Post-doctoral Researcher (M/F) – Development of Databases from Hydrogen Systems and Objects

Job Description

Missions

Research and Development (R&D) plays a major role in supporting the deployment of new industrial sectors. In this context, the government has decided to support the development of the hydrogen sector through the Priority Research Program and Equipment (PEPR-H2). The PEPR-H2 aims to encourage and support upstream research activities at low or intermediate technology readiness levels (TRL 1 to 4), addressing the priorities defined in the national hydrogen plan. This initiative represents a significant accelerator that will, in the medium term, enable the development of the next generations of hydrogen materials, components, and systems, and, in the longer term, generate breakthroughs likely to open up new industrial opportunities.
The program addresses issues related to low-carbon hydrogen production, its use in heavy mobility (electric or thermal propulsion), and its storage. Research is also being conducted to support the deployment of hydrogen systems through life cycle analyses, techno-socio-economic studies, and safety aspects.
Work on hydrogen systems involves a large number of experimental tests, focusing on both performance studies and durability tests under conditions close to real-world applications. These tests, particularly those conducted at stack or system power scales, are not only costly but also very time-consuming when involving tests lasting several thousand hours. However, they are essential for understanding degradation mechanisms, the links between degradation mechanisms and operating conditions, and for developing optimal diagnostic, prognostic, and control tools necessary for managing energy conversion systems (fuel cells and electrolyzers).
Several partner laboratories involved in projects supported by the PEPR Hydrogen program have undertaken large-scale experimental work on this topic but have limited means to structure, exchange, and collectively share (when desired) the results obtained within or outside collaborative projects.
The objective of this post-doctoral position, directly funded by the PEPR Hydrogen and identified as a collective contributory effort, is to establish a shared database for different entities. This database will store and process, in the simplest and most accessible way possible, the results obtained in various laboratories affiliated with the CEA or CNRS. These results focus on the characterization of hydrogen systems (fuel cells and electrolyzers) from the cell scale to power stacks. The database should facilitate system control simulation work and accelerate the development of systems by providing simpler access to a larger volume of data. Special attention will be given to managing access, confidentiality, and intellectual property related to the data.

Activity

The post-doctoral work will involve, in particular:

Defining a comprehensive ontology covering the entire relevant domain (notably compatible with fuel cell and electrolyzer stack and system testing);
Designing a generic data structure based on this ontology, enabling the ingestion and management of all data from various test platforms of all partners. For example, this structure will allow the archiving of time-series test data, metadata describing the tested object and test context, and characterization data obtained during the operation of the object (e.g., SIE, ECSA, etc.);
Identifying incomplete or incorrect data within the collected datasets as part of a data pre-processing step before storage;
Proposing and contributing to the development of user interfaces that facilitate data processing (cleaning, restructuring), exploration (catalog, multi-criteria searches, dependency navigation, etc.), and data export;
Defining a data governance policy and implementing the necessary methods and tools to manage the security and confidentiality of each dataset: managing (co-)ownership, user roles, etc. Special attention will be given to integrating specific intellectual property constraints related to the tests, where applicable;
Establishing an adaptive and specific policy for managing temporary embargo periods on data access.
For each collected and archived dataset, the feasibility of publishing the data in open-access format, via a descriptive scientific publication in an international specialized journal, will need to be assessed. Where applicable, the post-doctoral researcher will be responsible for drafting and disseminating such scientific publications.

Your Profil

Skills

Knowledge:

Computer science knowledge related to the structuring and implementation of databases
Physical knowledge associated with hydrogen systems and objects
Proficiency in technical and scientific English
Skills:

Structuring and implementing databases
Securing digital access and setting up remote connection tools
Identifying incomplete or incorrect data within datasets
Writing scientific publications in English
Personal Qualities:

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Autonomy
Rigor and attention to detail in deliverables
Initiative-taking
Proven ability to thrive in a multi-partner academic research environment

Your Work Environment

CNRS Engineering is one of the 10 thematic institutes of the CNRS, responsible for implementing the scientific policy of the institution in its field and coordinating the actions of the 132 structures under its supervision, which employ nearly 17,000 staff, including 2,000 permanent CNRS employees.
The post-doctoral work will take place (during the first year) at the FEMTO-ST Institute (CNRS Joint Research Unit) in Belfort (90), within the SHARPAC team (Hydrogen Systems, Actuators, Production, Storage, and Conversion of Electrical Energy) of its Energy Department. The second year of the post-doctoral contract will be funded by the CEA, as part of a placement within its LITEN laboratory in Grenoble (38). The work will be carried out over a period of 2 years, covering the periods of presence at the two pilot sites (Belfort and Grenoble) linked to this initiative.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

Starting from €3,041 gross per month

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions