Author: Marcus Mohring

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is inviting applications for a postdoctoral position in numerical relativity and fundamental physics. The successful candidate will work with Prof. Helvi Witek and her team, and they will have the opportunity to collaborate on the Einstein Toolkit/CarpetX software framework. Applicant should submit their application package: (1) a cover letter, (2) a curriculum vitae, including a list of publications, (3) a research statement (limited to 3 pages, 1 inch margin, 11-12pt) containing a summary of previous and current research, and future research plans, (4) contact information for three (3) referees who will be asked to write letters of recommendation, by  December 1, 2025.

The Illinois Relativity Group in the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invites applications for a postdoctoral research position with focus on numerical relativity, computational astrophysics, and their applications to fundamental physics.

The successful candidate will join Prof. Helvi Witek and her team to work on numerical relativity in and beyond general relativity, including tests of gravity or modeling signatures of dark matter candidates around black holes. The candidate is intended to partially work on the Einstein Toolkit/CarpetX software framework and contribute to its hybrid Monte-Carlo/M1 neutrino transport scheme as part of the “E=mc²” project. This is a multi-institutional project to develop numerical infrastructure and methods, with collaborators at Louisiana State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Idaho, University of Texas Austin, and the University of Wyoming, and international collaborators R. Haas and E. Schnetter.

Prof. Helvi Witek’s team is currently home to postdoc Dr. Jay Kalinani, Visiting Research Scientist Dr. Elena Kopteva, six graduate students and undergraduate students; see https://witek-gravity-group.physics.illinois.edu. The successful candidate will become a member of the Illinois Relativity Group which includes Profs. S. Shapiro, H. O. Silva, N. Yunes, and Research Professor A. Tsokaros. They will also become part of a vibrant research community in the Illinois Center for Advanced Study of the University (ICASU; https://icasu.illinois.edu/) that bridges the Departments of Physics, Astronomy, Computer Science, Mathematics and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). ICASU faculty working in closely related areas include Profs. C. Gammie, G. Holder, J. Noronha-Hostler, J. Noronha, J. Shelton, and S. Vishveshwara. The successful candidate will also have opportunities to join the LISA Consortium (https://lisamission.org) and the Einstein Toolkit Consortium (https://einsteintoolkit.org).

The candidate should have a strong background in scientific software development using parallelization frameworks like MPI or in numerical relativity in and beyond General Relativity. Expertise in GPU programming is beneficial. Interested candidates must have completed a Ph.D. in astronomy, physics, or a related field before the start date.

They must submit their application package online here: https://my.physics.illinois.edu/join/ under “Postdoctoral Position in Numerical Relativity and Fundamental Physics with Dr. Helvi Witek – 2026.” Applicants are requested to submit:

(1) a cover letter,

(2) a curriculum vitae, including a list of publications,

(3) a research statement (limited to 3 pages, 1 inch margin, 11-12pt) containing a summary of previous and current research, and future research plans,

(4) contact information for three (3) referees who will be asked to write letters of recommendation.

The deadline for applications and all letters of recommendation is December 1, 2025, for full consideration. The anticipated starting date of the position is August 15, 2026, though other starting times may be negotiated. The position is expected to last for a two-year term with a potential extension to a third year, conditional on performance and/or funding availability.

Please contact Prof. Helvi Witek (hwitek@illinois.edu) if you have any questions about the position itself, or Deanna Frye (ddebord@illinois.edu) if you have any questions about the application form.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process.

The “Computational Relativistic Astrophysics” division at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (the Albert Einstein Institute) in Potsdam led by Masaru Shibata (director) announces the opening of postdoc appointments. Each available postdoctoral position will be for a duration of 2—3 years.

The “Computational Relativistic Astrophysics” division is currently composed of two group leaders (Kenta Kiuchi, Kyohei Kawaguchi), 1 senior scientist (Takami Kuroda), and several postdoc researchers and students, and focuses on several research topics in relativistic astrophysics including neutron star mergers, collapsars, nucleosynthesis, stellar core collapse and explosion, formation and evolution of very massive and supermassive black holes, and multi-messenger astrophysics.

The researchers in the “Computational Relativistic Astrophysics” division can use high-performance computers at Max Planck Computing and Data Facility (MPCDF: https://www.mpcdf.mpg.de).

To apply for a postdoctoral position at the AEI in Potsdam, please fill out this form.

Applicants will be asked to upload a cover letter, curriculum vitae, list of publications and statement of research interests. Applicants will need to indicate the names of three referees for recommendation letters. Referees will be notified by email on how to upload the letters (in case of problems referees could send the letters directly to nrjobs(at)aei.mpg.de).

The deadline for the full consideration is December 21th, 2025. The positions will be available from September 1st 2026.

The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.

For further information, please contact Matthias Blittersdorf: matthias.blittersdorf(at)aei.mpg.de.

Please find here details.

IFT (Madrid, Spain) invites applications for 1–2 postdoctoral positions in gravitational waves and gravitational lensing, funded by CSIC-MAX and “Atracción de Talento” grants. The positions will start in October 2026 or later. The initial appointment is for two years, with possible extension depending on performance and available funding. Review of applications will begin on December 1 and continue until the positions are filled.

Successful candidates will collaborate with Miguel Zumalacárregui (joining IFT in Summer 2026, website). Potential topics include

• Wave-optics phenomena in gravitational lensing (e.g. 2409.04606)
• Searches for lensed gravitational waves and tests of dark matter (e.g. 2212.11960)
• Gravitational lensing of stars by binary black holes (e.g. 2506.16544)

We are looking for creative and highly motivated researchers with interest in cosmology, gravitational lensing, gravitational waves, compact-object astrophysics, data analysis, and/or computational methods. 

The group maintains active collaborations with the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (AEI, Potsdam), the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton), the University of Oxford, UC Berkeley, and the Niels Bohr Institute (Copenhagen). Members will have opportunities to pursue independent research and/or contribute to the Euclid and LISA missions.

IFT is a leading Spanish center for theoretical physics, spanning cosmology, gravitation, high-energy, and astroparticle physics. With a vibrant international community, the institute runs active visiting programs, workshops, and PhD training, and has been distinguished as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence, recognizing its scientific leadership.

IFT is an equal opportunity employer. Applications from women and members of underrepresented groups are encouraged.

Please find here details.

The Gravity Exploration Institute at Cardiff University is seeking a postdoc (called 'research associate' in the UK) in gravitational-wave experimentation and instrument simulation. Closing date for the application is 13 the November 2026. 

The post will be focused on a new optical calibration scheme for gravitational-wave detectors and on modeling thermal behavior of optics and sensing in gravitational-wave detectors.
Part of the work will be developed on our world-leading table-top experiment, and the candidate is also foreseen to spend some time at the LIGO sites.

Please talk to Prof. Hartmut Grote, or Prof. Katherine Dooley, or Dr. Keiko Kokeyama for any question.

Please find the position opening here.

The Leonard E. Parker Center for Gravitation, Cosmology, and Astrophysics (CGCA) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) invites applications for a postdoctoral position working with Prof. Brady and Prof. Creighton on research in gravitational wave physics and astronomy within the LIGO Scientific Collaboration.

The initial appointment is for one year, with renewal for a second (and, in most cases, a third) year contingent on continued funding and satisfactory performance. This position includes competitive salary and excellent fringe benefits. Applicants should have a PhD in physics, astrophysics, or a related field.
The CGCA at UWM has active research efforts in astronomy, astrophysics, gravity, and cosmology, with membership in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, NANOGrav, the Event Horizon Telescope, and more. The core group is comprised of 8 faculty (Brady, Chang, Creighton, Erb, Kaplan, Medeiros, Vigeland and Wiseman), plus a number of scientists, postdocs, and graduate students.

Applicants should send a C.V., publication list, and a brief statement of their research interests by email to cgca-postdoc-applications(at)uwm.edu. Please include “LIGO” in the subject line of your email. Applicants should also arrange to have three letters of recommendation sent by e-mail to the above address. Review of applications will begin on 23 January 2026. Questions should also be sent to the above address, with “LIGO” included in the subject.

The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer.

Please find here details.