Post-Doctoral Fellow – Multifunctional Hydrogels for Agriculture

About the role

The Sustainable Materials Research Center (SusMat‑RC) at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University invites applications for two post‑doctoral fellow positions. Working under Professor Youssef Habibi and in collaboration with MIT, the fellows will develop multifunctional bio‑sourced hydrogels for agricultural use, converting locally abundant biomass into high‑value components that can be combined with fertilizers or other bio‑based additives.

Key responsibilities

• Design and synthesize bio‑sourced hydrogels tailored for agricultural applications.
• Convert locally sourced biomass into functional components for hydrogel formulation.
• Integrate fertilizers or bio‑additives into hydrogel systems through sustainable pathways.
• Conduct rigorous laboratory testing to evaluate system performance and stability.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, including partners at MIT, to advance project objectives.
• Document experimental procedures, analyze results, and contribute to scientific publications.

Required profile

• Strong research background in materials science, polymer chemistry, agricultural engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience in developing and testing bio‑based materials, particularly hydrogels.
• Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team.

Required skills

• Hydrogel synthesis
• Biomass conversion techniques
• Fertilizer or bio‑additive formulation
• Laboratory performance testing and data analysis

What we offer

• Opportunity to work in a cutting‑edge research environment with state‑of‑the‑art facilities.
• Collaboration with MIT and access to an international research network.
• Support for publishing research findings in high‑impact journals.