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Assistant Professor Position in Trinity College Dublin

The School of Physics at Trinity College Dublin invites applications for a position at the level of Assistant Professor in the field of observational or theoretical astrophysics. We seek motivated individuals with a strong potential to enhance astrophysics research and teaching at Trinity. Application deadline: January 2nd 2025 at 12:00 (noon) Irish time.

he School of Physics at Trinity College Dublin invites applications for a position at the level of Assistant Professor in the field of observational or theoretical astrophysics. We seek motivated individuals with a strong potential to enhance astrophysics research and teaching at Trinity.

Trinity astrophysicists conduct world-leading observational and theoretical research in areas including exoplanets, brown dwarfs, planet formation, exocomets, supernovae, transients, and pulsars. They have access to European Southern Observatory (ESO) facilities, such as ALMA, the VLT, and 4MOST, as well as European Space Agency (ESA) missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope. Trinity also operates I-LOFAR, a state-of-the-art radio telescope located at Trinity’s Rosse Observatory in Birr Castle, Co. Offaly. In addition, researchers benefit from access to high-performance computing facilities, including the Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC) national supercomputers and the Trinity Centre for High Performance Computing (TCHPC) clusters, which enable large-scale simulations, advanced data analysis, and machine-learning approaches to astrophysical problems.

The post-holder will work with other academic staff, researchers, and students in the lively, collaborative, and international research environment of the Astrophysics Group and the School of Physics at Trinity College Dublin. Trinity’s main campus is located in the heart of Dublin, which also hosts several other astrophysics research institutes that actively collaborate with Trinity astrophysicists.

Post Status Tenure Track – This position is Tenure Track position which is 5-years in the first instance, permanency is subject to satisfying the tenure requirements.

Salary: Appointment will be made on the Assistant Professor (109BN) commensurate with qualifications / experience and in line with Public Sector Pay Policy [€42,925 to €102,556 per annum] https://www.tcd.ie/hr/assets/pdf/monthly-academic.pdf

How to Apply:  Applicants should provide the following information when applying for the position.

  1. A comprehensive curriculum vitae, including a full list of publications
  2. The names and contact details of three academic referees
  3. A research plan (summarising experience and research to be carried out in the next four years) – 2 pages
  4. A teaching statement (summarising teaching experience and approach) – 1 page
  5. 2 significant publications and why/how these publications represent the candidates research and illustrate their scholarship in observational or theoretical astrophysics (150-300 words)
  6. PLEASE NOTE – If there is an issue uploading 5 seperate documents please combine the research and teaching plan into 1 document

Notes:

  • Candidates who do not address the application requirements above in their cover letter will not be considered at the short list stage.
  • Candidates should note that the interview process for this appointment may include the delivery of a presentation.

Closing Date: 12 noon (Irish Standard Time) 2nd January 2026 Application will only be accepted by applying online through the Trinity Jobs Portal http://jobs.tcd.ie Applications must be made by the date and time specified. Any applications which are still in progress at the closing time on the specified closing date will be cancelled automatically by the system Late Applications will not be accepted.

Please see the Job Description below for this position.

Interviews will take place 6th February 2026

Informal enquiries about this post should be made to: Professor Kate Maguire, Professor in Astrophysics, School of Physics E:  kate.maguire(at)tcd.ie.

Enquires regarding the recruitment process should be made to: Dr Niamh McGoldrick, School Manager, School of Physics E:  niamh.mcgoldrick(at)tcd.ie.

Please find here full details.

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Tenure-track Faculty Position in Physics at Lamar University


The Department of Physics at Lamar University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position starting September 1, 2026. The appointee is expected to establish a vigorous, externally funded research program, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and teach effectively across the physics curriculum. Additional responsibilities include service to the department, university, and discipline. The successful candidate will also involve students in research. Preference will be given to candidates with postdoctoral experience and whose research expertise can be leveraged towards Master’s courses in Computational Physics and Data Science. Application deadline: January 5th 2026.

Although the research field is open, LIGO scientists would be a great fit for this position, because of their expertise in computational physics and data analysis, and because Lamar University is relatively close to the LIGO facility in Livingston, Louisiana (3.5 hours by car).

Applicants must have a PhD in physics, an established record of publications in peer-reviewed journals that are listed by the Web of Science, and a strong commitment to excellence in teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Applicants must apply online at

https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/lamar/jobs/5104420-0/assistant-professor-physics

Submit a curriculum vitae, a cover letter, a statement of research interests, a statement of teaching interests, and contact information for at least three references. For full consideration, submit your application materials by the initial review date, January 5, 2026.

Inquiries can be sent to directly Dr. Rafael de la Madrid, rafael.delamadrid(at)lamar.edu

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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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Foundation Models in Astrophysics and Particle Physics (SciFM) in Aachen, Heidelberg, Hamburg and Munich

We seek four postdoctoral research scientists and eight doctoral researchers to join a newly established joint collaborative project Foundation Models in Astrophysics and Particle Physics (SciFM) funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The goal of SciFM is to develop large-scale foundation models, aiming for powerful, interpretable and open-access models to answer fundamental scientific questions in astrophysics, particle physics and cosmology. 

We offer an exciting multidisciplinary collaborative network which includes researchers from astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics in Aachen, Heidelberg, Hamburg and Munich. The selected candidates will work closely with all team members across the participating institutions. Application deadline: December 19th 2025.

Postdoctoral positions:

The postdoctoral researchers (full-time, TV-L E13 public service pay grade) will work on conceptual and methodological topics that cut across astrophysics, particle physics and cosmology. Using shared machine-learning approaches, they are expected to build bridges between the physics domains, develop cross-disciplinary methodologies, and help drive the collaboration and exchange between the participating sites.

Doctoral researcher positions:

The doctoral researchers (75% TV-L E13 public service pay grade) will work on a domain-specific research project (astrophysics, particle physics or cosmology), typically embedded in one host institution. At the same time, they will frequently collaborate with other doctoral researchers across sites and domains, forming cross-disciplinary teams within the SciFM network.

All positions are available immediately and are funded for 3 years.

Locations

The principal investigators of the SciFM project, their research topic and host institutions are: 

  • Prof. Gregor Kasieczka (particle physics; gregor.kasieczka@uni-hamburg.de) and Prof. Luisa Lucie-Smith (cosmology; luisa.lucie-smith@uni-hamburg.de) at Hamburg University
  • Dr. Caroline Heneka (cosmology; heneka@thphys.uni-heidelberg.de) and Prof. Tilman Plehn (particle physics; plehn@uni-heidelberg.de) at Heidelberg University
  • Prof. Daniel Grün (cosmology; daniel.gruen@lmu.de) at LMU, Munich and Prof. Lukas Heinrich (particle physics; l.heinrich@tum.de) at TUM, Munich
  • Prof. Michael Krämer (particle physics; mkraemer@physik.rwth-aachen.de) and Prof. Philipp Mertsch (astrophysics; pmertsch@physik.rwth-aachen.de) at RWTH Aachen University

Interested doctoral and postdoctoral candidates are invited to express interest in one or more of the host institutions, principal investigators and fields of research (astrophysics/particle physics/cosmology). Preference will be given to postdoctoral candidates with a background in cosmology at the Hamburg and Heidelberg locations, and to those with a background in particle physics at the Munich and Aachen locations. In all cases, the hired researchers will be part of the larger SciFM team and will participate in regular exchanges among the host institutions. 

We value and actively support equality, diversity and inclusion and strongly welcome applications from women and underrepresented minorities.

Qualifications

Candidates should possess good communication skills in English and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary, international environment.

Postdoctoral positions:

Candidates should have a PhD in either particle physics, astrophysics or cosmology; prior experience in programming, and developing and applying statistical and machine learning models will be highly valued. German language skills are not required. 

Doctoral positions:

Candidates should have a Master’s Degree in physics or related fields and an interest in and/or prior experience with programming and machine-learning techniques. German language skills are not required. 

Included benefits:

Pay and benefits are commensurate with the public sector contract (TV-L, E13).

Application instructions

All application materials must be combined into one single PDF file and uploaded via the respective SciFM application portal. Please do not send application documents or reference letters by email.

The single PDF file should contain (for both postdoctoral and doctoral applicants):

  1. Curriculum vitae
  2. Publication list (optional for doctoral applicants)
  3. Cover letter
  4. Research statement (up to three A4 pages, 11pt font)
  5. – For doctoral applicants: include past research experience and future plans
  6. – For postdoctoral applicants: include past research, future directions, and methodological interests

Letters of recommendation: Applicants should list the contact information of at least two referees in the application form. We will contact these to provide a letter by the application deadline. Referees should name their letters using the following format: “Recommendation APPLICANT-LASTNAME REFEREE-LASTNAME”

Submission portals:

  • Postdoctoral researchers:

Fill the following application form:

https://cloud.physik.lmu.de/index.php/apps/forms/s/DDHbWcH9K8d8EdGeebNR7Npo

Upload your single-PDF application via:

https://cloud.physik.lmu.de/index.php/s/nZnaTgWBKPXX3Hm

  • Doctoral researchers:

Fill the following application form:

https://cloud.physik.lmu.de/index.php/apps/forms/s/oDcAHa9ayWyrGLQ3cYCLkcbz

Upload your single-PDF application via:

https://cloud.physik.lmu.de/index.php/s/KgfqAY5KLStL7nG

Deadline for all applications: 19 December 2025

Late applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.

For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Luisa Lucie-Smith (luisa.lucie-smith(at)uni-hamburg.de) or any of the other PIs listed above.

Please find here full details.

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PhD Studentships at the University of Edinburgh

The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) is located at the historic and beautiful Royal Observatory Edinburgh on Blackford Hill and makes up approximately one third of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. PhD stipends are tax-free, and full-time students are typically exempt from council tax. Each year, the IfA admits a new cohort of about 10 PhD students from around the UK and the world. We are now accepting applications for admission in September 2026. Application deadlines from December 5th 2025 to January 5th 2026.

The IfA is committed to advancing equality and diversity, welcoming applications from everyone irrespective of gender, age, (dis)ability, race, nationality, carer status, religion or belief, and sexual orientation. We aim to ensure our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply for our places.

Our PhD projects cover topics ranging from cosmology/LSS, galaxy formation/AGN, the Milky Way, exoplanets, and the solar system; with techniques including observation, instrumentation, theory, and simulations. On our project webpages, you can find descriptions of all projects on offer, as well as some videos from the PhD supervisors.

To apply, you will submit a 1-page anonymized form where you briefly share information about your research experience and academic preparation. Detailed steps on how to apply are given here:

https://ifa.roe.ac.uk/phds-jobs-fellowships/phd-studentships

In order for your application to be given full consideration for one of our regular funded places, it should be received by the deadline of 5th January 2026.

In addition, the following studentships have special application procedures and deadlines:

  • Career Development Scholarship – for students with Black heritage, including mixed Black background, UK and international students. Deadline: 24th November 2025
  • Bell Burnell Graduate Student Fellowship – for students from underrepresented groups in physics, including UK and international students. Deadline: 5th December 2025

Please find here full details.

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Two PhD Opportunities: Stellar Explosions and Asteroseismology in Binary Systems at KU Leuven

Two PhD positions to join the new research team StarHearts of Prof. Eva Laplace at the Institute of Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium.
When stars end their lives, their hearts continue to exist in a different, exotic form, known as a compact remnant: black holes, neutron stars, or white dwarfs. Understanding the exact origin of these objects is one of the most pressing scientific questions in astrophysics at this time. With the discovery of gravitational waves (GWs), we have a new way to study these extreme objects. To make breakthroughs in understanding the properties of stellar remnants and the GWs they generate, it is crucial to study the binary stellar hearts and the core-collapse process that form them. The application should be received by December 16th, 2025.

PhD project 1 – Investigating the Explosion and Implosion Signatures of Binary Stars

The aim of this PhD project is to characterize the observable explosion and implosion signatures of stars that have interacted in a binary star system. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop theoretical models to interpret the observations of explosive transients (in particular stripped-envelope supernovae) and connect these back to the properties of the stellar hearts that generate them.

PhD Project 2 – Characterizing the Heartbeats of Binary Evolution Products

The hearts of stars that interact in binary systems are expected to be systematically different from those of single stars. In particular, binary stars grow cores of different masses and different chemical composition, and have different interior mixing and rotation behaviors. Therefore the observable oscillations – or “heartbeats” – of such stars, from internal pressure and gravity waves, are expected to be systematically different. The ultimate aim of this project will be to characterize the observable asteroseismic signals of binary evolution products and to obtain observational constraints on the physical properties of the hearts of stars that form gravitational-wave sources.

More information on https://fys.kuleuven.be/ster/vacancies/vacancies#PhD_StarHearts

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PhD position “Signatures of beyond-standard-model physics in neutron star mergers” in Hamburg

The project will explore potential signatures of beyond standard model physics in the merger of two neutron stars. The ideal candidate has knowledge of general relativity, hydrodynamics, particle physics and computational physics with compiled programming languages. 
The application deadline is December 22, 2025.

For more information please contact  Stephan.Rosswog(at)uni-hamburg.de and/or Samuel.Witte(at)physics.ox.ac.uk

The application has to be submitted via the application system of the University of Hamburg, please see https://www.uni-hamburg.de/stellenangebote/ausschreibung.html?jobID=7bd2c136b39027d4ff9feefaa970abcca8ad50b5 for more information.

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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

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SIGRAV International School 2026: Neutron Stars: Modelling and Detection, February 16-20 in Vietri sul Mare

This edition of the Italian Society of General Relativity and Gravitation (SIGRAV) International School is dedicated to the study of neutron stars as outstanding sources of gravitational and electromagnetic waves in the strong-field regime. The program is structured to promote scholarly interaction and collaboration, offering participants the opportunity to engage with leading experts in the field. Through a series of advanced lectures and discussions, the School aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of current developments in gravitational research and to equip attendees with the knowledge and tools necessary to advance their own scientific work in the study of gravity.

The School will take place in Vietri sul Mare (SA), Italy, 16-20 February 2026.

The program of the School comprises the following four courses:

  • B. Haskell (Milano Bicocca Univ., IT): Modelling of Neutron Stars as Gravitational Wave Sources
  • T. Hinderer (Utrecht Univ., NL) : Gravitational Signal from Late Inspiral and Merger of Neutron Stars
  • M.A. Papa (AEI, Hannover, DE) : Detection of Continuous Gravitational Waves
  • M. Ghirlanda (INAF, Brera, IT): Multimessenger Astrophysics with Neutron Stars

The School is intended for PhD students and young post-docs. In order to receive the certificate of participation, all lectures and seminars should be attended.

The Participation Fee (350 EUR for non-SIGRAV members, 300 EUR for SIGRAV members) guarantee the access to all courses and activities, including lunch and coffee breaks.

A reduced participation fee (50 EUR) is available for those which will be only able to attend the lectures remotely.

The room should be booked in the Lloyd’s Baia Hotel. Please, reserve your room by using the form available in the section “Practical Info – Accomodation and Transport”.

The deadline for registration and payment of the relative fee is 06 February 2025 (see Registration section).
A social excursion is planned for Wednesday, offering participants the opportunity to visit the Royal Palace of Caserta

School Website

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Listening to the Cosmos: New Frontiers in Gravitational Wave Physics, Aug 24 – Sep 26, 2026, Firenze

The first detection of gravitational waves from the Ligo-Virgo-Kagra collaboration and the recent results of several pulsar timing arrays have opened the exploration of the gravitational wave Universe. Over the next decade, several other ground and space-based experiments will join this exploration and allow us to access a broad band of the gravitational wave spectrum. This new exploration comes with a series of challenges that can only be overcome through close collaboration between experimentalists and theorists. This workshop will bring together experts working on the experiments enabling this exploration, as well as particle physicists and cosmologists, to discuss the open challenges that this new exploration presents and highlight the synergies between these different communities. Application deadline: April 30th 2026.

Topics
Week 1 (24th – 30th August): Pulsar Timing Arrays
Week 2 (31st August – 6th September): Space-Based GW Detectors
Week 3 (7th – 13th September): Conference Week
Week 4 (14th – 20th September): Ground-Based GW Detectors
Week 5 (21st – 27th September): Ultra-High Frequency GW Detectors

Application:
To submit your application, please click the Apply button above and complete the registration form. The minimum stay is one week; however, participants are strongly encouraged to stay for several weeks to make the most of the program. The application deadline is April 30, 2026.

Accommodation :
Selected participants will have the opportunity to book accommodation through GGI, ensuring access to the best available rates at local hotels. A limited number of participants may receive support from GGI to cover local expenses. If you wish to be considered for such support, please indicate this in your application.

Organizers

Diego Blas — ICREA and IFAE Barcelona
Neil Cornish — Montana State University
Valeriya Korol — Max Planck Institute and University of Birmingham
Andrea Mitridate — DESY
Mauro Pieroni — Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, Madrid
Michele Redi — INFN Florence
Alberto Sesana — University of Milano Bicocca, INFN and INAF Milan

Local organizer
Michele Redi

Contact
andrea.mitridate(at)nanograv.org
michele.redi(at)fi.infn.it

Workshop Website