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Author: Marcus Mohring

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Test Engineer at AEI Hannover

The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute, AEI) is a world-leading research center specializing in gravitational physics, gravitational-wave detection, and precision laser interferometry. With more than 400 employees across its Hannover and Potsdam locations, AEI plays a key role in several major international space missions. For our Hannover location, we are seeking a motivated:

Test Engineer

to support the verification of the LISA Signal Detection Processing Chain, the LISA Phasemeter and the Ground Support Equipment (GSE) used for testing. The LISA mission is a flagship ESA/NASA project designed to detect gravitational waves from space, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to one of the world’s most ambitious scientific endeavors.

Your Duties and Responsibilities
Execute functional and performance tests of the equipment under test according to ECSS standards.

  • Set up, operate, and validate test benches, measurement equipment, and GSE.
  • Maintain, calibrate, and verify AEI’s GSE and testing infrastructure.
  • Analyze test results, document findings, and support troubleshooting.
  • Prepare test procedures, verification documents, and test reports.
  • Collaborate with system engineering, electronics, software teams, and external partners.
  • Support integration and verification campaigns at AEI and partner facilities.
  • Ensure compliance with quality and product assurance procedures.

Your Profile

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in electrical engineering, physics, systems engineering, or a related technical field.
  • Excellent English skills (C1 level minimum); German is an asset but not required.
  • Hands-on experience with laboratory equipment and measurement systems.
  • Structured, detail-oriented working style and strong analytical skills.
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a technical team.
  • Experience with data analysis tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB) is an advantage.
  • Familiarity with precision measurement systems or ECSS standards is beneficial but not required.
  • Motivation to contribute to a major international space mission.

We Offer

  • The opportunity to work on a globally leading space science project.
  • A dynamic, international research environment with highly skilled teams.
  • Hands-on experience with cutting-edge instrumentation and test facilities.
  • Professional development opportunities and room to grow into broader responsibilities.
  • Flexible and supportive working conditions within the Max Planck Society.

How to Apply
Are you interested? Then we look forward to receiving your online application (cover letter, CV, university certificates, letter of recommendation and other supporting documents) without a photo. Please upload your complete application documents combined into a single PDF on our applicant portal:https://jobs.aei.mpg.de/244/test-engineer/apply

Questions can be directed to the LISA Program Office (lisa-program-office(at)aei.mpg.de). 

The applications received will be considered from January 15th, 2026. The advertisement is valid until the position is filled.

Further information
The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability. 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. For more information about our institute, please visit https://www.aei.mpg.de/.

Please find here details.

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Postdoc position GW Instrumentation at the University of Antwerp

The Department of Physics in the Faculty of Science is looking for a full-time (100%) postdoctoral scholarship holder in the field of Physics or a related field.

The Particle Physics research group carries out research in particle physics (CMS experiment at CERN LHC) and gravitational waves. Members of the group are involved with Virgo instrumentation, LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA data analysis, and Instrumentation Science with the Einstein Telescope. The University of Antwerp is a founding partner of the ETPathfinder project, and members of the group take part in the instrumentation developments related to this facility in Maastricht. The University of Antwerp is also one of the initial founding research units of the Einstein Telescope Collaboration.

Are you interested in technology and techniques which allow us to observe black holes colliding a million light years out in the cosmos? We are looking for a postdoc to work on the cross section of research, education and collaboration with industry and join the ETpathfinder Smart Skills Lab project. Application deadline is 26 February 2026.

ETpathfinder is a field laboratory for research, development and validation of new technologies for the Einstein Telescope. Based on a full interferometer configuration ETpathfinder aims to perform length measurements at the level of a thousandths of a proton diameter, which requires going beyond the state of art in a variety of fields including optics, sensors, lasers, materials, cryogenic cooling, vibration damping, vacuum and controls.

The ETpathfinder Smart Skills lab is a new initiative with the aim of providing training to companies and industry partners in ETpathfinder related technologies and skills. These skills trainings will be offered in particular to small and medium enterprises (SME) in Flanders and the south of the Netherlands (Limburg and Noord Brabant). The ETpathfinder Smart Skills lab is an initiative of 17 academic and educational partners from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Position

  • You would join a cohort of 11 ETpathfinder Technology Experts who will initially work for 12 months with the ETpathfinder team to get trained in the ETpathfinder facility at Maastricht. Afterwards you will develop training modules and deliver them (online & practical) to SMEs.
  • You will work in close collaboration with the ETpathfinder team (consisting of more than 20 research institutes and universities from 7 countries) and the ETpathfinder Smart Skills Lab team.
  • The location of this full-time job is in the Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium. You will be expected to spend a significant fraction of your time at the ETpathfinder facility in Maastricht (Maastricht University, Duboisdomein 30, Maastricht, the Netherlands).
  • Your research focus will be on seismic isolation & control, which is also the primary commitment of the University of Antwerp towards the ETpathfinder project. This involves contributions to the construction, installation, and commissioning of position sensors, actuators, mirror tower suspensions, and local control loops. During the second phase of the project you will use your obtained experience in this field to develop training modules (tutorials, etc.) and transfer your knowledge to local industry (SMEs).

Profile

  • You hold a PhD in Physics or a related field from a non-Belgian institution (or you will have obtained it by the time you start work).
  • You are proficient in English language and have good communication skills (essential)
  • You can work independently (essential)
  • You are flexible in collaboration with others (essential)
  • Experience in research relevant for gravitational wave instrumentation (desirable)
  • Experience in education and outreach (desirable)
  • Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies.
  • Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision.
  • You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.

What we offer

  • We offer a full-time appointment as a postdoctoral scholarship holder for a period of 2-years (1+1 renewable);
  • The planned start date is 1 April 2026 or as soon as possible after that date.
  • Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for postdoctoral scholarship holders on the pay scales for Contract Research Staff (Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP).
  • You will receive ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
  • You will do most of your work at the university campus Groenenborger, and at the ETpathfinder facility in Maastricht, Duboisdomein 30 (NL) in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
  • Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here.

Want to apply?

  • You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including 26 February 2026 (by midnight Brussels time). Click on the ‘Apply’ button and complete the online application form. Be sure to include the following attachments:
  • a motivation letter (with description of past research)
  • your academic CV
  • three letters of reference
  • The selection committee reviews all applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision is made, we will notify you. If you are still eligible after the pre-selection, you will be informed about the possible next step(s) in the selection procedure.
  • If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to jobs(at)uantwerpen.be. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact dr. Hans Van Haevermaet (hans.vanhaevermaet(at)uantwerpen.be).

Please find here details.

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Supermassive Black Holes and Blue Notes, June 29 – Juli 3 2026 at Université de Montréal

Held a week before the world-renowned Montreal International Jazz Festival, the conference aims to spotlight the significant progress made in the study of supermassive black holes, addressing open questions and exploring future prospects, particularly in the wake of the latest observations from JWST.

Main themes

  • Advanced Techniques for Measuring Supermassive Black Hole Properties
  • Observations of Supermassive Black Holes at the Event Horizon Scale
  • Feeding and Feedback Processes of Supermassive Black Holes
  • High-Redshift Supermassive Black Hole Formation and Growth

Registration Info

Registration has not opened, but you can pre-register here, and we will keep you updated.

Organising Committees

Scientific Organising Committee (SOC):
Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo (UdeM)
Martin Bureau (Oxford)
Daryl Haggard (McGill)
Romeel Dave (Edinburgh)
Claude-Andre Faucher-Giguere (Northwestern)
Frank Eisenhauer (MPE)
Chiara Mingarelli (Yale)
Sara Issaoun (Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Roberto Maiolino (Cambridge/Kavli)
Priya Natarajan (Yale)

Local Organising Committee (LOC):

Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo (UdeM)
Martin Bureau (Oxford)
Daryl Haggard (McGill)
Marine Claude Anne Prunier (UdeM)
Olivia Pereira (UdeM)
Benjamin Vigneron (UdeM)
Hyunseop Choi (UdeM)
Hengyue Zhang (Oxford)
Anabel X. Li (UdeM)

Conference Website

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From Black Holes to the Cosmos, August 24-28 at SISSA, Trieste

This conference honors the scientific legacy of Matt Visser, whose pioneering work has profoundly influenced our understanding of general relativity, quantum field theory in curved spacetime, wormholes, energy conditions, analogue gravity, and beyond. Gathering colleagues, collaborators, and students from around the world, the meeting will highlight recent developments at the interface of geometry, gravitation, and quantum theory, while celebrating Visser's distinctive contributions to these fields. The conference will be hosted in the Aula Magna of SISSA Miramare Campus.

Invited speakers (TBC):

Matt Visser
Carl Bender
Ivan Booth
Erik Curiel
Fay Dowker
Ted Jacobson
Eleni-Alexandra Kontou
Francisco Lobo
Robert Mann
Erik Poisson
Ralf Schützhold
Thomas Sotiriou
Bill Unruh
Cliff Will
David Wiltshire

Conference Website

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Tenure Track/Faculty Position in Physics at SISSA

The Physics Area at the "Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati" (SISSA) in Trieste, Italy, invites expressions of interest for a faculty position from outstanding female candidates with a strong research record in any of the fields covered by the Area (Astrophysics and Cosmology, Astroparticle and Gravitational Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Statistical Physics, Statistical Physics of Biological Systems, Theoretical Particle Physics, Theoretical and Scientific Data Science).

The appointment procedure will be activated at the assistant professor, tenure-track, level* or associate professor level. The successful candidate is expected to work as an independent principal investigator, promoting and leading research activities to complement the current expertise of the present SISSA groups, as well as to attract external funds, take an active part in the SISSA PhD teaching programme, and supervise graduate students (selected on a competitive basis and funded by bursaries provided by SISSA).

Expressions of interest should be sent (in English and via Academic Jobs Online only) preferably by June 10, 2026. They should include:

  1. Curriculum Vitae and the names of at least three referees.
  2. 2. Description of current research interests.
  3. 3. List of ten publications of greatest interest for the selection.

The International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) is a leading research and training institution (PhD School) located in Trieste, Italy. The campus is in a green area on the hills close to Trieste and is efficiently connected to the city by public transport. SISSA offers to its community first rate research facilities (e.g. High Performance Computing facilities) and services (canteen and kindergarten services located on site). The Physics Area at SISSA has connections with the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) and the National Council for Research (CNR). SISSA is also a founding member of several research Institutes such as IFPU and iGAP. More information on research in Physics at SISSA can be found here: Physics Area.

*In the Italian system, a tenure-track position corresponds to a “ricercatore TT”, i.e. an assistant professor to be confirmed (on the sole basis of her/his results) as a tenured associate professor starting from three years after appointment.

Please find here details.

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4th LISA Sprint, May 11-13, 2026 in Bozeman, Montana

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint effort of ESA and NASA to develop and operate the first space-based observatory of gravitational waves (GWs) in the millihertz frequency band. To prepare for LISA observations and its unique data products, we are organizing the 4th LISA Sprint in Bozeman, Montana, from Monday May 11 to Wednesday May 13, 2026.

In past LISA Sprints the participants all pitched project ideas at the workshop, and teams selecting the projects they wanted to work on. This time will be a little different. While additional project pitches are still welcome, the focus will be on several pre-defined projects that have been identified as critical needs by the NASA Science Ground Segment team. Participants will be asked to list their preferences for which of the pre-define projects they would be most interested in contributing to in advance of the workshop.

This will be a hands-on workshop: there will be no talks–only brief project descriptions at the beginning of the workshop, and “show and tell” at the close of the meeting to share progress with the group.

In late January 2026 we will advertise the meeting website and application form for interested participants. Please note that space will be limited, so applying does not guarantee acceptance. Accepted applicants will be notified by the end of February. There is no financial support available to attend the meeting, nor is there any registration fee for participating.

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16th International LISA Symposium, June 21-26, 2026, College Park, Maryland

We welcome you to the 16th International LISA Symposium! Continuing from past editions, the Symposium will highlight gravitational wave astrophysics, with a primary focus on the most up-to-date mission development, theory and analysis enabling the science to be done with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. The Scientific Organizing Committee is planning an engaging program of invited talks and special sessions to be complemented by your contributions of talks, posters, questions and discussions. We look forward to bringing together a wide cross-section of the international community, including students (with a discounted registration fee).

The Symposium will take place on the University of Maryland campus in College Park, Maryland, USA, beginning with registration and a welcome reception on the evening of Sunday, June 21. Scientific sessions (plenary, parallel and poster) will be held Monday through Friday, June 22 to 26, ending in the mid-afternoon on Friday. Breakfast and coffee breaks will be in the room where posters are displayed. A public lecture is being planned on Tuesday evening. Following tradition, Wednesday afternoon is kept open and a variety of local activities, ranging from organized to informal, will be available depending on your interests; details will be posted on this website.

We recognize the constraints and concerns about international travel and want to support scientists who are unable to attend in person while still maintaining the value of a lively in-person meeting. While remote attendance will be possible, the number of remote presentations will be limited and the selection of submitted abstracts will prioritize in-person talks and posters. Maryland prides itself on being a welcoming state and a home to many cultures, and we hope you will take part in symposium if you are able to.

Registration and abstract submission are now open. You may submit an abstract and register (and pay) all at once, or at different times.

Scientific Organizing Committee

  • Shane Larson (Chair), Clarkson University
  • Stanislav Babak, APC – Paris
  • Richard Brito, Instituto Superior Técnico
  • Maria José Bustamante Rosell, Fisk & Vanderbilt Universities
  • Laurentiu Caramete, Institute of Space Science, Bucharest-Magurele
  • Eleonora Castelli, University of Maryland, Baltimore County & NASA GSFC
  • Maria Charisi, Washington State University & University of Crete
  • Nelson Christensen, Observeratoire Cote d’Azur
  • John Conklin, University of Florida
  • Neil Cornish, Montana State University
  • Daniel J. D’Orazio, Space Telescope Science Institute
  • Deborah Ferguson, University of Rhode Island
  • Alessia Franchini, Università degli Studi di Milano
  • Daryl Haggard, McGill Unviersity, Trottier Space Instittue
  • Zoltan Haiman, Institute of Science & Technology Austria
  • Sarah Vigeland, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
  • Stefano Vitale, Università di Trento
  • Gudrun Wanner, AEI – Hannover
  • David Weir, University of Helsinki
  • Helvi Witek, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  • William Joseph Weber, Università di Trento

Local Organizing Committee

Peter Shawhan, University of Maryland
Ann Hornschemeier Cardiff, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Ira Thorpe, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Elizabeth Ferrara, University of Maryland & NASA GSFC
Bernard Kelly, University of Maryland, Baltimore County & NASA GSFC


First held in 1996, the International LISA Symposium is held every two years to celebrate and share infornation and science related to the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission, a three-arm space-based gravitational wave detector being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA).

History

A listing of prior LISA Symposia and links to their websites can be found here.

Conference Website

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Gravity2026: New Frontiers in Cosmology, April 27 – May 1 2026 in Daejeon

GRAVITY2026: New Frontiers in Cosmology will be held on-site at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Daejeon, Korea, from 27 April to 1 May, 2026. The aim of the workshop is to foster comprehensive and in-depth discussions on the rapidly expanding frontiers of gravitational physics. The program will cover a wide spectrum of topics central to cosmology, including gravitational waves, early- and late-time cosmology, and theories of modified gravity.

This workshop is mainly organized by the IBS Center CTPU-CGA and is held on-site at the Institute for Basic Science in Daejeon, Korea. There is no registration fee. f you wish to attend, please register by 29 March 2026, 23:59 KST. We will also accept a number of contributed talks: if you wish to give a contributed talk, please register for the workshop by the above date and submit a title and abstract by 5 Apeil 2026, 23:59 KST. The selection will be made by the organizing committee.  Please note that we are not able to support VISA applications from non-invited speakers except in special cases. 

For information about previous events, please see:

Gravity2022: Current challenges in black hole physics and cosmology

Gravity2023: Dawn of field theoretic approach

Gravity2025: New horizon of black hole physics

Important deadlines:

Registration: 29 March 2026, 23:59 KST

Abstract submission: 5 April 2026, 23:59 KST

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

Ana Achucarro (Leiden U, Netherlands)

Antonio De Felice (YITP, Japan)

Jaume Garriga (ICCUB, Spain)

Fawad Hassan (Stockholm U, Sweden)

Donghui Jeong (Penn State U, USA)

Matteo Magi (IBS, Korea)

Takahiro Matsubara (KEK, Japan)

Shinji Mukohyama (YITP/RESCEU, Japan)

Nils Albin Nilsson (IBS, Korea)

Changbom Park (KIAS, Korea)

Seong Chan Park (Yonsei U, Korea)

Mairi Sakellariadou (King’s Coll. London, UK)

Misao Sasaki (APCTP/IPMU, Korea and Japan)

Teruaki Suyama (Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan)

Gianmassimo Tasinato (Swansea U, UK)

Niels Warburton (University Coll. Dublin, Ireland)

Local Organizing Committee:

Sebastian Bahamonde, Mohammad Ali Gorji, Dong-Won Jung, Nils Albin Nilsson, Hyunbae Park, Masahide Yamaguchi

Scientific Advisory Committee:

Katsuki Aoki (YITP), Antonio De Felice (YITP), Francesco Di Filippo (Goethe U.), Mohammad Ali Gorji (IBS), Shinji Mukohyama (YITP/RESCEU), Naritaka Oshita (YITP), Masroor C. Pookkillath (Sogang U.), Kazufumi Takahashi (Nihon U.), Masahide Yamaguchi (IBS)

Contact:

For general inquiries, please use ctpu-cga-admin(AT)ibs.re.kr

Workshop Website

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WE Heraeus Physics School und 62. Karpacz Winter School in Theoretical Physics “Multimessenger Astrophysics and Cosmology”, February 28 – March 6 2026 in Karpacz

The WE Heraeus Physics School and the 62nd Karpacz Winter School in Theoretical Physics "Multimessenger Astrophysics and Cosmology" will be held from 28 February to 6 March 2026.

Compact stars, dense remnants of supernovae, compress about 1.4 solar masses into a 10 km radius—reaching densities beyond atomic nuclei. Their extreme compactness makes them unique laboratories for high-density matter. Gravitational-wave detections of binary neutron star mergers now allow direct probes of such conditions, with hot, dynamic post-merger remnants offering complementary insight to cold pulsars.

With next-generation observatories like the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer, multi-messenger astrophysics—combining gravitational waves, electromagnetic signals, and neutrinos—will sharpen constraints on the dense-matter equation of state, extreme gravity, and heavy-element nucleosynthesis. Mergers also serve as standard sirens, enabling independent measurements of the Hubble constant.

The school will cover the thermal history of the Universe after its first second, from the quark–hadron transition to neutrino decoupling, linking microphysics to cosmological observables. Topics include the Hubble tension, modified gravity, primordial magnetic fields, compact-object mergers, future gravitational-wave science, and primordial black holes as dark-matter or galaxy-seed candidates—offering a unified view across astrophysics, cosmology, and particle physics.

School Website

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Einstein Telescope science workshop for early career Researchers, February 18-20, 2026 at Sapienza University of Rome

The workshop wants to bring together young researchers actively involved in the activities of the Observational Science Board (OSB), Instrumental Science Board (ISB) and Site Characterization Board (SCB) of the Einstein Telescope. Leaving plenty of room for discussions, it will be a great occasion to share research and ideas, start projects, learn about new topics, and build collaborations.

It does not matter whether you like cosmology or pulsars, individual sources or backgrounds, data analysis, cryogenics, quantum noise reduction, or novel sensing and control systems … if you are young and interested in ET science, this is the right place!

After an opening session on the broad activities of ET ISB, OSB and SCB, the workshop is organized as a series of parallel sessions between OSB and ISB, each featuring two talks by expert early career researcher, laying the ground on the topics of relevance for each division, followed by ample room for discussion.

As additional information for all the ET enthusiasts: there is another workshop, the Einstein Telescope Research Infrastructure: Challenges and Long-Term Sustainability workshop, to be held in Rome at Sapienza University on February 16–17.

Key dates

Registration open: October 22nd 2025
Program announcement: mid-November 2025
Registration deadline: January 6th 2026
Start! February 18th 2026

Workshop Website