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This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest thus requires that such institutions must be the recipient of a PREP award. The PREP program requires staff from a wide range of backgrounds to work on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration.

The Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) is a special partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder. PREP provides research opportunities to CU undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers with a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in NIST labs to gain research experience alongside NIST scientists.

Research Location:

At NIST in the Guided Wave Electromagnetics Group under the RF Technology Division

Summary of Position:

This PREP position focuses on developing traceable standards for 5G, 6G, and beyond. The position requires finite element simulations, programming, network analysis, dimensional metrology, and other skills. The position will use on-wafer and resonator methods to develop standards for mmWave industry to validate the authenticity of integrated circuits and materials. Measurement techniques include balanced circular disk resonators.

Key Responsibiilties: 

• Coordinate all stakeholder engagement to understand industries’ needs and coordinate regular updates to solicit feedback.
• Design, simulate, and assemble on-wafer electronics for mmWave test and measurement.
• Design, simulate, and assemble resonator methods for mmWave test and measurement.
• With the measurement systems integrated, perform all measurements and analysis on the data.
• In coordination with NIST researcher, develop and carry out on-wafer metrology.

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in physics, materials science engineering, or a related field.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Applicants must be enrolled full-time at the University of Colorado Boulder master’s degree or doctoral degree program in physics, mathematics, engineering, or closely related program.
• Must currently possess a 3.0 GPA or higher.
• Must be a degree seeking student through CU Boulder.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two (2) years of relevant experience with on-wafer calibration, and materials metrology.
• Familiarity with programming in MATLAB.
• Experience with HFSS, Circuit, and Q3D.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

Length of Term (if applicable): 

• Start date: 10/1/24
• End Date: 10/1/28

Salary (contract pay format):

• Pre-comps: $3,041 per month
• Post-comps: $3,202 per month

Benefits:

• Graduate Research Assistant contract pay based on pre-comps/post-comps rate.
• Tuition, fees, and insurance paid for by PREP during the academic year while in PREP.

If interested, please send your resume/CV to Lisa Valencia at recruitprep@colorado.edu. The finalist will be required to submit their resume/CV, transcript, two letters of recommendation, and the PREP application.

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c) Purpose: The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor’s degree holders, graduate students, master’s degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate administrative functions of the PREP Program.

Routine Uses: NIST will use the information collected to perform the requisite reviews of the applications to determine eligibility, and to meet programmatic requirements. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices: NIST-1: NIST Associates.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use of the information you submit for the purpose stated