Argonne Scholar-margaret Butler Fellowship

The Argonne Leadership Computing Facility's (ALCF) Margaret Butler Fellowship in Computational Science is an exciting and unique opportunity to pursue high-impact scientific research at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Science and High-Performance Computing (HPC) to drive scientific discoveries. The mission of this fellowship is to broaden domain science in leadership-class computing.

This postdoctoral fellow is expected to leverage the ALCF’s world-class computing resources. These include the Aurora Supercomputer — one of the two exascale computing platforms in the US, with over 63,000 GPUs and 21,000 CPUs — and novel AI accelerators in the AI Testbed. The postdoctoral fellow will work closely with multidisciplinary science teams to drive a research agenda and help chart the future direction of scientific computing and artificial intelligence on leadership-class supercomputing facilities. The responsibilities will be determined based on the accepted research proposal and plan and based on meetings with the supervisor/mentor of this fellow.

The appointment is for one year and may be renewed for another year. The benefits of the appointment include a highly competitive salary and a generous professional allowance. For additional details, including past recipients, see:
This position requires some on-site presence at the Argonne campus in Lemont, Illinois, with the possibility of a hybrid schedule.
- This job description documents the general nature of work but is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all activities, duties and responsibilities required of the job incumbent. Consequently, the job incumbent may be required to perform other duties as assigned._

ABOUT MARGARET K. BUTLER (1924-2013)

This Argonne-based postdoctoral fellowship program is named in honor of Margaret K. Butler, a pioneering scientist who spent her career at the leading edge of computer science and nuclear energy. She programmed the first digital computers at Argonne National Laboratory in the early 1950s, helped design subsequent ones, and contributed to simulations of nuclear power reactors. Butler was the first female Fellow at the American Nuclear Society and director of the National Energy Software Center. Her analytical talents, vision, and drive led to a lifetime of scientific contributions.

Position Requirements

Required skills, knowledge and qualifications:

- Ph.D. (completed within the last 0-5 years, or to be awarded by the start of the appointment) in applied mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, or similar field
- Knowledge of high-performance computational science. Examples include, but are not limited to, computational science research in at least one of the following: biology; chemistry; earth science; engineering; materials science; nuclear energy; physics; renewable energy; energy science; artificial intelligence; numerical methods & applied mathematics
- Experience with scientific computing on HPC systems, including AI-driven approaches
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to contribute to creative solutions to complex problems
- Effective communications skills, both verbal and written
- Effective collaborative skills, including the ability to work well with other collaborators internally at Argonne and externally at other labs, universities, computing centers, and industry
- Demonstrated ability of impactful collaborations with researchers
- Ability to model Argonne’s core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity, and teamwork

Application requirements:

- A one-page research proposal for a 1-2 year self-directed research program that aligns with the fellowship's mission of broadening domain science in leadership-class computing. The research proposal should contain research goals, proposed approach, research plan, expected outcome, use of ALCF resources, and impact.
- CV/curriculum vitae
- After applying, you will be contacted to provide the contact information for three non-Argonne scientists who will each be asked to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf_

Application timeline:

- Application packages will be reviewed starting on August 2, 2024
- The appointment can start anytime after September 1, 2024

Job Family

Argonne Scholar Family

Job Profile

Argonne Scholar

Worker Type

Long-Term (Fixed Term)

Time Type

Full time
- All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment._