About the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI)

The Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), a U.S. Department of Energy-funded Bioenergy Research Center, is a collaboration between the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and partner institutions. CABBI is driving scientific discoveries and technologies that support an economically viable and sustainable bioproduct industry.

The CABBI Greenhouse at Research Park is developing efficient ways to grow bioenergy crops, transform biomass into valuable chemicals, and market the resulting bioproducts. It is a research hub for faculty and students and provides experiential learning opportunities for undergraduates.

About the Role

The Matthews Research Group at the University of Illinois is recruiting a qualified Postdoctoral Researcher through the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) and the Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) to work on research projects within the Feedstock Production Theme of the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation. The postdoctoral position is full-time, 1-year duration, with the possibility of annual extension, contingent upon performance and funding. Postdoctoral Research Associate positions may not exceed five years in duration.

CABBI is looking for a postdoctoral scientist with a strong background in plant modeling, particularly metabolic and crop growth and physiology modeling is sought to join a dynamic team of researchers. The successful candidate will collaborate with a vibrant research team working on modeling bioenergy crop metabolism and growth. The successful candidate will work with BioCro crop growth model framework to scale metabolic processes to crop growth, yield, and ecosystem impacts in annual and perennial bioenergy crops. As part of a large multi-institutional project, the successful candidate will be part of an interdisciplinary and highly collaborative work environment. The specific scientific goals of this position include 1) incorporating and using a process-based C allocation model to explore hypotheses around long-term C dynamics in perennial crops, and 2) using BioCro to explore in silico strategies for engineering oil production in bioenergy crops.

The ideal starting window for this position ranges from January 15 to December 1, 2025, with the preferred start date being as soon as possible.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in a relevant field within the last 10 years
• Prior experience in modeling plant systems
• Experience in C++, R, or other programming languages are preferred, as is a proven publication record
• Candidates should aspire to great oral and written communication skills
• Candidates must be willing and able to contribute their expertise and skills in collaborative projects within the Center
• Candidates will be considered if graduation with a Ph.D. is expected by the targeted starting date

Benefits

• Salary range is $55,000 to $60,000 per year
• Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity.
• The University of Illinois offers a wide variety of benefits https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/benefits, including paid leave.
• Medical benefits are based on eligibility qualifications, including visa status.Visa work sponsorship may qualify for this position.

To ensure full consideration, qualified candidates must send a cover letter, CV, and contact information of three references via email to ​ponte1@illinois.edu​. All requested information must be submitted to the above email in order for your application to be considered. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Qualified applicants will be immediately reviewed upon receiving the application while the search may continue until the position is filled. Questions related to the positions should be addressed to mlmatth2@illinois.edu.