We appreciate your interest in conducting research at the FAMES Lab. We want to receive your application! This call for applications details our process for selection and provides information specific to our research program that you may use to strengthen your portfolio. Our laboratory's evaluation process starts with sending your portfolio, including your CV, to gumennik@iu.edu. Following preselection, you'll be invited for a short (30-45 min.) online interview. Following which, any formal application into the Ph.D. in Intelligent Systems Engineering (ISE) program is should follow directions as listed on the department's website.

We believe that our diverse and collaborative laboratory fosters an interesting space for Ph.D. students to learn how to meet the challenges of path-breaking research in the physics of devices, material science, electrical, mechanical, and biological engineering. To maintain and further strengthen our start-up-like interdisciplinary culture, it is important that we continue to receive applications representing a broad range of academic backgrounds and individual experiences.  

The guidance below is intended to help prospective students understand the aspects of academic preparation and individual experience that poise applicants for success in our laboratory and how to present this information effectively in your interview presentation. This guidance is not intended to describe any "ideal" application profile or minimum standards for admission; it details minimum expectations, and applicants should build upon these expectations to demonstrate their skills.  

Evaluation of applications for the FAMES Lab focuses on your experimental research abilities, so we expect you to describe: 

• Your personal research work: 
  • The kind of lab work experience you have 
  • The kind of laboratory you worked in 
• Your ability to operate in a team: 
  • The working relationship with your colleagues 
  • Your personal contributions to any publications 
• Examples of aptitude for and experience/accomplishment in scientific or engineering research 
  • Your proven experience in the application of hands-on and craftsmanship skills 
  • Supporting evidence of your analytical capabilities 
• Experimental obstacles you faced and how you demonstrated your problem-solving skill 
  • The most relevant to us is your experience in building and modifying measurement and experimental setups and the design of materials, biomaterials, and chemical processing methodologies.  
  • Experience in problem-solving in CAD-CAM prototyping environment is an advantage. 
• Explanation of interest in pursuing a doctoral career with the FAMES Lab: 
  • Your specific fields of interest. Be specific about the work at the FAMES Lab that you are particularly interested in and explain why. 
  • The skills and techniques based in your previous work you think would benefit and enhance research at at the FAMES Lab. 
  • The skills you would like to pick up at FAMES Lab. 
  • Present some projects you have conducted. Describe the project from start to end and discuss any design considerations, modeling and simulating various parameters, material selection and fabrication, testing, and evaluation. If parts of the project were not conducted by yourself, please explain the thought process that went into it or what is planned for. 

Academic preparation. The PhD program begins with two years of intense coursework, concluding with a qualification exam for PhD candidacy, normally during the third year. Coursework is often chosen individually to fill the intellectual gaps you may have that would complement your research competencies. For candidacy, a Ph.D. student is expected to prepare, submit, and defend a first-author publication. Two more first-author publications are required to complete the dissertation work. 

Research experience. Conducting impactful research is challenging, and most successful applicants describe a strong track record of research experience and accomplishment. At the same time, we recognize that the nature of accessible research projects and opportunities to publish varies widely across the experiences of individual applicants. We value the skills and personal characteristics important for success in research - including initiative, creativity, and determination - evidenced by any type of work or personal experience. Our experimental work is challenging; it is the science, engineering, and art of matter involved in device creation and development. Based on various real-life problems, we seek to resolve them through microscale solutions that help us understand synthetic and physical phenomena in the material and natural world. 

Mentorship. While doctoral students may hold instructional positions in courses, they also mentor undergraduate and master's level students occasionally. Concerning potential mentorship skills, we are looking for individuals who demonstrate personable and outgoing qualities, feel comfortable mentoring students at both undergraduate and graduate levels, are willing to dedicate some of their time to occasional side projects, are motivated to help others beyond their work, and understand that students are here to learn and require guidance and learning opportunities from more experienced individuals around them. 

To Apply: Applicants are encouraged to email the director of the FAMES Lab their applications before applying to their Ph.D. program to see if they would be a good fit for the laboratory. For international students, please carefully review the visa and entry requirements so that you can attend Indiana University. 

For your information, many international and domestic applicants interested in quantitative and applied research at the FAMES Lab also consider PhD programs in Material Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Applied Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Health Science.