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Postdoc position at the MIT LIGO Laboratory

The MIT LIGO Laboratory is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate interested in applying techniques from quantum optics to problems in precision measurement, fundamental physics, and gravitation. Our research employs precision interferometry in a range of experimental efforts including km-scale gravitational wave detection as well as tabletop studies in quantum optics, optomechanics, and integrated photonics. Application deadline: December 31st 2025.

This Postdoctoral position will join the GRAVITES experiment, a collaboration between our group and the University of Vienna aiming to study the effects of gravity on quantum states of light by combining the strengths of our two groups: precision interferometry and quantum optics with single photon sources and detectors. Our immediate goal is developing a tabletop low-noise interferometer to measure the gravitational phase shift of a single photon across a two-meter height difference. Responsibilities will include carrying out original research, mentoring students at the graduate and undergraduate level, facilitating collaboration with international researchers, and periodic visits to our partner lab in Vienna.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in physics or a related field by the start of the position. Applicants should have a strong background in experimental laboratory-based science with experience in several of the following areas: designing and building experimental apparatuses, free space and fiber optics, precision interferometry, quantum optics, analog and digital controls, low noise electronics, simulation and modeling, finite element modeling, and computer programming.

The start date of appointment will be Spring 2026, though there is some room for flexibility. The appointment will last for 2 years with the possibility of renewal contingent on performance and availability of funding.

Please find here full details.

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Assistant Professor in Experimental Cosmology and Gravitational Waves at the University of California, Riverside

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California invites highly qualified experimental physicists to apply for an academic-year tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level in the fields of Neutrino Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravitational Waves. We have recently made new faculty appointments in experimental gravitational waves, experimental dark matter searches, and cosmic microwave background observations. This appointment will complement them. Next review date: Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time).  Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

The UC salary consists of a base pay of $80,800 to $104,700 for Assistant Professors and additional off-scale to be commensurate with market value, qualifications and experiences. The off-scale portion of the salary will be maintained as long as satisfactory academic progress is made. Additionally, the off-scale will be maintained subject to market adjustments to the UC salary scale.

Basic qualifications for this position that must be met by the date of application include: Candidates are required to have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in physics or a related field.

Advancement through the faculty ranks at the University of California is through a series of structured, merit-based evaluations, occurring every 2-3 years, each of which includes substantial peer input.

To apply: submit a CV, Cover Letter, Statement of Research, and a Statement of Teaching to https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/apply/JPF02178.

Review of applications will commence on 01/13/2026, and proceed until the anticipated start date of July 1, 2026. For full consideration, applicants should submit their complete applications prior to the above date.

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Barry Barish, Chair of the Search Committee, Department of Physics and Astronomy, at barry.barish@ucr.edu. For questions on application procedures and requirements, please contact Ms. Ashleigh Bennett, Academic Personnel, at ashleigh.bennett@ucr.edu.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications(required at time of application)

Candidates are required to have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in physics or a related field.

Preferred qualifications

A commitment to the UCR mission (https://apro.ucr.edu/mission-statement ) is a preferred qualification.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

  • Curriculum Vitae – Your most recently updated C.V.
  • Cover Letter
  • Statement of Research
  • Statement of Teaching
  • Misc. /Additional (Optional)

Reference requirements

  • 3-5 letters of reference required

Please provide the contact information for a minimum of three references. A UC Recruit system generated email will be sent to all of your references requesting their letter of recommendation. The confidential reference letters will be part of your application.

Please find here full details.

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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.