Contact: massimiliano.rinaldi[AT]unitn.itLocation: Trento, Italy
Description
The Theoretical Gravitation and Cosmology group at the University of Trento (https://sites.google.com/unitn.it/gravcosmo-theory) might have one funded PhD position starting in November 2026 and supervised by Prof. Massimiliano Rinaldi.
The selection process is led by a committee, appointed by the Department of Physics, that evaluates all candidates in all physics fields and makes a ranking based on letter of motivation, academic CV and interview (live or online).
Details of the selection process can be found here:
https://www.unitn.it/en/phd/physics
Please note that the official 2026 call is not open yet and this announcement is just an unofficial gathering of expressions of interest, to be sent by March 31 2026 and is not an application. The call is expected to open around mid-April 2026.
The net salary is about 1200 per month, which is OK to live in Trento in a shared accommodation. For healthcare regulations, please see
https://www.unitn.it/en/international/coming-unitrento/all-you-need-know/health-insurance
Some travel money is also granted every year. PhD students in our group are usually included in the local section of the INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics), which can provide for extra travel funding.
The position does not require any teaching although a limited amount of (paid) tutoring can be arranged.
The project
The research project is centred at the interplay of theoretical gravitation, cosmology and black hole physics, with particular attention to the so-called cosmological coupling of compact object masses and the corresponding phenomenological signatures. The detailed project can be tuned upon the specific skills of the selected candidate. The ideal candidate has a strong background in theoretical physics, especially in general relativity. A good knowledge of topics such as black hole physics, dark matter, dark energy, and cosmology is a plus. Also, skills in numerical computation might be important, although not essential. To have a better idea of the research work, please look at my recent publications here.
The city
Trento is a charming, medium-sized medieval town located in the heart of the Italian Alps. The town regularly tops rankings for quality of life in Italy. It is surrounded by nature (mountains, lakes, woods,…), and the Trentino Alto-Adige region (https://www.visittrentino.info/en) is home to 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites, while also being a renown skiing site, and boasting a rich culinary and wine-making tradition. The city is well connected to the rest of Italy, as well as Central Europe, with e.g. Milan, Turin, Trieste, Ferrara, Bologna, Padova, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Innsbruck, and Munich all being within no more than a 4-hour train ride or drive. The University of Trento is a young, but highly dynamic and international University, and regularly tops the rankings for medium-sized Universities in Italy, especially within the physical sciences.
Procedure
Please submit the following material:
– Academic CV (with transcript of records, if available);
– Letter of motivation (1 page max);
– One letter of reference.
via AcademicJobsOnline at at the eDelivery link:
https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/edelivery/5197
by March 31, 2026.
Any material sent in other ways will not be considered.
The Italian PhD selection procedures are quite unique, so read carefully the regulations linked above.
For more information (but read the selection procedure first!), please send an email to the address below.