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Author: Marcus Mohring

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GW:UK @ Nottingham, January 15-16 2026

GW:UK@Nottingham is the first meeting of the GW:UK initiative (website). It will bring together researchers from across the UK involved in gravitational wave science to celebrate 10 years of gravitational wave discoveries (day 1) and to engage in community-building activities (day 2).

Due to the nature of this meeting, we will only offer in person participation. Some funding to cover accommodation and travel expenses for UK-based participants is available. There will be a number of slots available for contributed talks, including flash talks. We especially encourage early career researchers to apply for a slot.

To be considered for financial support and a contributed or flash talk, please complete your registration by 16 December.

Conference Website

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42nd Pacific Coast Gravity Meeting – February 27-28, 2026 at UC Riverside

42nd Pacific Coast Gravity Meeting - February 27-28, 2026 at UC Riverside 
The 42nd Jim Isenberg Pacific Coast Gravity Meeting will be held on Friday, February 27, 2026 - Saturday, February 28, 2026 at the University of California, Riverside.

In the tradition of the Pacific Coast Gravity Meetings, students and postdocs are strongly encouraged to participate, and all areas of gravitational physics—classical and quantum, theory and experiment—are welcome. We would like this meeting to serve as a communication medium among all branches of gravitational physics. Because this is a regional APS meeting, many participants will be from the Western U.S., but all are welcome.

The meeting is free to attend. There is no registration fee. However, we are not able to provide financial assistance to speakers and participants. A prize sponsored by the APS Division of Gravitational Physics (DGRAV) will be awarded for the best student talk.

Registration

Please register using this registration form. For full consideration, your application should be received by 11:59 PM on February 18, 2025. Late applications will be considered at the discretion of the organizers.

The Pacific Coast Gravity Meeting has grown to the point where we can no longer promise to accommodate all requests to speak. Priority will be given to talks by graduate students and postdocs.

DGRAV Prize

A prize will be awarded for the best talk by a student at the meeting. If you are eligible (i.e., if you are a graduate or undergraduate student), please be sure to indicate that on the registration form. Detailed eligibility criteria can be found here.

Program

Below is the tenative schedule of program events. Assigned talk slots will be posted in late February 2026.

Thursday, February 26

   5:00 PM –     6:00 PM Welcome Reception,  University Lecture Hall (map)

   6:00 PM –     7:00 PM Frontiers of Cosmology Public Lecture,  University Lecture Hall (map)
 Featuring APS President-Elect Brad Marston, with introductory remarks by 2017 Nobel Laureate Barry Barish

Friday, February 27

   9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Session I,  HUB 302 North (map)

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM Coffee Break

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Session II,  HUB 302 North (map)

12:30 PM –    2:00 PM Lunch

   2:00 PM –    3:30 PM Session III,  HUB 302 North (map)

   3:30 PM –    4:00 PM Coffee Break

   4:00 PM –    5:30 PM Session IV,  HUB 302 North (map)

Saturday, February 28

   9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Session V,  HUB 302 North (map)

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM Coffee Break

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Session VI,  HUB 302 North (map)

12:30 PM –    2:00 PM Lunch

   2:00 PM –    3:30 PM Session VII,  HUB 302 North (map)

   3:30 PM –    4:00 PM Coffee Break

   4:00 PM –    5:30 PM Session VIII,  HUB 302 North (map)

Logistics

Meeting Room

The conference will take place in the Highlander Union Building (HUB) in Room 302 North (see this campus map). Room 302 North is located on the third floor of the building (see this building map).

Conference Website

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Symposium & Memorial for Professor Rainer Weiss, February 27–28, 2026

The MIT Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research would like to share with you plans for a symposium and memorial service honoring Professor Rainer Weiss, Nobel Laureate in Physics (2017) and longtime member of our faculty, whose visionary work made the discovery of gravitational waves possible.

Symposium: Friday, February 27, 2026 (all day) — A full day of scientific talks and reflections celebrating Rai’s pioneering contributions to physics and his profound influence on generations of researchers.

Memorial Service: Saturday, February 28, 2026 (morning) — A gathering of family, friends, and colleagues to honor his life and legacy.

We invite members of the scientific community, alumni, collaborators, and friends to join us in celebrating the life and work of Rai.

Both events will take place at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with further details—including venues and programs — to follow in the coming weeks.

We kindly ask you to indicate your intent to attend by using this form: Weiss Event Form.

Deepto Chakrabarty, MIT Physics Department Head

Robert A. Simcoe, Director, MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research

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Gravitational Waves and Detection Technologies – PAS Rome Meeting 2026, March 16-17

Gravitational Waves and Detection Technologies - PAS Rome meeting 2026, jointly organized by the Polish Academy of Sciences, the University of Perugia and INFN Perugia, will take place in Rome from 16 March to 17 March 2026. This event aims to provide a platform for sharing recent advancements in the rapidly evolving field of gravitational-wave science, with a particular focus on detector science and experimental technologies.

The program will bring together researchers working on both theoretical and experimental aspects of gravitational waves, fostering exchange across different detector concepts, data analysis techniques and astrophysical applications. Talks will focus on the future of interferometric detectors, modern sensing technologies, signal processing methods and multi-messenger connections encouraging discussions that span physics, engineering and data science.

Invited speakers

prof. dr hab. Andrzej Królak, Institute of Mathematics of the Polish Academy of Sciences

prof. dr hab. Tomasz Bulik, Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw

dott. Gianluca Gemme, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, VIRGO Collaboration spoke-person

Important dates

  • Opening abstract submission: Tue, 2 Sep 2025
  • Opening registration: Tue, 7 October 2025
  • Closing abstract submission: Fri, 5 Dec 2025 (extended to Fri, 19 Dec 2025)
  • Abstract acceptance notification: Mon, 5 Jan 2026
  • Closing registration (final): Mon, 9 Mar 2026

Meeting Website

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Postdoctoral position in gravitational physics at the University of Mississippi, USA

The gravity group at the University of Mississippi invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher in gravitational physics, with a focus on gravitational-wave modeling for LISA. The position is for two years, with potential for renewal for a third year contingent on performance and availability of funding. A PhD in physics/mathematics/astronomy is required by the time of the initial appointment.

The successful applicants will also develop and advance an independent research program, collaborate with UMiss gravity group faculty (Leo Stein, Anuradha Gupta, James Bonifacio, and Luca Bombelli) on their research, and help to train UMiss students. UMiss is a member of the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes (SXS) collaboration, the LISA consortium, and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), and will thus provide ample opportunities to collaborate with other SXS, LISA, and LSC member institutions.

The nominal starting date for the positions is Sep. 1, 2026, but is flexible.

Applicants should submit an application by sending an email to grpostdoc[at]phy.olemiss.edu, including: a complete CV in PDF format (including publication list); a research proposal which covers research interests and experience; and contact information for three professional references who may provide letters. Please arrange for your references to also mail letters to this same address. Use the email subject “Gravity postdoc.”

Review of applications will begin Jan. 5, 2026 and will continue until the positions are filled.

Please direct questions about the position to Leo Stein lcstein[AT]olemiss.edu.

The University of Mississippi provides equal opportunity for qualified individuals in employment and education programs and activities. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or genetic information.

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10th anniversary of the launch of LISA Pathfinder

[December 3rd 2025] Today, we commemorate the tenth anniversary of the launch of the LISA Pathfinder (LPF) mission. This milestone was a moment of deep pride for the entire LISA Community and the thousands of people who contributed to this extraordinary feat of engineering and science.

LISA Pathfinder was an extremely successful mission that demonstrated our ability to go above and beyond the key technological requirements for the future LISA mission. LPF successfully measured and controlled the motion of the test masses in space with unprecedented precision, effectively removing one of the main technological risks and paving the way for LISA to become reality.

Liftoff of Vega VV06 carrying LISA Pathfinder on 3 December 2015 from Europe’s Spaceport, French Guiana.
Copyright: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2015

The success of LPF is a testament to the dedication of its international team. This was a scientifically, technologically, and organizationally demanding project whose success created the essential conditions that now enable us to realize the revolutionary potential of LISA.

We are now half way between the launch of LPF and the nominal launch date of the LISA. Looking to the next decade one of our key responsibilities is to ensure the knowledge and expertise developed through the LPF project are passed on to the next generation of scientists and engineers.

-Prof. Dr. Niels Warburton, University College Dublin and Spokesperson of the LISA Consortium

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Postdoctoral position in GW cosmology at ICG, University of Portsmouth

This postdoctoral position will focus on testing dark energy and modified gravity models with cosmological observations. Two aspects of this are of interest for this position, candidates are welcome via either route:

i) Linking simulations of large-scale structure (LSS) in modified gravity theories to observables relevant to stage IV surveys. Relevant skills include: experience with running and handling outputs from numerical simulations of LSS. Experience constructing emulators. Experience with forecasting and/or data analysis of galaxy clustering and weak lensing observables. Experience with HOD modelling. Other experience in constraining gravity with LSS will be considered.

ii) Testing gravity through the association of gravitational waves (GWs) and galaxies, e.g. dark sirens, GW-galaxy cross-correlation. Relevant skills include: experience with dark sirens software pipelines (e.g. gwcosmo, IcaroGW, CHIMERA…). Experience with GW x LSS cross-correlation computations. Experience with forecasting for 3G GW detectors. Other experience in GW cosmology will be considered.

Application deadline: 02/01/2026

The successful candidate will join the research team of Prof. Tessa Baker, and contribute to the ERC-funded SHADE project. Queries on the post can be directed to tessa.baker@port.ac.uk.

The working pattern for this post is full-time. Whilst there is a need to be in Portsmouth a few days a week, hybrid working is available for this role.

The interviews are currently anticipated to be held on 19 January 2025.

This appointment is a fixed-term contract for 12 months.

Applications (application form, CV, publication list and research proposal for the fellowship) should be submitted by the closing date. Applicants should also arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent by email to icg-recruitment(at)port.ac.uk, to arrive by the same date.

Please find here full details.

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Faculty positions at the University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham has opened a new round of recruitment at the faculty level: Anniversary Fellows (Assistant/Associate Professor level) and Anniversary Chairs (Full Professor level).

We invite applications from experts in areas relevant to gravitational-wave astronomy, including instrumentation, observations and data analysis, theoretical relativity and astrophysics, multi-messenger astronomy, data science and AI.

The closing date is Sunday 11 January 2026. Details and links to the application portal are available here.

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Massive Black Hole Spin Workshop, April 21-24 2026, Edinburgh

Astrophysical black holes can be entirely described by just two properties: their mass and their spin. While masses of black holes have been extensively studied, black hole spin remains poorly understood. This is because spin is both much more difficult to observe and more complex to model. Nevertheless, spin is no less integral to the evolution of massive black holes over time, and the role they play in shaping their host galaxies.

This workshop is a chance to discuss the nature and evolution of massive black hole spin from both an observational and theoretical point of view. It aims to bring together the theoretical and observational communities to advance our collective understanding of black hole spin evolution. In this workshop we will focus on the evolution of the massive black hole spin distribution across cosmic time, as informed by analytic models, numerical simulations as well as multi-frequency and multi-messenger observations.  Theoretical sessions will cover simulations and analytic models, from accretion-disc scale phenomena via the impact of binaries and inspiral on massive black hole spin to a discussion on what we can learn from galaxy scale and cosmological simulations on the spin distribution of massive black holes. Observation-focused sessions will include gravitational waves, X-ray based and interferometry-based spin measurements, and those based on transient events. The goal of this workshop is to bring together theorists and observers to exchange state-of-the-art insights and guide future efforts to maximise the understanding of black hole spin across cosmic time.

Core questions include:

– When and where can we observe massive black hole spin?

– What can we learn about massive black hole spin from current theoretical and numerical efforts on different astrophysical scales?

– What observations do we need most to constrain models?

– Where should modelling efforts be focused to make the most of the existing and upcoming observational missions?

– What do we need to prepare to make the most of upcoming missions?

Confirmed invited speakers so far

  • Matthew Liska
  • Davide Gerosa
  • Filip Husko
  • Margherita Giustini

 ** Please note there is no attendance fee for this workshop**

If you are interested in attending this workshop, please register by clicking on the registration section of this page. We will confirm your registration if your abstract is accepted.

Registration is now open and will close on the 19th of January 2026.

Please be aware of this Travel Scam! 

If you received emails from travellerpoint(dot)org (or another travel company), please be careful. The email asks about arrival and departure dates to Edinburgh and offers a hotel booking form where they ask for credit card details.
Please, ignore the emails and do not reply nor click on any link given by them. You can also block the domain on your email client.
Our official emails are all from this website’s domain “@ed.ac.uk” (usually, sopa.events@ed.ac.uk). Please avoid giving private information to external sources. 

Workshop Website

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From LISA Pathfinder to LISA: Celebrating 10 years of the LPF launch, December 3-4 2025 at CSIC Catalan Delegation

On 3 December 2015, the European Space Agency launched LISA Pathfinder, a pioneering mission designed to test the technologies required to open a new window onto the Universe: the detection of low-frequency gravitational waves from space. Over its operational lifetime, LISA Pathfinder surpassed expectations, demonstrating with unprecedented precision that free-falling test masses could be shielded from all external forces, and that their motion could be tracked with picometre accuracy.

Now, ten years later, we come together to celebrate the success of this extraordinary mission, which laid the foundations for LISA, ESA’s future space-based gravitational wave observatory. LISA Pathfinder not only proved the feasibility of revolutionary instrumentation — from drag-free control to micro-newton thrusters — but also paved the way for a completely new form of astronomy. This anniversary is an opportunity to look back on a milestone in space science, and to look ahead to the scientific revolutions that LISA will bring.

Workshop Website