Postdoctroral Fellowships in Gravitational-Wave Physics at ICTS-TIFR, India

More info:  external link
Deadline:  2014-01-15

Location:  Bangalore, India

International Centre for Theoretical Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (ICTS-TIFR), Bangalore invites applications from highly motivated candidates for postdoctoral positions. Founded in 2007, ICTS is a new initiative in Indian science. It is conceived to contribute to the growth of excellence in the basic sciences through its programs, interactions and cross-fertilization between disciplines. ICTS provides a platform and infrastructure to organize various activities in theoretical and mathematical sciences.

ICTS also has an active in-house research program. Current research spans the areas of astrophysical relativity, statistical physics and turbulence, data assimilation and dynamical systems, and string theory. Other areas under consideration are cosmology, multiscale and complex systems including interfaces with biology, theoretical biology, mathematics, computer science and computational sciences with strong interface to other areas at ICTS.

Research interests of the Astrophysical Relativity group include gravitational-wave physics and astronomy, analytical and numerical relativity, relativistic astrophysics, high-performance computing, etc. Candidates are expected to have a PhD in Physics or Astrophysics with an excellent track record. Although PhDs in gravitational-wave physics, relativistic astrophysics, cosmology etc. are preferred, candidates from other areas with strong analytical and computational skills will also be considered.

Two kinds of postdoctoral positions are offered:

* Post Doctoral Fellow (3 years): Emoluments range from Rs 21,000-24,000 and a contingency grant of Rs 20,000 per annum. Initial appointments will be for a two year period, with an extension to a third year after an academic review.
* Post Doctoral Visiting Scientist (2 years): Emoluments range from Rs 35,000-43,000 per month. This position is open to candidates with excellent record and  requires minimum 1 year of postdoctoral experience. Post doctoral fellows in scheme 1 can also be considered for this position after they have completed the basic requirements.

Medical benefits and institutional housing will be provided to all academic members. Optionally members may choose to receive a housing allowance that amounts to 30% of the fellowship. ICTS offers access to high-performance computing facilities, and to most scientific journals. Support for travel for participation in important international meetings is also available. Postdocs will have opportunities to participate in teaching of graduate courses at ICTS.

Apart from the regular faculty members, ICTS has an extended associate faculty actively involved in the research and program activities. ICTS organizes around 10-25 programs every year, on diverse topics not restricted to the research interests of the ICTS faculty. The Centre also has an extensive visitor program. Research groups at ICTS are part of, amongst others, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Indian Initiative in Gravitational-Wave Observations, Mathematics and Climate Research Network, Indo-French Center for Applied Mathematics, etc.  See http://icts.res.in/research/ for more information.

Interested candidates should apply online at http://forms.icts.res.in/postdoc_app. Applicants should also arrange for (at least) two letters of recommendation to be sent directly to postdocapp@icts.res.in. Applications will be normally reviewed twice every year, once in January and once in July. The deadline for the current call is 15 January 2014.

ASTROPHYSICAL RELATIVITY AT ICTS
The Astrophysical Relativity group includes Parameswaran Ajith (faculty member), Bala Iyer, Tarun Souradeep, Rana Adhikari (adjunct faculty members), Manjari Bagchi, Chandra Kant Mishra, Archisman Ghosh (postdoctoral scholars) and several visiting students. K. G. Arun, Sascha Husa and Mark Hannam are visiting associates. Adjunct faculty members and visiting associates are expected to spend from several weeks to a few months every year at ICTS. The group has strong involvement in the IndIGO consortium and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration.

LIVING IN BANGALORE
Bangalore, known as the Garden City of India, is the center of India’s information technology sector, and is home to many distinguished educational and research institutions. It is among the most cosmopolitan and demographically diverse cities in India, with a pleasant and moderate climate. A permanent campus for ICTS is under construction at Hessarghatta in North Bangalore.

USEFUL LINKS
Astrophysical Relativity at ICTS: http://www.icts.res.in/research/astrorel
Apply online: http://forms.icts.res.in/postdoc_app
Upcoming ICTS Programs: http://www.icts.res.in/program/upcoming
Bangalore (Wikipedia): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangalore

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