Join the Dowling Lab
We are always looking for motivated and curious scholars to join the Dowling Lab.
Ph.D. Students
Who: Motivated scholars seeking a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering with bachelor's and/or master's degrees in engineering, computer science, statistics, or mathematics.
More Details: The Dowling Lab seeks bright, excited, curious, and motivated Ph.D. students. The lab's research is highly interdisciplinary and collaborative. Students with research experience in computing, applied statistics, machine learning, chemical engineering, or related fields are strongly encouraged to consider joining the lab. The Notre Dame CBE program waives the application fee for U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and applicants who hold a degree from a U.S. institution. Learn more about the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Ph.D. program.
Like many chemical engineering departments across the U.S., Notre Dame's program does not directly admit students to individual research labs under normal circumstances. Please email Prof. Dowling if you have external funding, want to transfer from another graduate program, or are in some other exceptional circumstance. During their first fall semester, new Ph.D. students attend research talks, read research articles, and meet with faculty and senior graduate students to learn more about research in the department. Then, in late fall, each new Ph.D. student submits their advisor preferences to the department chair, who assigns each Ph.D. student to a research lab in consultation with the faculty.
Please note that the department does not have a dedicated Master of Science or Master of Engineering program.
Prof. Dowling also encourages prospective students to explore other graduate programs in Notre Dame's College of Engineering and College of Science, as well as the Ph.D. in Analytics in the Mendoza College of Business, to find the program that best aligns with their research interests and goals.
How to Apply: Apply to the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Ph.D. program through the Notre Dame graduate application portal.
Prof. Dowling has served on the CBE Graduate Admissions Committee for several years. Here are some tips on preparing an excellent graduate school application:
-
Identify two to four research-active professors in Notre Dame's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering whose research aligns with your interests. The application has a designated section to list the faculty members you are interested in working with. You do not need to contact faculty members to ask for permission to list them in your application. In your personal statement, explain your choices as part of your overall research interests and career plans.
-
If you send Prof. Dowling a brief note with questions or expressing interest in the Dowling Lab, please attach your CV and any papers or manuscripts you have authored or coauthored. Prof. Dowling typically directs prospective students to this page and the resources linked here.
Please keep your email brief and avoid lengthy, AI-generated messages that summarize papers from the group and argue that you are a perfect fit. The volume of these messages makes it difficult for Prof. Dowling to respond promptly, and they generally do not improve your chances of admission.
Due to the volume of inquiries, Prof. Dowling generally does not review prospective applicants' materials by email or schedule individual Zoom calls before they apply. Applicants with external funding or other exceptional circumstances are encouraged to email Prof. Dowling.
-
Interest in the Dowling Lab sometimes exceeds the number of funded openings. Prof. Dowling strongly recommends identifying two or three additional potential advisors whose research interests align with yours. If you are interested in systems engineering, consider Prof. Joule Bergerson as another potential advisor. The Dowling Lab is part of the larger Computational Molecular Science and Engineering Laboratory (CoMSEL), with many exciting collaborative projects underway or being planned.
-
Some funded projects in the Dowling Lab have citizenship or residency eligibility requirements imposed by the funding source. These requirements apply to particular projects and do not preclude admission to the Ph.D. program.
-
Highlight your previous research accomplishments in your CV/resume and personal statement, especially peer-reviewed publications, manuscripts, research awards, competitive fellowships, and presentations at internationally recognized scientific conferences. Clearly distinguish published papers, accepted papers, submitted manuscripts, and manuscripts in preparation.
-
Address any special circumstances in your personal statement, such as repeated classes, taking longer than usual to complete a degree, or poor grades early in college that later improved. Explain the relevant circumstances, your improvement, and how your experiences have prepared you for doctoral research. Graduate school is open-ended and challenging. Use your personal statement to share how you have worked hard and persevered in the face of adversity.
-
If you are comfortable doing so, consider sharing in your personal statement whether you are a first-generation college student or come from an underserved community. Sharing this information is optional and can help the admissions committee identify scholarship or fellowship opportunities at the University of Notre Dame, especially for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents.
-
Choose recommenders who can give specific examples of your research potential, technical preparation, and perseverance.
Undergraduate Research during the Academic Year
Who: Notre Dame undergraduate students in engineering, science, economics, and mathematics.
More Details: Are you interested in applying computing and statistics to address global environmental challenges? Are you considering a career that combines engineering/science, computing, and data analysis? For CBE undergraduate students, did you enjoy CBE 20258 Numerical and Statistical Analysis? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, consider joining the Dowling Lab as an undergraduate researcher!
We are happy to welcome motivated undergraduate researchers to every project listed in the "Research" tab of our website. Many of our projects are collaborative, which offers the opportunity to work with multiple research groups at Notre Dame. This provides undergraduates at Notre Dame with great flexibility to customize a research experience that is best aligned with their interests and career goals.
How to Apply: Please apply via the STRAND system. Additionally, please send a brief email to Prof. Dowling with your CV/resume. We'll schedule a time to meet and discuss which research opportunities best align with your interests and career goals.
Undergraduate Research during the Summer
Who: Undergraduate students from U.S. and International Institutions, including Notre Dame.
More Details: We are seeking multiple undergraduate students to spend a summer with the Dowling Lab through the NDnano Undergraduate Research Fellowship (NURF), the International Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (iSURE), Promotion of Discourse through Engineering Materials Opportunities for Students (PODEMOS), and similar programs at Notre Dame.
How to Apply: Please see the links above for available projects and instructions on how to apply to each program.
Post-Doctoral Scholars
Who: Motivated scholars seeking new research opportunities with a Ph.D. in engineering, computer science, statistics, or mathematics.
More Details: This position broadly intersects optimization under uncertainty, machine learning, and uncertainty quantification, focusing on several molecular-to-system engineering applications in sustainable energy. Candidates are expected to a Ph.D. in engineering, statistics, mathematics, computer science, or a related field. Demonstrated skills and experience in computer programming, large-scale numerical optimization, design of experiments, Bayesian optimization, applied probability, and/or uncertainty quantification are preferred. Experience with modeling membrane separations and/or computer-aided molecular design is also a plus. This position includes extensive opportunities to interact with two dynamic, multi-disciplinary research communities at Notre Dame: the Computational Molecular Science and Engineering Laboratory (CoMSEL) and the Center for Informatics and Computational Sciences. The initial appointment is for one year, with funding in place for a mutually agreeable renewal for a second year.
How to Apply: Interested applicants should send a cover letter, detailed curriculum vitae, two representative publications, and a list of references to Prof. Alexander Dowling (adowling@nd.edu) with subject "Postdoctoral Position at Notre Dame".