Contact: Thomas.Sotiriou[AT]nottingham.ac.ukLocation: Nottingham (UK), Urbana-Champaign (USA)
We are looking for a researcher whose expertise lies in strong gravity and/or gravitational waves. The post is funded in part by the STFC Consolidated Grant “Fundamental Physics in Gravitational Wave Signals” (PI: Thomas Sotiriou) and in part by the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) (PI: Helvi Witek).
We believe that talented and inclusive teams deliver the highest quality research and are seeking applications from high quality candidates who enhance the diversity of our existing team. We are committed to creating opportunities for people traditionally under-represented in Physics and Mathematical Sciences.
You will be able to carry out duties to the highest standard and to evidence how through your experience you will:
– Undertake original research of international excellence.
– Develop research objectives and proposals for own and/or collaborative research area.
– Prepare papers for publication in leading journals and/or contribute to the dissemination at national/international conferences, workshops and meetings resulting in successful research outputs.
– Identify opportunities and assist in writing bids for research grant applications. Prepare proposals and applications to both external and/or internal bodies for funding, contractual or accreditation purposes.
We are looking for a confident, organised researcher who can evidence:
– Having obtained or being near completion of a PhD, or equivalent in physics, mathematics or other related discipline.
– Expert knowledge and a proven research track record in gravitation and in particular in one or more of the following areas: gravitational waves, black hole and compact stars, numerical relativity, strong gravity beyond general relativity and the standard model, mathematical relativity.
– Experience in numerical relativity is desirable.
– Excellent communication and organisational skills.
– The ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary and multicultural team.
– Networking, actively engaging with and valuing other areas and diverse groups.
This full-time position can start any time before October 2022 and is split between the University of Nottingham, UK and UIUC, Illinois, USA. It will be offered on a fixed-term contract for a period of 24 months, with the first 12 months spent in Nottingham and the remaining 12 months spent in Illinois. Applications are welcome from candidates wishing to work part-time (minimum 29 hours per week).
The newly launched Nottingham Centre of Gravity (NCoG) brings together Nottingham’s internationally leading expertise in gravitational physics in the School of Mathematical Sciences and the School of Physics and Astronomy and aims to expand it into new areas. It is built on six overlapping pillars of gravitational research: fundamental physics, mathematics, cosmology, relativistic astrophysics, experiment, and data and modelling. Members of the NCoG include Tasos Avgoustidis, Clare Burrage, John Barrett, Ed Copeland, Anne Green, Kirill Krasnov, Jorma Louko, Adam Moss, Tony Padilla, Paul Saffin, Thomas Sotiriou, and Silke Weinfurtner.
At UIUC, the successful candidate will join Professor Helvi Witek’s group. Furthermore, they will become part of a vibrant research community in the Illinois Center for Advanced Study of the University (ICASU; https://icasu.illinois.edu/) that bridges the Departments of Physics, the Department of Astronomy, the School of Information Sciences, and the National Center for Supercomputer Applications (NCSA). ICASU faculty working in closely related areas include Profs. Stu Shapiro, Nico Yunes, Charles Gammie, Gil Holder, Brian Fields, Yoni Kahn, Jorge Noronha, Jaqueline Noronha-Hostler and Jessie Shelton. The successful candidate will also have opportunities to join the LISA Consortium (https://lisamission.org) and the Einstein Toolkit Consortium (https://einsteintoolkit.org).
Applicants are expected to submit a CV, including a full list of publications and a research statement (including previous and current research as well as future research plans) no longer than 4 A4 pages and will also be asked to provide names and contact details for 4 referees.
Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor Thomas Sotiriou email: Thomas.Sotiriou[AT]nottingham.ac.uk and Professor Helvi Witek email: hwitek[AT]illinois.edu. Please note that applications sent directly to these email addresses will not be accepted.
Any offer for this position is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check process in accordance with the University of Illinois Background Check Policy.
The University of Illinois is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability, or criminal conviction history. Illinois welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas who embrace and value diversity and inclusivity (www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu).
Our University has always been a supportive, inclusive, caring and positive community. We warmly welcome those of different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs – indeed this very diversity is vital to our success, it is fundamental to our values and enriches life on campus. We welcome applications from UK, Europe and from across the globe. For more information on the support we offer our international colleagues, see our Moving to Nottingham pages.
For successful international applicants, we provide financial support for your visa and the immigration health surcharge, plus an interest-free loan to help cover the cost of immigration-related expenses for any dependants accompanying you to the UK. For more information please see the our webpage on Financial support for visas and the immigration health surcharge.