measurement data for model calibration and validation, and material property sets necessary to quantitatively predict material flammability behavior.
• Conduct and analyze data from bench to full‑scale thermal and fire property tests for fire model calibration and validation.
• Produce and present publications on research findings.

• Assist in developing a research plan to quantify fire growth rate, flame structure, condensed‑phase response, and mass loss & heat release rate of combustible solids burning at the intermediate scale (emphasis on materials that deform; e.g., due to melt flow or charred/smoldering).
• Apply and advance state‑of‑the‑art techniques to quantify mechanisms controlling material flammability; iterative development and implementation of analytical tools to process the results.
• Develop and execute plans for transferring NIST research through meetings, workshops, and conferences; prepare and present measurement results (oral presentations and written reports).

• PhD in Engineering (fire protection, materials science, mechanical), Chemistry, Physics, or a related field.
• 2+ years of relevant laboratory experience (experimental design and testing).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in programming and data analysis tools (Excel, MATLAB, Python, R).
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Enthusiasm to help lead early‑career researchers.

The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. The university is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits, and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance, and merit without regard to personal factors that are irrelevant to the program involved.

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