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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/

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.

DESY-Fellowships in Experimental Particle Physics

For our location in Hamburg we are seeking: DESY-Fellowships in Experimental Particle Physics
Remuneration Group 13 | Limited: 2+1 years | Starting date: between 01.07.2026 and 01.01.2027 | ID: FHFE001/2026 | Deadline: 31.03.2026 | Full-time/Part-time
DESY, with more than 2900 employees at its two locations in Hamburg and Zeuthen, is one of the world's leading research centres. Its research focuses on decoding the structure and function of matter, from the smallest particles of the universe to the building blocks of life. In this way, DESY contributes to solving the major questions and urgent challenges facing science, society and industry. With its ultramodern research infrastructure, its interdisciplinary research platforms and its international networks, DESY offers a highly attractive working environment in the fields of science, technology and administration as well as for the education of highly qualified young scientists.

We participate in leading roles in particle physics projects on our campus and at international laboratories such as CERN or KEK. We develop technologies for detectors and accelerators, and work on scientific computing. We operate important infrastructures such as a WLCG Tier-2 computing centre or the DESY test beam facility.

Interested applicants for a fellowship in experimental physics are requested to submit their application in English (letter of motivation, research interest, CV, list of publications, copies of university degrees, three letters of reference) via our application portal. The statement about the scientific interest has to include your specific motivation for one of the research projects mentioned below.

The decision on the awarding of a fellowship for the 1/2026 selection round will presumably be made by 31 May 2026. The fellowship at DESY in Hamburg is to be started during the second half of 2026.

About your role:

You are invited to take an active role in one of the following research projects in Hamburg:

  • ATLAS ITk Strip Detector Upgrade, possibly in combination with a physics analysis
  • CMS Outer Tracker Upgrade, possibly in combination with a physics analysis
  • Study of B- or τ-decays at Belle II
  • Current and future on-site experiments

About you:

  • PhD in Physics: Doctorate must be completed before starting the fellowship, but must not be older than 5 years
  • Strong interest in particle physics research, detector development or scientific computing
  • Expert knowledge and experience in the field of the selected project

Good reasons to join:

Look forward to a unique working environment on our international research campus. Respectful cooperation and the well-being of our DESY employees are particularly important to us. Gender equality is an important aspect for us. To support work life balance we offer flexible working hours and variable part-time. You will benefit from our family-friendly and collegial atmosphere, our established health management and occupational pension provision. As a public funded employer, we offer you a secure workplace and facilitate your individual career with our comprehensive training and development opportunities. Remuneration is according to the regulations of the TV-AVH. DESY offers its employees a financial supplement for a German job ticket (Deutschland-Ticket) at both locations.

Further informations about the DESY-Fellowship can be found here: https://www.desy.de/FellowFH

Please arrange for three letters of reference to be uploaded via our online toolby 31 March 2026.

We look forward to receiving your application via our application portal:

 Apply now!

DESY promotes equal opportunities and diversity. The professional development of women is very important to us and therefore we strongly encourage women to apply for the vacant position. Applications from severely disabled persons will be given preference if they are equally qualified (sbv.desy.de).

You can find further information here:

https://www.desy.de/career

ESA Archival Research Visitor Programme Madrid, Noordwijk

To increase the scientific return from its space science missions, ESA welcomes applications from scientists interested in pursuing research based on publicly available data in the ESA Space Science Archives. The Archives host data from all current and past ESA space science missions in astronomy, planetary science, and heliophysics.

The ESA Archival Research Visitor Programme is open to scientists at all career levels who are affiliated with institutes in ESA Member States and Cooperating States (note that all visits must comply with the ESA Security Directives, which may necessitate additional checks). Early-career scientists are particularly encouraged to apply, including PhD students (see below). We encourage applications from women and minorities. The peer-review evaluation process is anonymised to ensure equal opportunities for all applicants.

Residence lasts typically between one and three months, also distributed over multiple visits, depending on the complexity of the research project. The research projects can be carried out at ESAC (Madrid, Spain) and at ESTEC (Noordwijk, Netherlands). To offset the expenses incurred by visitors, ESA covers travel costs from and to the home institution and provides support for lodging expenses and meals.

During their stay, visiting scientists have the opportunity to interact with archive and mission specialists for questions on the retrieval, calibration, and analysis of archival data. In principle, all areas of space research covered by ESA science missions can be supported (the data must be publicly available in the archives). To ensure that technical expertise in the specific area of interest is available at ESAC or ESTEC, applicants should consult the table of expertise and contact the relevant scientists in their field of interest (this is very important). In case of doubts, write to the programme coordinators for assistance at arvp@cosmos.esa.int.

The next deadline for applications is Wednesday 30 April 2026, 23:59 UTC

Call for applications

Applications can be submitted at any time by sending email to arvp@cosmos.esa.int. The email should contain a single PDF document of at most three pages detailing:

  • description of the goals of the research project
  • public archival data on which help is sought
  • which type of expertise you expect to gain
  • proposed time and duration of the visit
  • expected publications
  • contact information

Please keep it short (max 2 pages for the text of the proposal, max 1 page for figures, references, and contact information) and follow the simple template provided here. Note that this is just a template, you can use the font type and size that you prefer (not smaller than 10), but please do not exceed two pages for the text and one page for figures, references, and contact information. You must indicate in which year you obtained (or will obtain) your PhD.

To prevent unconscious biases, your name, email address, and other contact information (on the third page) will not be visible to reviewers. To help in the process, you must write your application in an “anonymous” way, i.e. do not identify yourself in the text. For instance, do not mention the name of your institute or collaborators in the scientific description of the project (page 1 and 2) and when you are referring to one of your papers, do not write “I have shown that … (Author Name, 2023, Journal, 954, 125)”, but rather write “It has been shown that … (Author Name, 2023, Journal, 954, 125)”. If you identify yourself, the application will not be considered.

We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions about the data that could support your research project. You will find the names of our experts in the various science areas in the table of expertise below. Or write to the programme coordinators for assistance at arvp@cosmos.esa.int.

Students

We welcome proposals by graduate students. The proposals can be submitted by the students themselves or in collaboration with their supervisors. If you are a student and would like to visit ESA to learn more about doing science with archival data, make sure that you coordinate and agree your research project with your supervisor. Mention this in the application, but omit the name of the supervisor, otherwise the application is not anonymous.

Deadlines

Applications can be submitted at any time and are reviewed twice a year, with deadlines usually on 30 April and 31 October. The results of the review will be communicated to applicants within about two months of the deadlines. Applicants are encouraged to contact the ESA scientists or the programme coordinators well ahead of the deadlines in order to discuss their research plans.

Applications received by 30 April 2026 (23:59 UTC) will be considered for visits in autumn and winter 2026/2027.

Please find here full details.

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.

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.

ETpathfinder Visiting Scientists Programme Open For Applications

The ETpathfinder Visiting Scientists Programme provides funding to welcome researchers and engineers to our ETpathfinder R&D facility in Maastricht, the Netherlands. This program is designed for senior scientists and engineers, postdoctoral researchers and experienced PhD students who wish to engage with cutting-edge interferometric technology while contributing their expertise to advance our experimental capabilities.

ETpathfinder serves as a R&D fieldlab facility for developing technologies that will enable future -generation gravitational wave detectors, such as Einstein Telescope. Our research focuses on high-precision interferometry with cryogenic silicon test masses, seismic isolation systems, optics, photonics, quantum noise reduction, controls and environmental monitoring as well as on engineering, systems engineering, integration and cleanliness aspects.

For any questions or enquiries, please contact us via etpf-visiting-scientist-prog(at)nikhef.nl

Applications can be submitted via this webpage.

Global Talent Ireland Call

Global Talent Ireland aims to attract exceptional mid-career and established researchers from across the globe to Ireland. Researchers funded through this programme are required to transfer their research activities from their current location to an Eligible Research Body in Ireland. Given its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, Research Ireland welcomes applications from women and those from historically underserved communities.  
  • Deadline for Expression of Interest: 28th August 2025
  • Deadline for full-proposal: October 2025
  • Duration: 6 years
  • Amount: €2.25M to 3.25M (direct costs)

The programme budget includes the resources to build a research team (e.g., staff, consumables and travel) to carry out high-impact, world-class research, and additional start-up costs to support the researcher’s move to Ireland.

The programme comprises two streams: Rising Stars and Research Leaders. High level details are outlined in the table below:

Career stage

Award duration

Research funding

Startup funding

Maximum budget request

Rising Star

5-15 years post-PhD

6 years

€1.5M

€0.75M

€2.25M

Research leader

16+ years post-PhD

6 years

€2.5M

€0.75M

€3.25M

Please find here full details.

CDD researcher (M/F) : Ultra-dense matter equation of state and gravitational Waves, Caen, France

The determination of the equation of state and composition of ultra-dense matter from multi-messenger astrophysical observations remains a central challenge in nuclear physics and high-energy astrophysics. Within this context, the LuTH-Caen theory group, as part of the Virgo collaboration, itself part of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA consortium, has established a recognized expertise in the theoretical modeling of ultra-dense stellar matter and the development of advanced statistical methods for quantifying theoretical uncertainties and their impact on the confidence intervals of astronomical observables.

Application Deadline: March 27th 2025

This postdoctoral project aims to generate quantitative predictions for the key parameters governing the emission of detectable gravitational wave signals from compact objects, incorporating the uncertainties inherent in the underlying microphysics. Specifically, the successful candidate will focus on parameter estimation in one of two contexts: neutron star binary coalescence, either during the inspiral or post-merger phase, or the continuous gravitational waves emitted by isolated neutron stars.
Within this framework, the successful candidate will contribute to the interpretation of signals from past and ongoing LVK observational campaigns, as well as to the preparation for third-generation interferometers, including post-O5 and the Einstein Telescope. The research will specifically aim to constrain the microscopic properties of dense hadronic matter, such as the nuclear equation of state, and to identify potential signatures of deconfinement phase transitions.

Activities

The successful postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for maintaining and further developing the Bayesian analysis tools for equation-of-state inference within the LPC theory group. This work will be carried out in close collaboration with group members from GANIL and the Strasbourg Observatory, the latter being conducting numerical relativity simulations of post-merger remnants. Depending on the candidate’s previous research experience and interests, there may also be opportunities to contribute to the group’s theoretical developments related to the modeling of dense and superfluid matter in neutron stars. The candidate is expected to contribute to research activities and topics such as:

  • Development of the CUTER tool for the improvement of parameter estimation using microphysics informed equations of state, see https://zenodo.org/records/10781539
  • Numerical simulations for the physics case prospects of third generation interferometers
  • Theoretical modelling of the zero and finite temperature nuclear equation of state and its possible phase transitions, with both effective and microscopic models
  • Development and analysis of neutron star cooling simulations and applications to the measurable properties of the neutron star crust

Skills

The successful candidate must have a PhD in theoretical nuclear physics, gravitational wave data analysis or numerical hydrodynamics. Proficiency in scientific programming (C, C++, Python) and numerical simulations is expected. Familiarity with software development tools such as git and gitlab, while not essential, would be an advantage.

Work Context

The successful candidate will be assigned to the theory and phenomenology team, within the Corpuscular Physics Laboratory of Caen.
The team has a longstanding experience in theoretical nuclear modelling. Since 2020, it is part of the Virgo collaboration within a theoretical group including researchers from the astronomical observatory in Strasbourg, and the GANIL laboratory in Caen.
The LPC CAEN, with about 100 staff, is a joint research unit (UMR 6534) under the supervision of three institutions: the CNRS, the University of Caen Normandy (UCN) and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Caen (ENSICAEN). It is located on Campus 2 of the University of Caen (Campus Côte de Nacre) and is part of the research park of ENSICAEN (www.lpc-caen.in2p3.fr/).

Please find here full details.

DESY-Fellowships in Experimental Particle Physics in Hamburg

DESY-Fellowships in Experimental Particle Physics; Remuneration Group 13; Limited: 2 years; Starting date: after Agreement; ID: FHFE001/2025; Deadline: 31.03.2025; Full-time/Part-time.

DESY, with more than 2900 employees at its two locations in Hamburg and Zeuthen, is one of the world’s leading research centres. Its research focuses on decoding the structure and function of matter, from the smallest particles of the universe to the building blocks of life. In this way, DESY contributes to solving the major questions and urgent challenges facing science, society and industry. With its ultramodern research infrastructure, its interdisciplinary research platforms and its international networks, DESY offers a highly attractive working environment in the fields of science, technology and administration as well as for the education of highly qualified young scientists.

We participate in leading roles in particle physics projects on our campus and in international laboratories such as CERN or KEK. We develop technologies for detectors and accelerators, and work on scientific computing. We operate important infrastructures such as the Tier2 centre or the test beam facility at DESY.

DESY Fellowships in Experimental Particle Physics are selected twice a year. Interested applicants who have recently completed their PhD are requested to submit their application including the scientific background and the usual documents (letter of motivation, research interest, CV, list of publications, copies of university degrees, three letters of reference) for the respective selection round via our application portal. The statement of future research should include both, physics analysis as well as detector or performance related interests. Application Deadline: March 31st, 2025.

The decision on the awarding of a fellowship for the 1/2025 selection round is presumably made on May 31.

About your role:

You are invited to take an active role in one or more of the following projects in Hamburg:

  • The ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN or the Belle II experiment at KEK
  • Experimental activities on-site (ALPS II and preparation of future on-site experiments at DESY)
  • Preparations for future particle physics experiments, in particular detector and technology development
  • Scientific computing
  • Accelerator development (plasma wakefield)

Good reasons to join:

Look forward to a unique working environment on our international research campus. Respectful cooperation and the well-being of our DESY employees are particularly important to us. Gender equality is an important aspect for us. To support work life balance we offer flexible working hours, variable part-time, job-sharing models and participation in mobile work (up to 50%). You will benefit from our family-friendly and collegial atmosphere, our established health management and occupational pension provision. As a public funded employer, we offer you a secure workplace and facilitate your individual career with our comprehensive training and development opportunities. Remuneration is according to the regulations of the TV-AVH. DESY offers its employees a financial supplement for a German job ticket (Deutschland-Ticket) at both locations.

About you:

Ph.D. in physics (To be eligible, you have to take up the position at the latest 5 years after your doctorate)
Interest in particle physics, accelerator/detector development or scientific computing
Expertise relevant in at least one of the areas listed above

Further informations about the DESY-Fellowship can be found here: http://www.desy.de/FellowFH

Please arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to the DESY human resource department by using our online tool: Additional application documents.

Please find here full details.