Archive for the ‘Lectureship’ Category

2024 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship – Open for nominations

Do you know an early-career researcher who deserves recognition for their contribution to the polymer chemistry field?

 

Polymer Chemistry is pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for its 2024 Lectureship award and will close on 31 January 2024. This annual award was established in 2015 to honour an early-stage career scientist who has made a significant contribution to the polymer field.

 

 

Eligibility

To be eligible for the lectureship, candidates should meet the following criteria:

  • Be an independent researcher – PhD students and postdoctoral research associates are not eligible
  • Be actively pursuing research within the polymer chemistry field, and have made a significant contribution to the field
  • Be at an early stage of their independent career (this should typically be within 12 years of attaining their doctorate or equivalent degree, but appropriate consideration will be given to those who have taken a career break, work in systems where their time period to independence may vary or who followed an alternative study path)
  • Have a publication as a corresponding author in Polymer Chemistry within the 3 years prior to the nomination deadline

 

How to nominate

Nominations must be made via email to polymers-rsc@rsc.org, and include the following:

  • The name, affiliation and contact details of the nominee, nominator and referee
  • An up-to-date CV of the nominee (1 – 3 A4 page maximum length)
  • A letter of recommendation from the nominator (500 words maximum length). The relationship between nominator and nominee should be stated in the letter.
  • A supporting letter of recommendation from a referee (500 words maximum length). This could be from the nominee’s academic mentor, PhD supervisor or postdoc for instance. The relationship between referee and nominee should be stated in the letter.
  • The nominator must confirm that to the best of their knowledge, their nominee’s professional standing is as such that there is no confirmed or potential impediment to them receiving the Lectureship

Please note:

  • Self-nomination is not permitted
  • The nominee must be aware that he/she has been nominated for this lectureship
  • Previous winners and current Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board members are not eligible
  • As part of the Royal Society of Chemistry, we have a responsibility to promote inclusivity and accessibility in order to improve diversity. Where possible, we encourage each nominator to consider nominating candidates of all genders, races, and backgrounds. Please see the RSC’s approach to Inclusion and Diversity.

 

Selection

  • All eligible nominated candidates will be assessed by a judging panel made up of the Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board, any Editorial Board members with a conflict of interest will be ineligible for the judging panel.
  • The judging panel will consider the following core criteria:
    • Excellence in research, as evidenced in reference to originality and impact
    • Quality of publications, patents or software
    • Innovation
    • Professional standing
    • Independence
    • Collaborations and teamwork
    • Evidence of promising potential
    • Other indicators of esteem indicated by the nominator
  • In any instance where multiple nominees are judged to be equally meritorious in relation to these core criteria, the judging panel will use information provided on the nominee’s broader contribution to the chemistry community as an additional criterion. Examples of this could include: involvement with RSC community activities, teaching or demonstrating, effective mentorship, service on boards, committees or panels, leadership in the scientific community, peer reviewing, promotion of diversity and inclusion, advocacy for chemistry, public engagement and outreach.

 

Previous winners

2023 – Miao Hong, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, China

2022 – Dominik Konkolewicz, Miami University, USA

2021 – Brett Fors, Cornell University, USA

2020 – Rachel O’Reilly, University of Birmingham, UK

2019 – Frederik Wurm, University of Twente, Netherlands

2018 – Cyrille Boyer, University of New South Wales, Australia

2017 – Julien Nicolas, Université Paris Sud, France

2016 – Feihe Huang, Zhejiang University, China

2015 – Richard Hoogenboom, Ghent University, Belgium

 

Nominations deadline: 31 January 2024

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2023 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship awarded to Professor Miao Hong

We are delighted to announce Professor Miao Hong (Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences) as the recipient of the 2023 Polymer Chemistry lectureship.

 

This award, now in its ninth year, honours an early-career researcher who has made significant contribution to the polymer field. The recipient is selected by the Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board from a list of candidates nominated by the community.

 

Profile picture of Professor Miao Hong  

 

 ‘What impressed me most about Polymer Chemistry is that the manuscripts are being professionally handled with high efficiency.’

 

 

Miao Hong received her Ph.D. degree in 2013 under the supervision of Professor Yuesheng Li from the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. After a four-year postdoctoral stint at Colorado State University with Professor Eugene Y.-X. Chen, she joined Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2017 as a Full Professor of Chemistry. Research in the Hong group is centred on polymer science, catalytic chemistry, green and sustainable chemistry, and with one of the main interests being the development of novel catalysts and new methodologies for the production of sustainable polymers with controlled structures from renewable feedstocks.

 

To learn more about Professor Hong’s research, have a look at her most recent publication in Polymer ChemistryInsights into the interaction between bis(aryloxide)alkylaluminium and N-heterocyclic carbene: from an abnormal Lewis adduct to a frustrated Lewis pair for efficient polymerizations of biomass-derived acrylic monomers

This is free to access until 30th September 2023, and featured in our most recent Pioneering Investigators collection. You can also check out articles from our previous lectureship winners in our lectureship winners collection.

 

Read our interview with Professor Hong below:

 

How has your research evolved from your first article to you most recent article?

The research in my group is centered on the development of novel catalysts and new methodologies for the production of sustainable polymers with controlled structures from renewable feedstocks. One of major challenges encountered in this area is the conventional catalytic systems, which can effectively polymerize petrochemical monomers, are generally inert/sluggish or uncontrolled toward the polymerization of biomass-derived monomers due to their unique heteroatom-rich structure natures. Take β-angelica lactone as an example, a key downstream chemical of levulinic acid which is available in a total yield of more than 80% from cellulose and classified as one of top biomass-derived compounds best suited to replace petroleum-derived chemicals. However, its polymerization is inaccessible by traditional polymerization methods, such as group transfer, coordination-addition, and radical polymerizations.

 

The first “real” article in my group, accomplished by my first Ph.D. student, is the achievement of the first polymerization of β-angelica lactone through developing a new cooperative Lewis pair catalyst. Accordingly, a heat- and solvent-resistant acrylic bioplastic is effectively synthesized. This work was published in Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2020, 59, 2664) and designed as a Hot Paper. On the basis of this work, we further optimized the catalyst structure and established a new and stable Frustrated Lewis pair in our very recently work (Polym. Chem. 2023, 14, 3286 – 3293), which is not only efficient for β-angelica lactone polymerization, but also can mediate fast and controlled polymerizations of methyl crotonate and (E,E)-methyl sorbate, thus establishing a general catalyst for the polymerizations of inert biomass-derived acrylic monomers. Overall, the striking findings from our group and the other groups (e.g. Chen, Zhang, Takasu) shed light on the great potential of cooperative Lewis pair catalysts for efficient polymerizations of challenging biomass-derived monomers.

 

What excites you most about your area of research and what has been the most exciting moment of your career so far?

The most exciting moment of my research career so far should be the successful chemical synthesis of high-molecular-weight biomaterial poly(4-hydroxybutyrate) for the first time via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of γ-butyrolactone (Nat. Chem. 2016, 8, 42), a biomass-derived lactone monomer commonly referred as “non-polymerizable” in the textbooks and literatures due to low ring strain energy, when I was a Postdoc in Prof. Eugene Y.-X. Chen’ group at Colorado State University. However, such ROP requires extremely low reaction temperature, which severely hampers the possibly industrial applicability of the resultant polymer.

 

Recently, my group established a new polymerization strategy, termed isomerization-driven ROP (iROP). Different from conventionally ring strain-driven ROP, such polymerization is thermodynamically driven by S/O isomerization, thus rendering non-strained five-membered rings highly polymerizable for the first time at industrially relevant temperature of 80-100 °C. I am quite excited about iROP, because it is a simple and powerful strategy which not only can circumvent the unfavorable thermodynamics of ROPs of ‘non-stained’ five-membered lactones, and also presents a fascinating opportunity to convert these abundant, but underexploited renewable feedstocks (e.g. γ-butyrolactone, γ-valerolactone, peach lactone, dihydrojasmone lactone, whiskey lactone) into new sustainable polymers with their key physical properties comparing well to representative commodity polyolefin plastics (Nat. Chem. 2022, 14, 294; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202217812).

 

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in your field of research?

One of the most important questions in the field of sustainable polymers should be how to reshape the current petroleum-based polymer industry with sustainable polymers.  That is how to bring the beautiful synthetic schemes and intriguing physical properties of sustainable polymers developed in academia into industrial processes and cost-effective polymeric products. To address this question, cross-disciplinary research (such as polymer chemistry, physics, processing, engineering, and even information technology and artificial intelligence) is highly desirable, and the collaboration between both polymer industry and academic researchers is also essential.

 

How do you feel about Polymer Chemistry as a place to publish research on this topic?

What impressed me most about Polymer Chemistry is that the manuscripts are being professionally handled with high efficiency. Take our recent research article published by Polymer Chemistry as an example. The manuscript was submitted on 17th May 2023, the peer review of which only took two weeks, and accepted fast on13th June 2023.

 

In which upcoming conferences or events (online or in person) may our readers meet you?

The conferences on my schedule are the National Polymer Academic Paper Conference (Oct. 13-17, 2023, Wuhan, China) and IUPAC MACRO 2024 (July 1-4, 2024, Warwick University, United Kingdom).

 

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with early career scientists?

You always can find ideas/answers in the literatures when you face the scientific questions.

 

How do you spend your spare time?

Try my best to accompany my family in my spare time. I always feel frustrated to balance work and life.

 

We would like to thank everybody who nominated a candidate for the 2023 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship. The Editorial Board had a very difficult task in choosing a winner from the many excellent and worthy candidates.

 

Please join us in congratulating Professor Hong on winning this award!

 

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2023 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship – Open for nominations

Do you know an early-career researcher who deserves recognition for their contribution to the polymer chemistry field?

 

Polymer Chemistry is pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for its 2023 Lectureship award and will close on 28 February 2023. This annual award was established in 2015 to honour an early-stage career scientist who has made a significant contribution to the polymer field.

 

Polymer Chemistry Lectureship graphic asking who will you nominate. Deadline 28 February 2023

 

Eligibility

To be eligible for the lectureship, candidates should meet the following criteria:

  • Be an independent researcher, PhD students postdoctoral research associates are not eligible
  • Be actively pursuing research within the polymer chemistry field, and have made a significant contribution to the field
  • Be at an early stage of their independent career (this should typically be within 12 years of attaining their doctorate or equivalent degree, but appropriate consideration will be given to those who have taken a career break, work in systems where their time period to independence may vary or who followed an alternative study path)

 

How to nominate

Nominations must be made via email to polymers-rsc@rsc.org, and include the following:

  • The name, affiliation and contact details of the nominee, nominator and referee
  • An up-to-date CV of the nominee (1 – 3 A4 page maximum length)
  • A letter of recommendation from the nominator (500 words maximum length)
  • A supporting letter of recommendation from a referee (500 words maximum length). This could be from the nominee’s postdoc, PhD supervisor or academic mentor for instance
  • The nominator must confirm that to the best of their knowledge, their nominee’s professional standing is as such that there is no confirmed or potential impediment to them receiving the Lectureship

Please note:

  • Self-nomination is not permitted
  • The nominee must be aware that he/she has been nominated for this lectureship
  • Previous winners and current Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board members are not eligible
  • As part of the Royal Society of Chemistry, we have a responsibility to promote inclusivity and accessibility in order to improve diversity. Where possible, we encourage each nominator to consider nominating candidates of all genders, races, and backgrounds. Please see the RSC’s approach to Inclusion and Diversity.

 

Selection

  • All eligible nominated candidates will be assessed by a judging panel made up of the Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board, any Editorial Board members with a conflict of interest will be ineligible for the judging panel.
  • The judging panel will consider the following core criteria:
    • Excellence in research, as evidenced in reference to originality and impact
    • Quality of publications, patents or software
    • Innovation
    • Professional standing
    • Independence
    • Collaborations and teamwork
    • Evidence of promising potential
    • Other indicators of esteem indicated by the nominator
  • In any instance where multiple nominees are judged to be equally meritorious in relation to these core criteria, the judging panel will use information provided on the nominee’s broader contribution to the chemistry community as an additional criterion. Examples of this could include: involvement with RSC community activities, teaching or demonstrating, effective mentorship, service on boards, committees or panels, leadership in the scientific community, peer reviewing, promotion of diversity and inclusion, advocacy for chemistry, public engagement and outreach.

 

Previous winners

2021 – Dominik Konkolewicz, Miami University, USA

2021 – Brett Fors, Cornell University, USA

2020 – Rachel O’Reilly, University of Birmingham, UK

2019 – Frederik Wurm, University of Twente, The Netherlands

2018 – Cyrille Boyer, University of New South Wales, Australia

2017 – Julien Nicolas, Université Paris Sud, France

2016 – Feihe HuangZhejiang University, China

2015 – Richard HoogenboomGhent University, Belgium

 

Nominations deadline: 28 February 2023

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Announcing a new Desktop Lectureship Seminar hosted by Polymer Chemistry

The RSC Desktop Seminar Lectureship series provides an exciting opportunity for exceptional scientists to share their award-winning research virtually and for you to ask questions. Each session will either feature talks from a journal board member and a recent Lectureship winner, or by two recent Lectureship winners, spanning many topic areas and regions around the world. Further information about upcoming sessions is available here.

As part of the series, Polymer Chemistry will host a session featuring talks from 2021 Lectureship winner Prof. Brett Fors and Associate Editor Prof. Emily Pentzer.

 

Polymer Chemistry Lectureship

Wednesday 27 July 2022, 21:00 – 22:30 BST | 16:00 – 17:30 EDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Register for free here

 

Please visit rsc.li/lectureship-series for the latest updates and registration links. If you think these events would interest someone you know, please do share this message. We hope you can join us at the Polymer Chemistry Lectureship webinar or at another upcoming event. In the event that you are interested in any of the webinars but cannot make the date, register online before the scheduled event and you will be sent a link to the recording afterwards.

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2022 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship awarded to Dominik Konkolewicz

We are delighted to announce Dominik Konkolewicz (Miami University) as the recipient of the 2022 Polymer Chemistry lectureship.

This award, now in its eighth year, honours an early-career researcher who has made significant contribution to the polymer field. The recipient is selected by the Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board from a list of candidates nominated by the community.

Profile picture of Dominik Konkolewicz  

 ‘I think the fantastic thing about Polymer Chemistry is that the journal has a clear focus on the development and evaluation of polymers, while still covering a wide range of topics ranging from fundamental kinetic analysis and mechanistic work through to 3D printing and bio-applications of polymers.’

 

Dominik Konkolewicz earned a Bachelors of Science degree at the University of Sydney (Australia) in 2006, majoring in Chemistry and Mathematics. He continued at the University of Sydney to complete his PhD (2011) working with Dr. Sébastien Perrier on polymerization kinetics and branched polymer synthesis. He went on to complete postdoctoral research at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh (USA), working with Dr. Krzysztof Matyjaszewski on mechanisms of complex reactions and applications of precisely defined polymers. In 2014, Dominik joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Miami University in Oxford OH (USA) as an Assistant Professor, with promotion to Associate Professor in 2019. He will start as full professor in Fall 2022. The Konkolewicz group explores a wide range of topics in Polymer Chemistry, including radical polymerization mechanisms, dynamically bonded polymer materials, light driven reactions, bioconjugates, and polymer based self-assembly. Dominik has published over 130 research articles in polymer chemistry and polymer science, with a particular focus on developing fundamental science to facilitate the design of functional materials. Dominik can be found on Twitter @PolyKonkol and the Konkolewicz group can be found on Twitter @konkolgroup.

 

Check out Dominik’s recent publication in Polymer Chemistry, A general model for the ideal chain length distributions of polymers made with reversible deactivation’.

This is free to read until 21st July 2022, along with his other publications in our lectureship winners collection. You can find articles from all our previous lectureship winners in the collection too.

 

Read our interview with Dominik below:

 

How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?

My first article in Polymer Chemistry, published as a PhD student, focused on modelling complex polymers. Since then, our group has maintained its core of developing fundamental mechanistic chemistry, while expanding into a wide range of topics such as responsive polymers and biomaterials.

 

What excites you most about your area of research and what has been the most exciting moment of your career so far?

Things that excite me at the moment is the development of basic polymer science that can be connected to ongoing challenges in our fields. Thinking how we use basic science to contribute towards solutions in sustainability and efficiency is really an important area. The most exciting moments in my career are the growth of my students and trainees. Seeing early career scientists and students move towards their long-term career goals and their ability to contribute to ongoing problems is very rewarding.

 

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in your field of research?

Current and important questions in the field include: how can basic concepts in mechanistic polymer science be translated to next generation materials; and how can we effectively discuss science with the community broadly. We need a balance of fundamental science, but also applying what we know already to current challenges.

 

How do you feel about Polymer Chemistry as a place to publish research on this topic?

I really value Polymer Chemistry as a forum to publish work across the topics of mechanism and kinetics, polymer-based materials synthesis and analysis of structure property relationships across a range of polymer-based materials. I think the fantastic thing about Polymer Chemistry is that the journal has a clear focus on the development and evaluation of polymers, while still covering a wide range of topics ranging from fundamental kinetic analysis and mechanistic work through to 3D printing and bio-applications of polymers.

 

Which of your Polymer Chemistry publications are you most proud of and why?

Clearly this is a really difficult question, because I am very proud of all our group’s publications in Polymer Chemistry. However, if I had to choose one it would be B. Zhang, Z. A. Digby, J. A. Flum, E. M. Foster, J. L. Sparks, D. Konkolewicz, ‘Self-Healing, Malleable and Creep Limiting Materials using both Supramolecular and Reversible Covalent Linkages’, Polymer Chemistry 2015, 6, 7368-7372, DOI: 10.1039/C5PY01214G. This is our first publication on dynamically bonded materials and mechanical testing. I am exceptionally proud of how our team members gained new skills in dynamic chemistry and materials characterization in such a short time, and used these skills to combine two dynamic chemistries to give responsive and stable materials.

 

In which upcoming conferences or events (online or in person) may our readers meet you?

COVID-19 has really negatively impacted our ability to plan for future travel, but I am planning to attend the Fall 2022 ACS meeting in person, as well as a couple of meetings in 2023 such as the 2023 Polymers Gordon Research Conference.

 

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with early career scientists?

The advice I would share is don’t be shy about reaching out to trusted individuals (such as colleagues or former advisors) for feedback. Since everyone brings something unique and valuable to the chemistry community, believe in your skills and the importance of your contributions.

 

How do you spend your spare time?

In my time away from the lab, I enjoy spending time with my family and our cats, cooking and baking new recipes, and running or cycling outdoors.

 

We would like to thank everybody who nominated a candidate for the 2022 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship. The Editorial Board had a very difficult task in choosing a winner from the many excellent and worthy candidates.

 

Please join us in congratulating Dominik on winning this award!

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2022 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship – Open for nominations

Do you know an early-career researcher who deserves recognition for their contribution to the polymer chemistry field?

 

Polymer Chemistry is pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for its 2022 Lectureship award and will close on 28 February 2022. This annual award was established in 2015 to honour an early-stage career scientist who has made a significant contribution to the polymer field.

 

Polymer Chemistry lectureship open for nominations

 

Eligibility

To be eligible for the lectureship, candidates should meet the following criteria:

  • Be an independent researcher, PhD students postdoctoral research associates are not eligible
  • Be actively pursuing research within the polymer chemistry field, and have made a significant contribution to the field
  • Be at an early stage of their independent career (this should typically be within 12 years of attaining their doctorate or equivalent degree, but appropriate consideration will be given to those who have taken a career break, work in systems where their time period to independence may vary or who followed an alternative study path)

 

How to nominate

Nominations must be made via email to polymers-rsc@rsc.org, and include the following:

  • The name, affiliation and contact details of the nominee, nominator and referee
  • An up-to-date CV of the nominee (1 – 3 A4 page maximum length)
  • A letter of recommendation from the nominator (500 words maximum length)
  • A supporting letter of recommendation from a referee (500 words maximum length). This could be from the nominee’s postdoc, PhD supervisor or academic mentor for instance
  • The nominator must confirm that to the best of their knowledge, their nominee’s professional standing is as such that there is no confirmed or potential impediment to them receiving the Lectureship

Please note:

  • Self-nomination is not permitted
  • The nominee must be aware that he/she has been nominated for this lectureship
  • Previous winners and current Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board members are not eligible
  • As part of the Royal Society of Chemistry, we have a responsibility to promote inclusivity and accessibility in order to improve diversity. Where possible, we encourage each nominator to consider nominating candidates of all genders, races, and backgrounds. Please see the RSC’s approach to Inclusion and Diversity.

 

Selection

  • All eligible nominated candidates will be assessed by a judging panel made up of the Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board, any Editorial Board members with a conflict of interest will be ineligible for the judging panel.
  • The judging panel will consider the following core criteria:
    • Excellence in research, as evidenced in reference to originality and impact
    • Quality of publications, patents or software
    • Innovation
    • Professional standing
    • Independence
    • Collaborations and teamwork
    • Evidence of promising potential
    • Other indicators of esteem indicated by the nominator
  • In any instance where multiple nominees are judged to be equally meritorious in relation to these core criteria, the judging panel will use information provided on the nominee’s broader contribution to the chemistry community as an additional criterion. Examples of this could include: involvement with RSC community activities, teaching or demonstrating, effective mentorship, service on boards, committees or panels, leadership in the scientific community, peer reviewing, promotion of diversity and inclusion, advocacy for chemistry, public engagement and outreach.

 

Previous winners

2021 – Brett Fors, Cornell University, USA

2020 – Rachel O’Reilly, University of Birmingham, UK

2019 – Frederik Wurm, University of Twente, The Netherlands

2018 – Cyrille Boyer, University of New South Wales, Australia

2017 – Julien Nicolas, Université Paris Sud, France

2016 – Feihe HuangZhejiang University, China

2015 – Richard HoogenboomGhent University, Belgium

 

Nominations deadline: 28 February 2022

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2021 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship awarded to Brett Fors

It is with great pleasure that we announce Brett Fors (Cornell University) as the recipient of the 2021 Polymer Chemistry lectureship.

This award, now in its seventh year, honours an early-career researcher who has made significant contribution to the polymers field. The recipient is selected by the Polymer Chemistry Science Editorial Board from a list of candidates nominated by the community.

Promotional image of Brett Fors as 2021 Polymer Chemistry lectureship winner

Brett P. Fors was born in Montana and carried out his undergraduate studies in chemistry at Montana State University (2006). He went on to do his Ph.D. (2011) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Professor Stephen L. Buchwald. After his doctoral studies he became an Elings Fellow at the University of California, Santa Barbara working with Professor Craig J. Hawker.  In of 2014 he joined the faculty at Cornell University and is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. His group’s research focuses on the development and application of new synthetic methods for polymer science. He and his group can be found on Twitter @brett_fors and @forsgroup.

 

Polymer Chemistry Editor-in-Chief, Christopher Barner-Kowollik, says that Prof. Fors is a leader in the development of advanced (photochemical) synthetic methods, fusing elegant new concepts of organic chemistry with advanced polymer materials design. His research is seminal and inspiring to our community. I am delighted that the 2021 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship is awarded to Brett, a true ambassador of polymer science excellence.

 

Read Brett’s latest article in Polymer Chemistry Achieving molecular weight distribution shape control and broad dispersities using RAFT polymerizations” and all of his other publications in Polymer Chemistry for FREE until 1 August. These and articles from our previous lectureship winners can be found in our lectureship winners collection.

 

How has your research evolved from your first article to the most recent article?

Our research program has evolved to a point that I would not have imagined when our group was getting started–this is a result of having very talented co-workers and collaborators that have taken our research in directions that I could not have predicted.

 

What excites you most about your area of research and what has been the most exciting moment of your career so far?

Results that change our understanding of a system are especially exciting to me. The most exciting moments of my career have been seeing my students develop and succeed as scientists.

 

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in your field of research?

In my opinion the most important questions being asked in a field are not obvious.  I strongly believe that continuing to encourage high quality basic research in the area of polymer chemistry is what is important.  However, if I was to pick one area that I believe will have an impact on society it would be developing sustainable polymer systems.

 

How do you feel about Polymer Chemistry as a place to publish research on this topic?

Polymer Chemistry is an excellent platform to publish high quality studies and is one of my favorite journals to read and keep up with the current field of polymer science.

 

Which of your Polymer Chemistry publications are you most proud of and why?

I cannot choose – I am very proud of all of the work and creativity that my co-workers put into all of our Polymer Chemistry publications.

 

In which upcoming conference or events (online or in person) may our readers meet you?

With Covid I am currently unsure as conferences are continually being moved but I will definitely be at Pacifichem.

 

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with early career scientists?

My one piece of advice is to work in an area that you are passionate about and don’t forget to enjoy the process of research.

 

How do you spend your spare time?

I spend my free time with my wife and two kids!

 

We would like to thank everybody who nominated a candidate for the 2021 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship. The Editorial Board had a very difficult task in choosing a winner from the many excellent and worthy candidates.

 

Please join us in congratulating Brett on winning this award!

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Open for Nominations: 2021 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship

Do you know an early-career researcher who deserves recognition for their contribution to the polymer chemistry field?

Now is your chance to put them forward for the accolade they deserve!

Polymer Chemistry is pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for its 2021 Lectureship award. This annual award was established in 2015 to honour an early-stage career scientist who has made a significant contribution to the polymer field.

The recipient of the award will be asked to present a lecture at an international conference in 2021, where they will also be presented with the award. The Polymer Chemistry Editorial Office will provide £1000 financial support to the recipient for travel and accommodation costs.

The recipient will also be asked to contribute a research article to the journal and will have their work showcased free of charge on the front cover of the issue in which their article is published. The article would be subject to the normal peer review standards of the journal.

 

Previous winners

2020 – Rachel O’Reilly, University of Birmingham, UK

2019 – Frederik Wurm, University of Twente, The Netherlands

2018 – Cyrille Boyer, University of New South Wales, Australia

2017 – Julien NicolasUniversité Paris Sud, France

2016 – Feihe Huang, Zhejiang University, China

2015 – Richard Hoogenboom, Ghent University, Belgium

 

Eligibility

To be eligible for the lectureship, candidates should meet the following criteria:

  • Be an independent researcher, having completed PhD and postdoctoral studies
  • Be actively pursuing research within the polymer chemistry field, and have made a significant contribution to the field
  • Be at an early stage of their independent career (this should typically be within 12 years of attaining their doctorate or equivalent degree, but appropriate consideration will be given to those who work in systems where their time period to independence may vary, or who have taken a career break, for example for childcare leave or who followed an alternative study path)

Although the Polymer Chemistry Lectureship doesn’t explicitly reward support of or contributions to the journal, candidates with a history of publishing or reviewing for the journal would be more likely to be considered favourably.

 

Selection

  • All eligible nominated candidates will be assessed by a shortlisting panel, made up of members of the Polymer Chemistry Advisory Board and a previous lectureship winner.
  • The shortlisting panel will consider the nomination form and letter of recommendation, as well as the three recent research articles highlighted in the nomination form for consideration.
  • Shortlisted candidates will be further assessed by the Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board, and a winner will be selected based on an anonymous poll.
  • Selection is not based simply on quantitative measures. Consideration will be given to all information provided in the letter of recommendation and nomination form, including research achievements and originality, contributions to the polymer community, innovation, collaborations and teamwork, publication history, and engagement with Polymer Chemistry.

 

Nominations

Nominations must be made via email to polymers-rsc@rsc.org, and include the following:

  • A brief letter of recommendation (1 page maximum length)
  • A complete nomination form (includes list of the candidate’s relevant publications or recent work, 3 research articles to be considered during the shortlisting process, candidate’s scientific CV, and full contact details)

Please note:

  • Nominations from students and self-nomination is not permitted.
  • The nominee must be aware that he/she has been nominated for this lectureship.
  • As part of the Royal Society of Chemistry, we have a responsibility to promote inclusivity and accessibility in order to improve diversity. Where possible, we encourage each nominator to consider nominating candidates of all genders, races, and backgrounds. Please see the RSC’s approach to Inclusion and Diversity.
  • Candidates outside of the stated eligibility criteria may still be considered.

 

Nominations deadline: 10th January 2021

 

Download nomination form here

 

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2020 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship awarded to Rachel O’Reilly

It is with great pleasure that we announce Prof Rachel O’Reilly (University of Birmingham) as the recipient of the 2020 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship.

This award, now in its sixth year, honours an early-career researcher who has made significant contribution to the polymer chemistry field. The recipient is selected by the Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board from a list of candidates nominated by the community.

Rachel O'ReillyRead on to find out more about Rachel

Rachel O’Reilly holds a Chair in Chemistry within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Birmingham. From 1st August 2018 she became the Head of the School of Chemistry. She graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1998 with a BA in Natural Sciences, and in 1999 with an MSc in Chemistry and completed her PhD in 2003 from Imperial College London. She has held a number of prestigious fellowships from the ESPRC, Royal Society and Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

She has published over 175 research papers in scientific journals as well as reviews and book chapters in the fields of polymer synthesis, self-assembly, catalysis and DNA nanotechnology. She has given over 170 invited lectures and was recognised as one of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s 175 faces of Chemistry. She has received major grants and research support from the ERC, BP and EPSRC. She leads a large interdisciplinary team working at the interface of chemistry, materials and biology. Since 2006 she has graduated close to 25 PhD students and mentored over 20 postdoctoral researchers.

Rachel was appointed on the EPSRC strategic advisory network (SAN) in 2009 and served for almost 7 years. During this time she most significantly contributed to white papers on developing more flexible support for early career researchers, managing diversity and delivering impact. She holds a position as a review editor for Science and is an associate editor for Macromolecules.

Rachel leads the Rachel O’Reilly Group. Her group’s work has received numerous national and international awards for her polymer and material efforts, including, uniquely, four from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), and, young researcher medals from the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the world authority on chemical nomenclature and terminology.

To learn more about Rachel’s research have a look at a selection of her publications in Polymer Chemistry:

Self-catalysed folding of single chain nanoparticles (SCNPs) by NHC-mediated intramolecular benzoin condensation
Sofiem Garmendia, Andrew P. Dove, Daniel Taton and Rachel K. O’Reilly

Polym. Chem., 2019,10, 2282-2289

Reversible ionically-crosslinked single chain nanoparticles as bioinspired and recyclable nanoreactors for N-heterocyclic carbene organocatalysis
Sofiem Garmendia, Andrew P. Dove, Daniel Taton and Rachel K. O’Reilly

Polym. Chem., 2018,9, 5286-5294

The application of blocked isocyanate chemistry in the development of tunable thermoresponsive crosslinkers
Marianne S. Rolph, Maria Inam and Rachel K. O’Reilly
Polym. Chem., 2017,8, 7229-7239

Understanding the CDSA of poly(lactide) containing triblock copolymers
Wei Yu, Maria Inam, Joseph R. Jones, Andrew P. Dove and  Rachel K. O’Reilly

Polym. Chem., 2017,8, 5504-5512

We would like to thank everybody who nominated a candidate for the 2020 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship. The Editorial Board had a very difficult task in choosing a winner from the many excellent and worthy candidates.

Please join us in congratulating Rachel on winning this award!

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Nominations now open for the 2020 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship

Do you know an early-career researcher who deserves recognition for their contribution to the polymer chemistry field?

Now is your chance to put them forward for the accolade they deserve!

Polymer Chemistry is pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2020 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship. This annual award was established in 2015 to honour an early-stage career scientist who has made a significant contribution to the polymer chemistry field.

The recipient of the award will be asked to present a lecture at the Warwick Polymer Meeting in 2020, where they will also be presented with the award. The Polymer Chemistry Editorial Office will provide financial support to the recipient for travel and accommodation costs.

The recipient will also be asked to contribute a lead article to the journal and will have their work showcased free of charge on the front cover of the issue in which their article is published.

Dr Frederik Wurm receiving his Lectureship award from Dr Neil Hammond (left) and Professor Filip Du Prez (right) at the EPF 2019

 

Previous winners

2019 – Frederik Wurm, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Germany

2018 – Cyrille Boyer, University of New South Wales, Australia

2017 – Julien NicolasUniversité Paris Sud, France

2016 – Feihe Huang, Zhejiang University, China

2015 – Richard Hoogenboom, Ghent University, Belgium

Eligibility

To be eligible for the lectureship, candidates should meet the following criteria:

  • Be an independent researcher, having completed PhD and postdoctoral studies
  • Be actively pursuing research within the polymer chemistry field, and have made a significant contribution to the field
  • Be at an early stage of their independent career (this should be within 15 years of attaining their doctorate or equivalent degree, but appropriate consideration will be given to those who have taken a career break, for example for childcare leave, or followed an alternative study path)

Although the Polymer Chemistry Lectureship doesn’t explicitly reward support of or contributions to the journal, candidates with no history of either publishing in or refereeing for the journal would typically not be considered.

Selection

  • Eligible nominated candidates will be notified of their nomination, and will be asked to provide 3 recent articles that they feel represent their current research.
  • All eligible nominated candidates will be assessed by a shortlisting panel, made up of members of the Polymer Chemistry Advisory Board and a previous lectureship winner.
  • The shortlisting panel will consider the articles provided by the candidates as well as their CVs and letters of nomination.
  • Shortlisted candidates will be further assessed by the Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board, and a winner will be selected based on an anonymous poll.
  • Selection is not based simply on quantitative measures. Consideration will be given to all information provided in the letter of recommendation and candidate CV, including research achievements and originality, contributions to the polymer chemistry community, innovation, collaborations and teamwork, publication history, and engagement with Polymer Chemistry.

Nominations

  • Nominations must be made via email to polymers-rsc@rsc.org, and should include a short CV (3 page maximum length) and a brief letter of nomination (1 page maximum length)
  • Self-nomination is not permitted
  • Nominators do not need to be senior researchers, and we encourage nominations from people at all career levels
  • As part of the Royal Society of Chemistry, we believe we have a responsibility to promote inclusivity and accessibility in order to improve diversity. Where possible, we encourage each nominator to consider nominating candidates of all genders, races, and backgrounds.
  • Candidates outside of the stated eligibility criteria may still be considered

Nominations should be submitted no later than 30th November 2019

 

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