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Research Position at INAF – Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory in Florence, Italy

Observations of massive black hole binaries for the LISA mission
Application deadline: 7 June 2026, 23:59 Italian time

The Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) has opened a public competition for 1 fixed-term Researcher position (Third Professional Level) at the Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri in Florence, Italy.

Main Information

Position: Researcher (full-time, fixed-term)
Contract duration: 12 months, with possible extension
Research topic: Multiwavelength observations of dual and binary AGN as precursors of gravitational wave events detectable by LISA; study of merger rates of massive black holes and comparison between observations and theoretical predictions. Participation to the Italian LISA low-latency WG.
Workplace: INAF – Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, Florence, Italy
Gross salary: about 38.000 Euro
Competition code: 2026INAFRIC-OAA-LISA-003
Official call for applications (in Italian): http://www.inaf.it/it/lavora-con-noi/concorsi-e-selezioni/posizioni-a-tempo-determinato/ricercatori/2026inafric-oaa-lisa-003

Required qualifications

Applicants must have:

  • A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Physics, Astronomy, Astrophysics, or related fields
  • A PhD in Physics, Astronomy, or Astrophysics OR at least 3 years of documented post-graduate research experience in related topics

Applicants with foreign degrees are eligible to apply. Degrees obtained abroad will be accepted provided they are equivalent to the required Italian qualifications. The formal recognition process is required only for the selected candidate.

Citizenship requirements

The call is open to:

  • EU citizens
  • Non-EU citizens with long-term EU residence permits
  • Refugees or individuals with subsidiary protection status
  • Family members of EU citizens with residence rights in the EU

Application Procedure

Applications must be submitted online only through the Italian public recruitment portal: inPA Recruitment Portal

The application platform used is PICA/CINECA: PICA Platform

For more information please write to Filippo Mannucci filippo.mannucci(at)inaf.it

Research associate in GW instrumentation at ULiege

Open position for: Research associate (“logisticien.ne de Recherche”) (Gravitational waves instrumentation) University of Liège for a permanent contract (full time) starting ideally start on the 1st of September 2026. Application deadline: May 30th, 2026.

Context and missions
The Einstein Telescope (ET) will be Europe’s most advanced observatory for gravitational waves. It will allow researchers to hear black holes mergers and learn about the early universe.

The department of aerospace and mechanical engineering of University of Liège hosts the ET-CRISTAL facilities. ET-CRISTAL is an R&D facility for demonstrating crucial aspects of ET-Low Frequency. It uses innovative approaches for seismic isolation, i.e. an inverted pendulum stage on top of active seismic isolation platform and contact-free radiative cryogenic cooling of a large-scale cryogenic mirror. ET-CRISTAL is a Center of Excellence for the sub-system comprising the mirror, its suspension system, the vibration Isolation system, and cryogenic cooling of the mirror.

The Precision Mechatronics Laboratory within the Department of Aerospace and Mechanics (A&M) and from the School of Engineering at the University of Liège invites applications for an open position as a research associate in gravitational wave instrumentation at ET-CRISTAL. The facilities are installed at the Space Center (CSL) of the University of Liège and the main research offices of the Precision Mechatronics Laboratory are located within the Department.

As a Research Associate, you will have as missions to:

  • Lead the management of ET-CRISTAL facilities together with the Scientific Director (Prof. C. Collette), including research logistics, participation and tutoring of Master and PhD students as well as fellow researchers.
  • Develop and support research activities in fields relevant to ET-CRISTAL
  • Contribute to securing new funding and develop new collaborations

Application requirements

  • To hold a PhD in engineering, or an equivalent experience.
  • To have proven experience in one or several of these fields:
    • cryogenic inertial sensors
    • low frequency seismic isolation
    • radiative cooling
    • thermal noise modeling
    • Newtonian noise

You must also have strong project management skills, as well as excellent written and oral communication skills in English and, if possible, in French. You should be able to take the initiative and be skilled in negotiation and consensus-building.

We offer

  • A pleasant and dynamic work environment with a wide variety of assignments
  • Significant freedom in how you organize your work and a degree of autonomy in decision-making
  • Salary based on established pay scales and pre-determined pay Progression plans
  • The opportunity to support fundamental and applied research related to a Major Big Science instrument in an international Environment

Additional information
Prof. Dr. Ir. christophe.collette(at)uliege.be

ET-CRISTAL: https://www.etest-emr.eu
Precision Mechatronics Laboratory: https://www.pml.uliege.be
Liège Space Center: https://www.csl.uliege.be/cms/c_10241774/en/csl?id=c_10241774
University of Liège: https://www.uliege.be/cms/c_8699436/en/uliege

Application modalities
Applications should include a complete curriculum vitae, a personal motivation letter, and the name of three references in a single PDF file which should be sent by email to Prof. Christophe Collette (christophe.collette(at)uliege.be ) by the 30th of May 2026.

Please find here full details.

The RING project in Germany: 1 Postdoc and 14 PhD positions in Physics, Geophysics, Geodesy

we would like to draw your attention to the 4-year RING project recently funded by the German Research Foundation (extendable to 8 years). The project has strong overlap with gravitational wave detection research on instrumentation.

The project aims at pushing the sensitivity and stability limits of rotational motion sensing with ring laser technology into new realms using approaches from quantum optics and metrology. The ultimate goal is to enable ring laser observations as a complement to classic space-geodetic methods towards more precise, high-rate estimation of Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP). Furthermore, we plan to develop (trans-) portable ring lasers fit for weak, broadband 6 degree-of-freedom ground motion observations towards better understanding of atmosphere-solid Earth coupling (also relevant for seismic decoupling of gravitational wave detection facilities).

The project offers postdoctoral and PhD topics in laser physics, geodesy, geophysics, hydrology, and seismology. The successful candidates will be part of a multi-disciplinary research team at various institutions in Germany with excellent training and experimental facilities.

More information, links to the individual research projects and open positions can be found here:
https://www.ringlaser.de


Prof. Dr. Katharina Isleif
https://www.hsu-hh.de/karriere/wp-content/uploads/sites/658/2026/04/Reference-Number-MB-0926.pdf

Prof. Dr. Oliver Gerberding
https://www.physik.uni-hamburg.de/en/iexp/gruppe-gerberding/offene-stellen.html

Postdoctoral Position at Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, India, invites applications for a postdoctoral (Research Associate–I) position in theoretical gravitational physics under an ANRF Advanced Research Grant. Application deadline: May 23, 2026.

The position is part of an active research program in black hole physics and strong-field gravity, aimed at exploring fundamental aspects of gravity in both classical and quantum regimes. The work broadly connects to questions involving black hole spacetimes, tests of general relativity and its extensions, quantum effects near horizons, and the nature of ultra-compact objects. There is particular interest in linking theoretical developments with observational signatures, including those relevant for black hole imaging, using a combination of analytical and semi-analytical techniques.

Candidates should have a Ph.D. in Physics with a strong background in general relativity, black hole physics, or closely related areas. Applicants are expected to demonstrate high-quality research output and the ability to carry out independent research.

Tenure: The appointment will be for an initial period of one year, extendable up to a total duration of 2.5 years, based on satisfactory performance.

Consolidated salary: Rs. 57,000 per month + HRA (as applicable) per month.

Application Procedure
Interested candidates should apply through the online portal (https://www.iiap.res.in/iia_jobs/) by submitting a Curriculum Vitae including a publication list, a research statement, and the names and contact details of at least two referees, along with any additional documents specified in the application.

Contact: Informal inquiries may be addressed to: Sanved Kolekar (sanved.kolekar[AT]iiap.res.in)

Please find here full details.

Call for postdoctoral positions at Université Paris-Saclay

The Graduate School of Physics at Université Paris-Saclay, France, is launching the second call of its new postdoctoral fellowship program: UPSaclay-STAR-φ, supported by the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND. The program will recruit up to 41 international postdoctoral researchers over two calls, for 24-month projects in one of the 40 laboratories of the Graduate School, working on various fields from fundamental to applied physics. The CMS group of CEA-Saclay IRFU (contact: julie.malcles(at)cea.fr) is a possible host group, among others. The application deadline for the first call is July 15, 2026 at 5pm and the expected start of fellowships early 2027 (flexible).

Applicants will have to propose their own research project, with freedom of choice (in agreement with the thematics of interest of the CEA-Saclay/IRFU CMS team).

The CMS CEA-Saclay group has contributed to the design, construction and operation of the ECAL of CMS and is involved in the upgrades of the CMS detector (ECAL, MTD and HGCal).
The group is involved in the ECAL calibration and our analysis activities in Run3 include Higgs to Zy, double Higgs in the bb tautau channel, deep learning for ECAL and MTD reconstruction and various topics related to the diphoton channel (ttH/tH and its CP properties, high mass searches, interference to constraint the Higgs boson natural width with the mass measurement).

To be eligible, applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in France for more than 12 months during the 3 years preceding the deadline for applications.

For further information, please visit: http://www.cofund-physics.universite-paris-saclay.fr/

Postdoc Position in Relativistic Astrophysics in Warsaw

The Relativistic Astrophysics group at the CTP PAS, led by prof. Agnieszka Janiuk, Center for Theoretical Physics PAS, Warsaw, Poland, would like to offer a 3-year full time postdoctoral position, within the project “Dynamics of processes around compact stars”. Application deadline: June 20th, 2026 - 12:00 CEST.

The primary responsibilities include scientific research related to the scope of the project. Additional duties will include consulting some of the tasks conducted by PhD students in our team. There are no teaching duties, as we are research institute of the PAS.

Required documents:

  • The scientific CV, including the progress in the university studies, scientific achievements (publications, participation in research projects and conferences), with the clause “I agree to the processing of my personal data contained in the application documents for the purposes necessary for the implementation of the process recruitment by CTP PAS”.
  • Cover letter.
  • A copy of the PhD degree diploma.
  • Copies of documents confirming scientific or professional achievements (for candidates without PhD at the time of application, a statement from their Supervisor is required, regarding prospective date of defence).
  • At least two letters of recommendation from a faculty researcher with at least a PhD degree, concerning the candidate and his/her current scientific activity.
  • Research plan related to the scope of the project.
  • Signed Data Privacy Statement.

Please find here full details.

Postdoc Position in Theoretical Physics at Jagiellonian University in Kraków

The Institute of Theoretical Physics at the Jagiellonian Univeristy in Kraków, Poland, invites applications for a postdoctoral position. The sucessfull candidate will be expected to conduct a research programme in theoretical physics. We offer stable employment based on an employment contract at the renowned university as well as cooperation with the interdisciplinary academic community represented by well-known scientists. Application deadline: May 17th, 2026, 23:59:59 Warsaw time.

The candidates should:

  • hold at least a Master’s degree, Master of Science degree or an equivalent degree;
  • exhibit aptitude for research work.

Duration of employment: 33 months starting from October 1, 2026

Required documents include:

  • resume (CV),
  • personal questionnaire filled in by the Candidate (F/M),
  • copy of the master’s diploma or a doctoral diploma, if applicable,
  • information on the Candidate’s (F/M) scientific, teaching and organisational achievements,
  • declaration of the Candidate (F/M), confirming that the Jagiellonian University will be their primary place of work, should they be selected in the selection procedure,
  • statement under Article 113 of the Law on Higher Education and Science,
  • statement on acknowledging and accepting the rules and regulations concerning intellectual property management and commercialisation in force at the Jagiellonian University,
  • motivation letter,
  • list of publications (along with the respective publishing houses and the number of pages),
  • information concerning educational activities carried out by the Candidate (F/M), if any,
  • two recommendation letters concerning the Candidate’s (F/M) research work. The recommendation letters must be sent by e-mail directly by their authors to: ift(at)uj.edu.pl (in the e-mail subject please include: „Asystent IFT 2026: Name and surname”. At the Candidate’s request, the letters of recommendation may be made available to her/him.

Declaration forms (no. 5‒7) and personal questionnaire template (no. 2) can be obtained at: https://cso.uj.edu.pl/en_GB/dokumkandyd

For other details, such as benefits or remuneration, concerning the opening see:
https://praca.bip.uj.edu.pl/documents/145868730/160698977/1227.1101.104.2026_assistant_WFAiIS.pdf/0f0e0479-48b8-4539-a890-f0283d35cf90

Applications should be sent by email to: ift(at)uj.edu.pl
Subject: “Asystent IFT 2026: Name and Surname”

Application deadline: 2026/05/17 23:59:59 Warsaw time.

For further information please contact Institute of Theoretical Physics, e-mail address: ift(at)uj.edu.pl .

Please find here full details.

Call for postdoctoral positions University of Paris-Saclay

The Graduate School of Physics at Université Paris-Saclay, France, is launching a second call for applications within its postdoctoral fellowship programe: UPSaclay-STAR-φ, supported by the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND programme, 2024 call. Application deadline: July 15th 5:00PM.

This call will recruit up to 22 international postdoctoral researchers, for 24-month projects in one of the 40 laboratories of the Physics Graduate School, at the SOLEIL synchrotron, or at the French National Metrology Lab (LNE), working on various fields from fundamental to applied physics. This includes the following two Theoretical Physics institutes :

  • Institut de Physique Théorique (IPhT), Saclay
  • Theoretical Physics Division of IJCLab, Orsay

The application deadline for the second call is July 15th, 2026 and the expected start of the fellowships is between early 2027 and October 2027.

Applicants will propose their own research project, aligned with the Graduate School and partners’ wide-ranging fields, from fundamental to applied physics. They are free to choose the institute in which they would like to carry out their research.

To be eligible, applicants must hold a doctoral degree before the application deadline, and must not have resided or carried out their main activity in France for more than 12 months during the 3 years preceding the deadline for applications.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.cofund-physics.universite-paris-saclay.fr/

Postdoctoral Position in Transient and Multi-messenger Astronomy Data Science in Greenbelt

The General Coordinates Network (GCN) Project and High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) invite applications for postdoctoral research positions in the fields of transient and/or multi-messenger astrophysics. Applicants should have a strong astrophysics research track record and deep expertise in the technical disciplines of full-stack software development, data visualization, React, TypeScript, and Python. Experience in Apache Kafka and cloud computing would also be beneficial.

The successful applicant will join the GCN team, who operate NASA’s time-domain and multi-messenger transient alert system. We envision the postdoc will contribute to the technical development of GCN, serve as the primary interface to observatories who are onboarding to distribute alerts through GCN, and help to moderate GCN Circulars and the GCN helpdesk. They will have a central role in shaping Goddard’s multi-messenger science output. This position includes approximately 40% of the applicant’s time to devote to their own research projects, which we encourage to be aligned with the science topics enabled by GCN and data from Goddard supported missions.

GSFC is home to over 100 Ph.D. astronomers, including project teams for Swift, Fermi, TESS, HST, JWST, and Roman, as well as ample computational resources. GSFC is also a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. Through the Joint Space-Science Institute (JSI), GSFC is a partner in the Zwicky Transient Facility project.

The position is for one year, renewable for up to three years upon mutual agreement and funding availability, and will be hired through the University of Maryland, Baltimore County on the CRESST II collaborative agreement with GSFC. The nominal starting date is in September 2026, but alternate dates are possible depending on availability. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in astronomy, physics, or a related field by the date of appointment.

Candidates should provide a cover letter, CV (including publication list), and a statement of research interests. Short-listed candidates will be asked to supply three letters of reference at a later date. Completed applications received by Friday, May 22, 2026 will receive full consideration. All application materials and inquiries should be sent to: https://cresst2.breezy.hr/p/f588ea6ec42d-postdoctoral-position-in-transient-and-multi-messenger-astronomy-data-science/apply

This position is planned for a salary range of $78,400 – $83,500. Salary and benefits are competitive, commensurate with experience and qualifications. This position is in-person or hybrid (some in-person, some remote). For more information about the proposed research, contact Dr. Judith Racusin (judith.racusin(at)nasa.gov). For information on CRESST II or UMBC, contact Dr. Don Engel (donengel(at)umbc.edu). UMBC is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply. EOE/M/F/D/V.

Please find here full details.

LHO Electrical Engineering Lead

The LIGO Laboratory and LIGO Hanford Observatory invite applications for an Electrical Engineering Lead. We also ask that you circulate this announcement within your networks and encourage strong candidates to apply.

Job Summary: At LIGO Hanford you’ll coordinate a skilled team of engineers and technicians in the design, testing, and maintenance of precision analog and digital electronics, playing a key role in the day-to-day operations of a one-of-a-kind scientific facility. You’ll collaborate with a diverse, international community of scientists and engineers, and have the opportunity to contribute to research that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible. This is a leadership role where your technical skills and team-building abilities both matter.

Please find here full details.