The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona seeks applicants for a full-time Postdoctoral Fellow in Hadron Theory.
The appointed researcher will be ascribed to the Department of Quantum Physics and Astrophysics (FQA) and also to the Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB), a María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence. Overall, the FQA and ICCUB host about 180 staff working in all aspects of cosmos sciences, leading to a vibrant fundamental research program in cosmology, astrophysics, nuclear and particle physics.
The University of Barcelona Hadron and Nuclear Theory group has broad interests, including hadron theory, analysis and interpretation of data on conventional and exotic hadron states, dispersive techniques for precision hadron physics, searches of light-dark particles, effective theories for baryon-baryon interaction, lattice QCD for nuclear physics, relativistic heavy-ion collisions, quark-gluon plasma physics, femtoscopy measurements, nuclear structure, neutron stars and tests of fundamental symmetries using hadrons and nuclei. Senior group members of the Hadron Physics area include Sergi González-Solis, Volodymyr Magas, Vincent Mathieu, Assumpta Parreño, Àngels Ramos and Juan Torres-Rincon, but the group has also tight  connections with the Nuclear Physics section. A more detailed description of the group can be found at our ICCUB web page.

Candidates must hold a PhD in physics at the starting date of the contract. They are expected to have a competitive research record in hadron theory and a strong commitment to pursue cutting-edge research in collaboration with members of the group. Additional expertise in nuclear physics applications will also be appreciated.

Employment conditions

The appointment is initially a full-time contract (37.5 hours per week) for one year, with anticipated renewal for one additional year; this is contingent upon job performance. The expected start date is September 2025.
Gross annual salary will be competitive and commensurate with the expertise of the candidate. It will include social security and public health care benefits, covering spouse and children. We offer flexible working hours and family reconciliation as well as travel funding.

Application procedure and deadline:
Please fill out this link with your personal data and the information of two referees who will provide recommendation letters for you. Once you submit this form you will
find the instructions on how to upload your application materials:

• Curriculum Vitae
• List of publications
• Research statement (2 pages max).

The referees will receive an email with instructions on how to upload their letters after a few working days.

Please note that your application will not be complete until you and the referees have uploaded the corresponding documents. The application deadline is December 15th, 2024.
Inquiries about the application submission can be directed to jobs@icc.ub.edu.
Inquiries about the position can be directed to Juan Torres-Rincon (torres@fqa.ub.edu).

About the Institute of Cosmos Sciences:
The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is a research institute of the University of Barcelona. It is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.
As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognizes, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.
The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2022: one with near-perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colorful neighborhoods that march to their own beat— artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.
Contract financed by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by FEDER, EU

TÍTOL DE L’OFERTA: Detecció d'alertes fotomètriques amb PhotSat, el primer cubesat astrofísic de l'IEEC
DESCRIPCIÓ EMPRESA
L'Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), centre CERCA i regit per un patronat que inclou la Generalitat de Catalunya, la UB, UPC, UAB i CSIC, és una institució dedicada a les ciències de l'espai i l'astronomia. Com a referent en recerca espacial, l'IEEC treballa en àrees com l'astrofísica i l'exploració planetària, però en els darrers anys ha intensificat la seva activitat en el sector NewSpace, promovent la innovació i el desenvolupament de tecnologies espacials.
L'IEEC acull unitats com l'Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (ICCUB) o l'Institut de Ciències de l'Espai (ICE), que enfoquen els seus esforços en la investigació avançada i el desenvolupament de projectes espacials innovadors. En particular, la seva implicació en iniciatives NewSpace inclou el disseny i la gestió de missions espacials i l'ús de nanosatèl·lits, que permeten un accés més econòmic i flexible a l'espai.
A més, l'IEEC gestiona el Telescopi de Montsec, que facilita tant l'observació astronòmica com activitats de divulgació, així com l’estació terrestre de nanosatèl·lits. L'institut  també organitza conferències i tallers per a escoles, amb l'objectiu de compartir coneixements i inspirar joves interessats en el món espacial.
Amb la seva combinació d'investigació, formació i divulgació, l'IEEC es posiciona com un motor d'innovació i un actor clau en el panorama NewSpace europeu, contribuint significativament al coneixement i al desenvolupament de noves tecnologies en ciències de l'espai.
Les pràctiques es durien a terme amb l’equip col·laborador de l’IEEC situat a la Universitat de Barcelona (ICCUB).
DESCRIPCIÓ DE L'OFERTA:
L’oferta es troba en el context de la missió espacial PhotSat, liderada per IEEC i participada per les seves unitats, incloent l’ICCUB. PhotSat és un cubesat, el llançament del qual està previst a finals del 2025, que obtindrà observacions fotomètriques en l’espectre òptic i ultraviolat d’entre 16 i 35 milions d’estrelles més brillants amb una cadència d’uns 2-3 dies.
També permetrà la detecció de nous events de fenòmens astrofísics, tals com supernoves, variables cataclísmiques, o estrelles engolides per forats negres. L’equip d’investigació on es desenvoluparà el projecte es troba a l’ICCUB, que desenvolupa les tasques de tractament i reducció de dades, així com la reducció fotomètrica i detecció d’esdeveniments transitoris. L’equip que proposa aquestes pràctiques s’encarrega d’aquesta part concreta (esdeveniments transitoris) a partir de les dades que el satèl·lit PhotSat enviarà regularment a terra. La part de les alertes està liderada per la Prof. Nadejda Blagorodnova, amb ampla experiència en el camp de recerca de l’astronomia en el domini temporal. L’objectiu de l’equip és proporcionar ràpidament a la comunitat científica el descobriment d’esdeveniments astrofísics nous que hagin estat descoberts pel PhotSat, i poder facilitar la coordinació de recursos terrestres per al seguiment observacional d’aquests fenòmens.
Durant les pràctiques, la persona interaccionarà contínuament amb altres integrants de l’equip de recerca de la Prof. Blagorodnova, l’equip científic de PhotSat l’IEEC (en especial els membres de l’equip de simulacions i calibració de fotometria a l’ICCUB), així com dels enginyers de l’equip.
FUNCIONS DE LA PERSONA EN PRÀCTIQUES:
L’estudiant durà a terme les tasques de suport al grup de recerca per a assolir la detecció de nous fenòmens i distribució de les alertes de PhotSat. Les funcions que haurà de desenvolupar la persona en pràctiques seran:
- Donar suport al grup en quan a tasques de simulació d’esdeveniments transitoris i variables, incloent una generació realista i optimitzada d’aquests fenòmens en el simulador ja existent, implementat en Python. Aquestes tasques es duran a terme en estreta col·laboració amb l’equip de simulació de PhotSat a l’ICCUB. Això permetrà tenir unes dades de referència per provar les cadenes de detecció d’events transitoris.
- Definir i implementar un mètode de detecció de rajos còsmics i partícules energètiques, permetent descartar deteccions espúries que puguin contaminar el catàleg o les  alertes. Com a part d’aquesta tasca, es determinarà, empíricament a partir de les simulacions, paràmetres que puguin ajudar a la classificació o detecció de fonts mitjançant mètodes Machine Learning i Deep Neural Networks aplicats a les imatges de PhotSat.
- Opcionalment, crear un entorn web senzill per a la visualització de les corbes de llum de nous transients produïts per la cadena de detecció d’alertes.
- Participar regularment en les reunions de l’equip de PhotSat per a intercanviar informació sobre el projecte i presentar els resultats de la feina.
REQUISITS DE PARTICIPACIÓ I CRITERIS DE SELECCIÓ:
Requisits:

• Estudiant d’últim curs d’una llicenciatura de física o una enginyeria tècnica (preferiblement informàtica), o cursant un màster en tecnologies de la informació o en el camp de la física.
• Coneixements de programació en Python.

Criteris de selecció:

• Expedient acadèmic (40%)
• CV adequat a les necessitats del projecte (40%)
• Bon nivell de comunicació parlat i escrit en anglès. (20%)

CONDICIONS:

• Dedicació horària: 15 h setmanals
• Durada conveni màxim: 250 hores.
• Àrea: NewSpace
• Data d'inici (haurà de ser posterior a l’adjudicació de l’ajut): a partir de l’1 de Novembre 2024.
• Ubicació: Parc Científic de Barcelona (Unitat Tecnològica ICCUB)
• Jornada: Parcial
• Especificació de l'horari: flexible, segons disponibilitat de l’estudiant (p.ex. horari de classes)
• Adreça electrònica per enviar el CV, expedient acadèmic (pot ser provisional) i carta de motivació en anglès (1 pag): nblago@fqa.ub.edu

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences at the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) is now offering four postdoctoral positions funded by Prof David Mateos’ ERC Advanced Grant. 

Selected candidates will collaborate with Profs David Mateos, Jorge Casalderrey-Solana and other members of the group on applications of Holography to Cosmology and Astrophysics, with a focus on Gravitational Waves. 

Topics of interest include cosmological phase transitions, baryogenesis, neutron star mergers, spacetime singularities and holography with dynamical boundary gravity. Prior knowledge of holography is not required. 

Faculty members at the ICCUB working on related areas include Ruxandra Bondarescu, Pablo Bueno, Roberto Emparan, Bartomeu Fiol, Jaume Garriga, Cristiano Germani, Raul Jimenez, Alessio Notari,Jorge Russo and Licia Verde. 

For information about research at the ICCUB, visit http://icc.ub.edu

Appointments will begin in the Fall of 2025 or earlier for a period of 3 years. The salary includes social security and public health care benefits, covering spouse and children. We offer flexible working hours and family reconciliation.

The deadline for applications is November 30th 2024.

The University of Barcelona is part of a group of European institutes with a centralized system of postdoctoral applications. Candidates should apply through the following website, choosing Barcelona as one of their preferred institutes: https://itf.fys.kuleuven.be/postdoc-application/

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The ICCUB is an equal employment opportunity employer. The ICCUB promotes a diverse and inclusive environment and welcomes applicants regardless of age, disability, gender, nationality, race, religion or sexual orientation. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities in physical sciences to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

About the Institute of Cosmos Sciences:

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is a research institute of the University of Barcelona. It is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.

As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2022: one with near-perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colorful neighborhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) is seeking a Post-Award Research Manager to join their secretariat team. This position offers an exciting opportunity to work in a diverse, international environment at the forefront of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics research.

Job description

The Post-Award Research Manager will play a crucial role in supporting ICCUB's Principal Investigators in managing competitive project funds. Key responsibilities include:

• Managing grant budgets and preparing financial reports and audits
• Monitoring budgets and anticipating deviations
• Overseeing project work plans and scientific reports
• Ensuring compliance with institutional and sponsor regulations
• Liaising between researchers, funding agencies, and project coordinators
• Supporting consortium meetings and related project activities
• Any other duties related to the job as requested to contribute to the general functioning of the ICCUB Office.

 Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in physics
• C1 level proficiency in both Catalan and English
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a similar role at a scientific institution
• Knowledge of project management tools and techniques
• Self-motivated, proactive, and results-oriented
• Familiarity with Catalan, Spanish, and international funding landscapes
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills

Employment details:

• One-year contract, renewable based on performance and funding
• Gross annual salary: approximately €29,000
• Social security and public healthcare benefits included
• Starting date: October or November 2024
• Location: Faculty of Physics, University of Barcelona

The ICCUB is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. Applicants from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The position will be located at Faculty of Physics of the University of Barcelona.

Application procedure:

Applicants should submit a full Curriculum Vitae including contact details of two references and a cover letter with the reference “Post-Award Research Manager.” to the following email address: jobs@icc.ub.edu

Deadline:

Applications should be submitted before November 19th.

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB), a Maria de Maeztu Unit of Excellence, is seeking outstanding established researchers interested in applying for an ICREA Senior Call position due to open in January 2025. The ICCUB is interested in being the host institution  endorsing potential  ICREA candidates whose research interests align with ICCUB’s.   

The ICREA program:

The Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA) offers permanent positions in the Catalan research system for senior researchers. Selected candidates are appointed as ICREA Research Professors, equivalent to tenure, and become ICREA employees. These positions are highly competitive and are based on scientific excellence and leadership.

ICREA professors are then  based at and carry out their work in a host institution: a  research or higher education institution in Catalonia. 

ICREA Research Professors are expected to make substantial contributions to their fields and have a significant impact on the Catalan research community. 

Requirements:

The call is open to scholars, Ph.D. degree obtained preferably before 2021 worldwide who, as of March 5th, 2023 (to be confirmed), were not yet holding a permanent position in the Catalan research system. 

The selection process for ICREA senior positions is based on peer evaluation, with scientific excellence and leadership as the sole criteria. ICREA is looking for candidates in an expansive phase of their academic career, with an outstanding and demonstrated research record and scientific leadership [Guide here], preferably with international trajectory. Applications from female candidates are especially welcome. 

The ICREA application requires the endorsement of at least one  eligible host institution.

ICREA positions are not compatible with permanent positions outside the Catalan research system (not even part-time).

Employment conditions:

Successful applicants will be offered a permanent contract with ICREA to work at

universities or research centres in Catalonia. Salaries are in line with those of Full

Professors at Public Catalan Universities. In addition, successful applicants will receive temporary financial support in the form of a start-up package of discretionary funds.

ICREA Research Professors are subject to an evaluation of their research progress and

general performance (promotion) at regular intervals throughout their career. Positive evaluations lead to salary increases. 

How to Apply:

To start the process to obtain the ICCUB endorsement for an ICREA application, potential applicants are requested to submit a CV and the name of a scientific contact point (list of ICCUB Professors) by email to jobs@icc.ub.edu (please indicate ICREA2024 in the email subject). Applications received by October 15th 2024 will receive full consideration, but the search will continue until the call opens.

An ad-hoc selection committee will evaluate all candidacies and invite potential candidates for a visit  before offering support for the ICREA application and endorsement.

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB) at the University of Barcelona is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to fundamental research in cosmology, astrophysics, particle physics, quantum physics, and nuclear physics. The ICCUB is involved in international collaborations in all these areas and aims to exploit the connections and synergies between them from theoretical, observational, and experimental perspectives. Additionally, the institute has a strong technology transfer and knowledge dissemination program linked to these research areas. 

Embedded within the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB enhances and complements UB's mission in excellent and high-impact interdisciplinary research, talent attraction, training, technology transfer, and social impact, all with a global and international perspective. The institute has been awarded the Maria de Maeztu Excellence Award twice.

The ICCUB provides a stimulating and inclusive intellectual environment, encouraging strategic participation in international collaborations and fostering energies and partnerships among researchers and the local scientific and technological community. It is structured into various research lines, each led by experts and highly qualified research teams. These lines cover diverse topics such as cosmology and large-scale structure, high-energy experimental physics, galaxy structure and evolution, gravitational wave sources, theory, nuclear physics, and high-energy astrophysics, among others. The institute also houses an Advanced Technology Unit supporting experimental research requiring cutting-edge technology. 

In addition to cutting-edge research, ICCUB's activities include graduate student training, technology and knowledge transfer to society, and a scientific outreach program. Detailed information about their activities can be found on their website, https://icc.ub.edu/. They also offer a wealth of material for learning about their science on Serviastro, their astrophysics outreach website at https://serviastro.ub.edu/es, and Serviparticulas, their particle and nuclear physics outreach website at https://serviparticules.ub.edu/en.

ICREA professors currently at ICCUB are:

• Frédéric Courbin
• Roberto Emparan
• Jordi Miralda-Escudé
• Mark Gieles
• Maria Concepción González García
• Kazushi Iwasawa
• Raúl Jiménez
• Jorge Russo
• David Mateos
• Licia Verde

“La Caixa” Foundation is launching a postdoctoral fellowships program in which candidates will be able to conduct a research project at accredited centres with the Severo Ochoa or María de Maeztu excellence award, Institutos de Investigación Sanitaria Carlos III and units evaluated as excellent by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia of Portugal.

The Gaia group at the ICCUB offers a Cloud Engineer position at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB) of the University of Barcelona in the project SPACIOUS, funded by Horizon Europe. The engineer will be part of the Gaia-UB group (https://gaia.ub.edu/) with about 25 scientists and engineers of the Gaia mission.

The SPACIOUS project aims to boost the scientific exploitation of ESA missions’ data by developing a computational framework for astrophysical research that requires Big Data and Data Mining technologies to be addressed, with special focus on the Gaia and Euclid missions.

The position offered will be devoted, on one hand, to contribute to the definition and implementation of a virtualized data mining environment for massive datasets such as the Gaia data releases or the forthcoming Euclid ones, in collaboration with project partners such as the University of Edinburgh or the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. On the other hand, it will work on the definition and deployment of the data mining environment in a commercial cloud service, such as Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services, aiming at running there large-scale proof-of-concept tests (or “scientific challenges”) on real mission data. The position will also provide technical support to test users.

Applicants must hold a higher education degree, by the time the contract starts, related to computer engineering or physics-related fields. We will strongly value knowledge and experience in virtualization and containerisation (such as Docker and Kubernetes), cloud computing platforms (either private, educational, research or commercial), Big Data techniques and data mining frameworks (such as Apache Hadoop, Spark or Kafka). Good English language skills. Experience with the preparation of scientific documentation. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
 

Employment conditions:

The position is offered for 2.5 years. The contract is expected to begin around July 2024.

Gross salary per year: 33.545,30 €. This includes social security and public healthcare benefits, covering spouse and children.

Offer starting date: 1 October 2024

Additional Information

Eligibility criteria

The selection is carried out by means of an evaluation of curriculum vitae and letter of motivation including experience and interests (10). 

The minimum score to pass is five (5) points. The assessment criteria are as follows: 

• Suitability of the candidate to the main function to be carried out. 
• Curricular experience 
• Professional knowledge and skills 

The tribunal, in its constitutive session, assesses the CVs of the candidates presented.

Selection process

A resolution of adjudication is issued to the person who, having passed the selection procedure, obtains the highest score and publishes the prioritised list of applicants who have passed the selection process.

Additional comments

Duration of the contract of employment: 12 months, renewable up to 31/12/2026.

The candidate proposed for hiring must accept the job offer within 5 working days from the date of notification of the selection. 

Priority will be given to people with disabilities (Law 89/2015 of June 2, reserve of quota 2% in favour of people with disabilities in companies of 50 or more people).

Be aware that the starting date sets in this offer is an estimate date. The official starting date will depend on the bureaucratic time that will take the preparation of the labour contract and presentation of the necessary documents to be hired by the selected candidate.

For additional information regards this offer, please, contact: Dr. Lola Balaguer: lbalaguer@fqa.ub.edu 

Applicants should provide:

● curriculum vitae
● letter of motivation including experience and interests (2 pages max).

Applications should be done using this link before September 9th, 2024.

Inquiries about the application submission can be directed to Lola Balaguer (lbalaguer@fqa.ub.edu).
For inquiries about the scientific or technical aspects, please contact Xavier Luri (xluri@fqa.ub.edu).

About the Institute of Cosmos Sciences:

Relevant to the offered position, researchers of the institute have broad interests, including galactic dynamics, open and globular clusters, stellar physics, star formation, models of galaxy formation and evolution, the Large Magellanic Clouds, computational astrophysics, data analysis, cloud computing.
The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is a research institute of the University of Barcelona. It is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.

As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.
The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2022: one with near- perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colorful neighborhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and
has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.

SPACIOUS is a Horizon Europe HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-71 project funded under grant agreement no. 101135205

A PhD position in Cosmology at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB, http://icc.ub.edu) is open under the supervision of Dr. Adrià Gómez-Valent. Some possible research directions include theoretical and phenomenological aspects of the cosmological tensions, physics beyond LambdaCDM (dark energy, modified gravity), model-independent tests of the standard cosmological model, etc.

Applicants should possess a Master's Degree in Physics or anticipate completing it by September 2024. Prospective candidates must have completed coursework in both General Relativity and Cosmology. Good programming skills are also regarded favorably.

Applicants should submit a single pdf file with their CV (including the university degree’s transcripts) and a statement of purpose (one page with past achievements and research interests) to this form. In addition, the referees will be contacted once the application is submitted before May 31, 2024.

The application deadline is in midnight CET on May 31st, 2024. A decision will be made by the first half of June 2024. The starting date is negotiable, but it is expected to be in the Fall 2024.

This PhD project will be partially funded (up to two years) by “la Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434) and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 847648, with fellowship code LCF/BQ/PI21/11830027. The succesful applicant will apply for local and national grants to cover the remaining part of their PhD. The gross salary will be of about 1200 euros. The position has also funds for traveling.

Contact: Dr. Adrià Gómez-Valent (agomezvalent@icc.ub.edu)

About the Institute of Cosmos Sciences:

Relevant to the offered position, researchers of the institute have broad interests, including galactic dynamics, open and globular clusters, stellar physics, star formation, models of galaxy formation and evolution, the Large Magellanic Clouds, computational astrophysics, data
analysis, cloud computing.
The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is a research institute of the University of Barcelona. It is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.

As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2022: one with near- perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic  parks, striking architecture and colorful neighborhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.

The Gaia group at the ICCUB offers a postdoctoral position at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB) of the University of Barcelona in the project SPACIOUS, funded by Horizon Europe. The postdoc will be part of the Gaia-UB group (https://gaia.ub.edu/) with about 25 scientists and engineers of the Gaia mission.

The SPACIOUS project aims to boost the scientific exploitation of ESA mission data by developing a computational framework for astrophysical research that requires Big Data and Data Mining technologies to be addressed, with special focus on the Gaia and Euclid missions.

The position offered will be devoted, on the one hand, to the definition of scientific requirements for the framework, selection and preparation of the datasets to be used and scientific guidance for the technical development. On the other hand, it will supervise and manage the execution of several “scientific challenges” included in the project; these challenges are key scientific projects requiring the use of large datasets that will be executed in the developed framework, becoming both test cases and a demonstration of performance. The position will also act as contact point and supervisor of the users of the system.

We will value previous work in the Gaia and/or Euclid missions; on the technical side, we require experience in programming and in astrophysical applications of data mining and big data techniques. We will also value experience in the use of Commercial Cloud resources and the management of software development projects.

Employment conditions:

The position is offered for 2.5 years. The contract is expected to begin around July 2024. Gross annual salary is about 30.000€, depending on the experience. This includes social security and public healthcare benefits, covering spouse and children.

Applicants should provide:

• curriculum vitae
• list of publications
• letter of motivation including research experience and interests (2 pages max).

Applications should be done using this link before April 21st, 2024.

Inquiries about the application submission can be directed to Lola Balaguer (lbalaguer@fqa.ub.edu).
For inquiries about the scientific aspects, please contact Xavier Luri (xluri@fqa.ub.edu).

About the Institute of Cosmos Sciences:

Relevant to the offered position, researchers of the institute have broad interests, including galactic dynamics, open and globular clusters, stellar physics, star formation, models of galaxy formation and evolution, the Large Magellanic Clouds, computational astrophysics, data
analysis, cloud computing.
The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is a research institute of the University of Barcelona. It is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.

As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2022: one with near- perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic  parks, striking architecture and colorful neighborhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and
has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.

SPACIOUS is a Horizon Europe HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-71 project funded under grant agreement no. 101135205

We are offering a 3-year (1 year renewable) post-doctoral position in time-domain astronomy at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences at the University of Barcelona (ICCUB), Spain. The postdoctoral researcher will join the research group led by Prof. Nadejda Blagorodnova, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) Project CET-3PO.
The successful candidate will focus on the study of stellar merger transients and their remnants in the NIR and mid-IR wavelengths. To this end, the postdoctoral researcher will lead targeted follow-up campaigns with ground-based and space-based (HST, JWST) facilities, and analyse the observational data with dust radiation transfer codes (e.g. DUSTY, RADMC-3D, DAMOCLES) to derive the formation timescales, composition and mass of dust formed in the remnants. The researcher will also have privileged access to data and observational facilities available to the BlackGEM survey consortium and will be involved in the large international collaborations of Transients and Variable Stars Science (LSST), and ZTF.
Applicants must hold a PhD in Physics, Astrophysics, or related fields by the time the contract starts. Previous experience in binary evolution, observational time-domain astronomy, large transient surveys, and modelling of infrared data will be regarded as a plus, as well as the motivation to learn new skills and work independently.
Positions can start as early as September 2024, but no later than November 2023. The gross annual salary will be 40k€, with included social security and public healthcare benefits, covering spouse and children. A generous research and travel allowance is also provided.
Applications should be done using this link before 15 th of March 2024, and include cover letter, CV, publication list, statement of research interests (max 2 pages), and the details of at least two referees.
We regard diversity as an asset within a team, and welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position on strong and milli gravitational lensing to constrain Dark Matter substructures.

The position is joint between the University of Barcelona and MPA Garching, first with 2 years in Barcelona with F. Courbin followed by up to 2 years at MPA with S. Vegetti, depending on performances and funding. Although the contract is initially for Barcelona, the work will be done jointly with MPA from the beginning.

The successful candidate(s) will work on the nature of dark matter through its impact on the formation of structures in lens galaxies and along their line of sight. A background in gravitational lensing is highly desired. Skills in machine learning, inverse problems, data reduction will be seen as a plus. The candidate will work on HST, JWST and VLT-AO data and/or on lens modeling techniques and lens simulations.

Both F. Courbin and S. Vegetti are deeply involved in the ESA Euclid satellite mission, as will be the successful applicant.

Applicants should submit a CV, publication list, and a research statement, via filling out this link. The candidates should also provide the email addresses of three contacts who can submit a supporting letter of reference. These will be contacted once the application is submitted before March 10, 2024. The ideal start of the contract is 1 June 2024 to allow for optimal use of funds.

About the Institute of Cosmos Sciences

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is a research institute of the University of Barcelona. It is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.

As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2021: one with near-perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colorful neighborhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) invites applications for a postdoctoral position in the group of Dr. Pablo Bueno. The position will be funded by the “Consolidación Investigadora 2023” program of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the “Quantum field theory from entanglement” project. 

The term of employment is for 2 years (1+1 subject to performance and availability of funds) and the starting date may be as early as April or May 2024.  Candidates must have completed a Ph.D. by the time the position starts.

The candidates should apply online by filling out this link. The complete application consists of a cover letter, CV, and statement of past/future research and interests. The candidates should also provide the email addresses of three contacts who can submit a supporting letter of reference. These will be contacted automatically once the application is submitted.

The application deadline is February 8th.

Inquiries about the application submission can be directed to Esther Pallarés, secretaria@icc.ub.edu. For inquiries about scientific aspects, please contact Pablo Bueno, pablobueno@fqa.ub.edu.

About the Institute of Cosmos Sciences

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is a research institute of the University of Barcelona. It is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.

As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2021: one with near-perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colorful neighborhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.

The doctoral fellowship programme INPhINIT ”la Caixa” is devoted to attracting talented Early-Stage Researchers—of any nationality—who wish to pursue doctoral studies in Spanish or Portuguese territory. Sponsored by ”la Caixa” Foundation, it is aimed at supporting the best scientific talent and fostering innovative and high-quality research in Spain and Portugal by recruiting outstanding international students and offering them an attractive and competitive environment for conducting research of excellence.

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona is a research centre accredited with the Spanish Seal of Excellence María de Maeztu in 2020, the perfect place to carry out your PhD project through an INPhINIT Incoming fellowship.

Research Project:

The stars in our Milky Way (MW) only constitute about 6% of the total mass in the Galaxy. The rest of this mass is invisible to us, the so-called dark matter (DM) and distributed in a halo that surrounds the Galaxy. In the current LCDM model galaxies grow hierarchically through mergers of smaller units into large ones. The recent Gaia satellite has revealed that our Galaxy underwent a massive merger event 10 Gyr ago with the Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus (GSE) galaxy and that the disc is currently reacting to recent perturbations whose origins are still highly debated. When satellite galaxies merge into bigger ones, they generate gravitational density wakes as they orbit within the DM haloes of their hosts, causing their orbits to decay over time.
Wakes have been noted to be important to understand the interaction of both the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Sgr with the MW (and likely the GSE). However, little is known about the dynamics of wakes: How long do these last (in the stellar halo, in the MW disc)?
How do they affect large/small scale dynamics of Galactic discs? What is their role in setting the structure of the Galaxy versus that of the self-gravity in discs? This nonlinear problem can only be tracked with numerical tools.
This project will be carried out with the Near Field Cosmology group led by Dr. Laporte (currently 2 postdocs and a PI) with funding from an ERC grant who develop numerical simulations to understand the accretion history of the MW and its impact on its formation, and with the Gaia group of the ICCUB. The GaiaUB team (4 staff, 8 postdocs, 4 PhD, and 8 engineers) has a leading role in Gaia at the highest
technological, scientific and management levels, as well as in the scientific and technical building of WEAVE, and performs research in Galactic fields including dynamics, open clusters and the LMCs. We have weekly science group meetings and a weekly journal club.

Job position description

More information:

Employment conditions 

The ”la Caixa” Foundation will sign an agreement with the host institution, which will receive the fellowship payments directly: 

• An annual payment of €35,800 to the institution to cover the Fellow’s contract, who will receive a minimum annual gross salary of €25.000. This amount might vary if there are modifications in the legal framework.
• €3,500 per year, as an additional amount for conferences, courses, research stays, consumables, equipment, charges for the use of intellectual property, etc.
• The tuition fees to the official doctoral programme 

In addition to financial support, the fellowship includes a training programme on transversal skills, which has been specially designed by leading international institutions in the sector. 

For more information on the employment conditions, please refer to this document.

Working at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is a research institute of the University of Barcelona. It is an interdisciplinary centre dedicated to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.

Moreover, the ICCUB participates in many key international scientific consortia and projects, such as the Large Hadron Collider, the Gaia astrometric space mission, the MAGIC / CTA high-energy astrophysics telescopes, and the Virgo gravitational wave detector, among others. Additional information about the Institute and the University of Barcelona can be found here.

You will be encouraged to contribute and interact with other researchers in the vibrant and international research environment as well as to participate in our outreach initiatives, more information at serviAstro and serviParticules.

As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities in physical sciences to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2021: one with near-perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colourful neighbourhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.

Requirements

In order to be accepted, candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Experience: candidates must not have carried out more than four years of research activity before the closing date of the call.
• Studies pursued: Applicants must hold a higher education degree that makes them eligible to enroll in a doctoral programme before starting at their host institutions.

The host university will verify, upon starting the admission process to the doctoral programme, that the studies taken up by the selected candidates make them eligible to enroll in an official doctoral programme in accordance with the regulations in force in Spain or Portugal. Should they be found not eligible after verification, the fellowship will be withdrawn. 

Under no circumstances may candidates have previously enrolled in the same doctoral studies for which they are applying for the fellowship.

• Geographic mobility: Candidates must not have resided or have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call deadline. Short stays, such as holidays, done in a country other than their country of usual residence (where they carried out their main activity), will be considered as time spent in their country of usual residence.
• Level of English: Candidates must have a demonstrable level of English (B2 or higher).

For more information on the candidates requirements, please refer to this document.

Application Procedure

All applications must be submitted online through the following link in English. For more information on the application procedure, please refer to this document.

Deadline: Please submit your applications by January 24th 2024 at 2 pm. 

Selection process:

The process is comprised of three phases:

• Eligibility screening: all applications received are reviewed to check the accomplishment of the eligibility criteria published in the rules for participation
• Remote evaluation (shortlisting): an evaluation panel will review the applications and those that receive the highest scores will pass to the next stage.
• Personal interviews: shortlisted candidates are invited to a remotely interview before a multidisciplinary committee on May 27, 28 and 29 2024.

The rating criteria that govern the selection process can be found in the Selection process guidelines section of the ”la Caixa” Fellowship Programme website.

For more information on the selection process, please refer to this document.

Funding: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No713673.

The co-funded part of the programme runs from 01/10/2016 to 30/09/2021 and finances the researchers recruited under Call 2017 and 2018.

The doctoral fellowship programme INPhINIT ”la Caixa” is devoted to attracting talented Early-Stage Researchers—of any nationality—who wish to pursue doctoral studies in Spanish or Portuguese territory. Sponsored by ”la Caixa” Foundation, it is aimed at supporting the best scientific talent and fostering innovative and high-quality research in Spain and Portugal by recruiting outstanding international students and offering them an attractive and competitive environment for conducting research of excellence.

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona is a research centre accredited with the Spanish Seal of Excellence María de Maeztu in 2020, the perfect place to carry out your PhD project through an INPhINIT Incoming fellowship.

Research Project:

The ICCUB Physical Cosmology group has been studying connections between theory and observations - via interpretation of data - since 2007. Our main research interest is making the link between cosmological observations and theoretical physics beyond the standard cosmological model, hoping to shed some light on the “open questions” in cosmology, whose members of the group have actively contributed to. These are questions such as,  what are the properties of dark matter, what is dark energy, which is the mass of the neutrinos or whether there is new physics beyond the standard model of cosmology. Our collective expertise ranges from galaxy evolution to inflation model building, but our main strengths are in analysis and interpretation of large-scale structure surveys. Members of the group are involved in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and in the Euclid consortium. These highly international collaborations aim to survey massive areas of the sky in order to generate the largest 3D galaxy maps. Exploiting the statistical properties of these maps we can infer the underlying physics of the Universe. In particular DESI is expected to produce data on a timescale shorter than the studentship offering a unique opportunity to exploit this data. The student will join the research group led by Dr. Licia Verde, Dr. Hector Gil-Marin, world experts in physical cosmology, and will have the chance to become member of international collaborations such as DESI and Euclid.  The student will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other universities which the group has tight links, including the University of Padova, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris and Imperial College in London. The group offers a diverse and vibrant learning and research environment. 

Job position description:

More information:

Employment conditions 

The ”la Caixa” Foundation will sign an agreement with the host institution, which will receive the fellowship payments directly: 

• An annual payment of €35,800 to the institution to cover the Fellow’s contract, who will receive a minimum annual gross salary of €25.000. This amount might vary if there are modifications in the legal framework.
• €3,500 per year, as an additional amount for conferences, courses, research stays, consumables, equipment, charges for the use of intellectual property, etc.
• The tuition fees to the official doctoral programme 

In addition to financial support, the fellowship includes a training programme on transversal skills, which has been specially designed by leading international institutions in the sector. 

For more information on the employment conditions, please refer to this document.

Working at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is a research institute of the University of Barcelona. It is an interdisciplinary centre dedicated to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.

Moreover, the ICCUB participates in many key international scientific consortia and projects, such as the Large Hadron Collider, the Gaia astrometric space mission, the MAGIC / CTA high-energy astrophysics telescopes, and the Virgo gravitational wave detector, among others. Additional information about the Institute and the University of Barcelona can be found here.

You will be encouraged to contribute and interact with other researchers in the vibrant and international research environment as well as to participate in our outreach initiatives, more information at serviAstro and serviParticules.

As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities in physical sciences to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2021: one with near-perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colourful neighbourhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.

Requirements

In order to be accepted, candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Experience: candidates must not have carried out more than four years of research activity before the closing date of the call.
• Studies pursued: Applicants must hold a higher education degree that makes them eligible to enroll in a doctoral programme before starting at their host institutions.

The host university will verify, upon starting the admission process to the doctoral programme, that the studies taken up by the selected candidates make them eligible to enroll in an official doctoral programme in accordance with the regulations in force in Spain or Portugal. Should they be found not eligible after verification, the fellowship will be withdrawn. 

Under no circumstances may candidates have previously enrolled in the same doctoral studies for which they are applying for the fellowship.

• Geographic mobility: Candidates must not have resided or have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call deadline. Short stays, such as holidays, done in a country other than their country of usual residence (where they carried out their main activity), will be considered as time spent in their country of usual residence.
• Level of English: Candidates must have a demonstrable level of English (B2 or higher).

For more information on the candidates requirements, please refer to this document.

Application Procedure

All applications must be submitted online through the following link in English. For more information on the application procedure, please refer to this document.

Deadline: Please submit your applications by January 24th 2024 at 2 pm. 

Selection process:

The process is comprised of three phases:

• Eligibility screening: all applications received are reviewed to check the accomplishment of the eligibility criteria published in the rules for participation
• Remote evaluation (shortlisting): an evaluation panel will review the applications and those that receive the highest scores will pass to the next stage.
• Personal interviews: shortlisted candidates are invited to a remotely interview before a multidisciplinary committee on May 27, 28 and 29 2024.

The rating criteria that govern the selection process can be found in the Selection process guidelines section of the ”la Caixa” Fellowship Programme website.

For more information on the selection process, please refer to this document.

Funding: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No713673.

The co-funded part of the programme runs from 01/10/2016 to 30/09/2021 and finances the researchers recruited under Call 2017 and 2018.

The doctoral fellowship programme INPhINIT ”la Caixa” is devoted to attracting talented Early-Stage Researchers—of any nationality—who wish to pursue doctoral studies in Spanish or Portuguese territory. Sponsored by ”la Caixa” Foundation, it is aimed at supporting the best scientific talent and fostering innovative and high-quality research in Spain and Portugal by recruiting outstanding international students and offering them an attractive and competitive environment for conducting research of excellence.

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona is a research centre accredited with the Spanish Seal of Excellence María de Maeztu in 2020, the perfect place to carry out your PhD project through an INPhINIT Incoming fellowship.

Research Project:

The proposed research topic, in the exciting area of quantum technology, is on dense atomic arrays where interference between radiated photons gives rise to collective spontaneous emission, such as in the well known phenomenon of super-radiance, a very different situation from the typical dilute atomic ensemble where atoms emit incoherently. The ability to control atom-light interactions is a cornerstone in fundamental physics and applications, ranging from precision measurement to quantum information processing, and this project will bring advances in these exciting developments. The novel quantum many-body phenomena to be investigated, with no analogue in traditional condensed-matter physics, arise from
light-induced correlations between atoms in an array.

Proposed goals include devising protocols to harness new effects in dense atomic arrays, with special focus on the interplay between external (center-of-mass motion) and internal (spin) atomic degrees of freedom leading to novel quantum many-body phenomena, such as self-organisation and crystals of entangled atoms and light. These states can be useful for quantum applications (e.g. quantum metrology). New numerical tools to tackle these systems that are not hindered by the exponential growth of the Hilbert space with system size can also be developed, including variational neural networks describing the density matrix of an open system, or tensor networks efficiently describing one-dimensional quantum systems.

The project will be carried out in the Quantum Technologies group at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences (University of Barcelona). The thesis advisor, M. Moreno-Cardoner, is an expert on atom-light interactions and collective phenomena in dense atomic arrays, and is working at the forefront of the research in this area. The student will also interact with many other experts and researchers in quantum technology at the ICCUB, including professors M.Guilleumas, B.Julià-Diaz and A. Rios.

Job position description:

More information:

Employment conditions 

The ”la Caixa” Foundation will sign an agreement with the host institution, which will receive the fellowship payments directly: 

• An annual payment of €35,800 to the institution to cover the Fellow’s contract, who will receive a minimum annual gross salary of €25.000. This amount might vary if there are modifications in the legal framework.
• €3,500 per year, as an additional amount for conferences, courses, research stays, consumables, equipment, charges for the use of intellectual property, etc.
• The tuition fees to the official doctoral programme 

In addition to financial support, the fellowship includes a training programme on transversal skills, which has been specially designed by leading international institutions in the sector. 

For more information on the employment conditions, please refer to this document.

Working at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is a research institute of the University of Barcelona. It is an interdisciplinary centre dedicated to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.

Moreover, the ICCUB participates in many key international scientific consortia and projects, such as the Large Hadron Collider, the Gaia astrometric space mission, the MAGIC / CTA high-energy astrophysics telescopes, and the Virgo gravitational wave detector, among others. Additional information about the Institute and the University of Barcelona can be found here.

You will be encouraged to contribute and interact with other researchers in the vibrant and international research environment as well as to participate in our outreach initiatives, more information at serviAstro and serviParticules.

As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities in physical sciences to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2021: one with near-perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colourful neighbourhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.

Requirements

In order to be accepted, candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Experience: candidates must not have carried out more than four years of research activity before the closing date of the call.
• Studies pursued: Applicants must hold a higher education degree that makes them eligible to enroll in a doctoral programme before starting at their host institutions.

The host university will verify, upon starting the admission process to the doctoral programme, that the studies taken up by the selected candidates make them eligible to enroll in an official doctoral programme in accordance with the regulations in force in Spain or Portugal. Should they be found not eligible after verification, the fellowship will be withdrawn. 

Under no circumstances may candidates have previously enrolled in the same doctoral studies for which they are applying for the fellowship.

• Geographic mobility: Candidates must not have resided or have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call deadline. Short stays, such as holidays, done in a country other than their country of usual residence (where they carried out their main activity), will be considered as time spent in their country of usual residence.
• Level of English: Candidates must have a demonstrable level of English (B2 or higher).

For more information on the candidates requirements, please refer to this document.

Application Procedure

All applications must be submitted online through the following link in English. For more information on the application procedure, please refer to this document.

Deadline: Please submit your applications by January 24th 2024 at 2 pm. 

Selection process:

The process is comprised of three phases:

• Eligibility screening: all applications received are reviewed to check the accomplishment of the eligibility criteria published in the rules for participation
• Remote evaluation (shortlisting): an evaluation panel will review the applications and those that receive the highest scores will pass to the next stage.
• Personal interviews: shortlisted candidates are invited to a remotely interview before a multidisciplinary committee on May 27, 28 and 29 2024.

The rating criteria that govern the selection process can be found in the Selection process guidelines section of the ”la Caixa” Fellowship Programme website.

For more information on the selection process, please refer to this document.

Funding: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No713673.

The co-funded part of the programme runs from 01/10/2016 to 30/09/2021 and finances the researchers recruited under Call 2017 and 2018.

Unveiling the nature of these dark sector components represents the next frontier in fundamental physics. The next-generation galaxy surveys, such as DESI will play a crucial role. 

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) will collect optical spectra for tens of millions of galaxies and quasars to  create  the largest 3D map of the evolved Universe spanning the last 11 billion light years. Exploiting the statistical properties of this map, we can infer the underlying physics of the Universe.  DESI has already started collecting spectra in 2020 and is expected to continue to do so for another 4 years at least. Several intermediate data releases and publication of cosmological results are expected.  In particular DESI is expected to produce data on a timescale shorter than the studentship offering a unique opportunity to exploit this data. The student will have access to these non-public datasets to develop their research in some of the following topics:  better understanding the properties of General Relativity at cosmic scales, unveiling the properties of dark energy, measuring the growth of cosmic structure, detecting a neutrino mass signature, or detecting a primordial cosmological perturbations signature. The research on any of these areas is expected to have a massive impact along this decade and will contribute to answering the big open puzzles introduced above.

The student will join the research group led by Dr. Licia Verde, Dr. Hector Gil-Marin,  and  will work alongside the rest of the team to develop the appropriate techniques to be applied to DESI data to perform any of the research topics mentioned above. The student will have the opportunity to  be fully involved with the cosmological interpretation and publication of the results.

Description of the group:

The ICCUB Physical Cosmology group has been studying connections between theory and observations - via interpretation of data - since 2007. Our main research interest is making the link between cosmological observations and theoretical physics beyond the standard cosmological model, hoping to shed some light on the “open questions” in cosmology, whose members of the group have actively contributed to. These are questions such as,  what are the properties of dark matter, what is dark energy, which is the mass of the neutrinos or whether there is new physics beyond the standard model of cosmology. Our collective expertise ranges from galaxy evolution to inflation model building, but our main strengths are in analysis and interpretation of large-scale structure surveys. Members of the group are involved in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI).  The group offers a diverse and vibrant learning and research environment. 

Description of the members of the group.

Liciaverde.icc.ub.edu

https://www.ub.edu/bispectrum

Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument

https://www.desi.lbl.gov/

Requirements:

·         Who can apply?

Applicants may be all those who are enrolled or admitted to a doctoral program at the University of Barcelona for the 2023/2024 academic year, at the time of the application submission. Applicants may also be all those people who, even though at the time of the application submission are not enrolled or admitted to a doctoral program, they will be on the date the contract is formalized.

Applications must be submitted online through this link. The complete application consists of a research statement, a curriculum vitae including publications and grade transcripts. The candidates should also provide the email addresses of at least two contacts who can submit a supporting letter of reference. These will be contacted automatically once the application is submitted. 

Employment conditions:

·         Which is the salary?

The minimum salary compensation that researchers in training must receive will be around 17.700 euros gross per year for each of the first two years, 19.000 for the third year and 23.700 for the fourth year.

You will also get an additional funding of 6.860€ that you will be able to spend on tuition or research visits, for example.

·         What is the duration of the contract?

A maximum of four years.

More information here

Contract funded by PID2022-141125NB-I00, Cosmología precisa y las leyes de la naturaleza

About the Institute of Cosmos Sciences:

The ICCUB is an interdisciplinary center with more than 60 long term scientists, 20 engineers and 80 postdoctoral researchers (55% international) and PhD students (30%international) offering an international and multicultural environment. The ICCUB also hosts a vibrant fundamental research program in cosmology, astrophysics and particle physics, with a strong technology unit supporting our participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.

As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities in physical sciences to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2021: one with near-perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colourful neighbourhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.

The physical cosmology group at ICC (Institute of Cosmos Sciences) of the University of Barcelona is seeking committed postdoctoral candidates enthusiastic to work in cosmology with large-scale galaxy surveys and in the areas related to the research being carried out by the group. We are looking for researchers with a strong background in cosmology and in the analysis of large-scale structure surveys, but exceptional candidates in other areas will also be considered.

Applicants must have a PhD in Astronomy, Astrophysics or Physics, or have fulfilled all the requirements for a PhD by the time the contract starts. The successful candidate will work with Prof. Licia Verde, Dr. Hector Gil-Marin and the group on the interpretation of state-of-the-art and forthcoming cosmological data. Experience with cosmology, analysis of large datasets, high-order statistics, application of statistics within the cosmological context and familiarity with coding is highly desirable. Familiarity with high-performance computing is a welcome plus. Members of the group are involved in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to join the collaboration.

The physical cosmology group of ICC consists of 3 faculty, 1 post-doc, 5 PhD students and 1 master student, and plays a leading role in the analysis of DESI year-1 data release. 

The appointment will be guaranteed for 2 years, with a potential additional year depending on performance and availability of funding.

The candidates should apply online by filling out this link. The complete application consists of a cover letter (optional), curriculum vitae including publications, past research statement (max 2p), and research proposal (max 3p) describing their research interests and how they match the research being conducted at the ICC. The candidates should also provide the email addresses of three contacts who can submit a supporting letter of reference. These will be contacted automatically once the application is submitted. 

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled with consideration guaranteed to all applications received by Dec, 31st, 2023. The position is expected to begin in the fall of 2024, but an earlier starting date is negotiable. Informal scientific inquiries can be directed to Prof. Licia Verde (liciaverde@icc.ub.edu) or Dr. Hector Gil-Marin (hectorgil@icc.ub.edu). Administrative inquiries can be directed to secreteria@icc.ub.edu.

The ICC is a worldwide-recognized interdisciplinary centre devoted to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.  The ICC is one of the few Spanish research institutes awarded with the Maria de Maeztu seal of distinction for excellence in research and provides a dynamic and stimulating environment for young researchers. The ICC is actively committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion of our members and visitors, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs or disability. Researchers from groups that are typically underrepresented in the labour market in general, and in Science and Engineering in particular, such as women, minorities, or people with a disability, are particularly encouraged to apply.

The position includes social benefits such as social security, and national healthcare paid by the employer (with employee contribution through standard taxes) see e.g., https://www.expatica.com/es/living/gov-law-admin/spain-social-security-565081

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) invites applications for a postdoctoral position in the research group of Prof. Chervin Laporte. We are currently offering a position in computational galaxy formation and dynamics to work on the formation of the Milky Way.  Candidates with strong expertise/interests in modelling non-equilibrium galactic dynamics, basis function expansion methods, dark matter (including substructure) on Galactic scales and the formation of Milky Way-like galaxies and dwarf galaxies are strongly encouraged to apply. Strong numerical skills (C/C++, MPI) are highly sought.

They will also have the opportunity to be involved in the scientific exploitation of the Gaia mission, WEAVE as well as joining the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-V) international collaborative networks and supervising students (should they wish to do so). The ICCUB offers a stimulating environment with scientific staff working on a variety of topics from cosmology, extragalactic and Galactic astronomy to star formation and gravitational wave detection. The term of employment is for 3 years (subject to performance and availability of funds). The position is funded by an ERC starting grant and comes with special dedicated access to in-house HPC facilities and generous travel support. Candidates should have completed their PhD within the last six years and be in possession of their PhD degree by the starting date of employment.

ICCUB offers and promotes a diverse and inclusive environment and welcomes applicants regardless of age, disability, gender, nationality, race, religion or sexual orientation (for additional information please see the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call or email secretaria@icc.ub.edu with

their request.

Candidates should submit a cover letter, CV (stating 3 reference writers), statement of past/future research and interests, have 3 letters of references sent to chervin.laporte@icc.ub.edu by the deadline 23rd December 2023. 

Gross salary per year : About 35.000 

Please apply here: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/167416 

Functions

Functions

Participation requirements and selection criteria

Contact and deadline

Selection procedure

The purpose of this call is the selection process for a candidate to fill a position as a junior engineer assigned to the PhotSat project at the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia.

PhotSat is a nanosaltellite mission: a 12U CubeSat that will scan the sky and obtain photometry (measurement of photons) of bright stars. With two small telescopes developed at the IEEC, PhotSat will observe stars in visible and ultraviolet light while detecting and alerting possible supernovae. With an agile development plan, the satellite is expected to be launched in late 2025.

The IEEC seeks to hire a person to contribute to the design and implementation of a comprehensive system for the management, monitoring, storage, processing, and publication of photometric data received from PhotSat. This also includes the development of the necessary framework for the integration and publication of astrophysical alerts generated both on board (rapid) and on ground (slower) using the algorithms developed by scientific teams from the IEEC and the ICCUB. On-board alerts will be disseminated to other observatories via satellite constellations, and those detected on the ground will be disseminated through public reporting to online alert databases for later monitoring from ground-based observatories. The hired person will also contribute to creating a general data management system on the ground for PhotSat data, including a database with a simple user interface for the scientific and technical team of PhotSat. The workplace will be at the ICCUB (Barcelona).

Job description

• Jobs to be filled: 1. Engineer for data processing of the PhotSat mission
• Professional group: Group II Engineering Staff 
• Professional category:  Junior engineer
• Working hours: 37'5 hours/week
• Workplace location: ICCUB (Institute of Cosmos Sciences - University of Barcelona). Carrer de Martí i Franquès, 1, 08028 Barcelona.
• Estimated duration conditioned to the initial funding: until 30th September 2025

Functions

The tasks to which the selected candidate will contribute during their contract include the following points:

• Design and implementation of the PhotSat raw data model and the necessary software infrastructure to manage the on-ground data archive (storage system, interface and access protocols).
• Selection and deployment of the data transport technology for raw data from the ground station (or operations center) to the data file, in case it is not already provided by the main constructor or service provider.
• Design and implementation of tools ​​to access and save both PhotSat's own data and the products obtained from its processing and alerts.
• Data backup and redundancy system.
• Design and implementation of basic web tools for monitoring data traffic (accesses and transfers) and the state of the data archive (content statistics, system technical notices, etc.), as well as the database of scientific alerts generated.
• Contribute to the creation of simulated PhotSat data to test scientific algorithms for the detection of fast and slow transient sources.
• Integration of a parameterizable system for the detection of rapid alerts (10-20 min time scale) on board PhotSat, based on an implementation developed by experts from ICCUB and IEEC.
• Implementation of a system for sending rapid alerts (generated on board) for dissemination to ground-based observatories, through satellite constellations, and parametrizable to adjust its performance in orbit.
• Integration of a system for the detection of scientific alerts generated on the ground, using data received from PhotSat and algorithms developed by ICCUB and IEEC experts. The generated alerts will be distributed to ground-based observatories, similar to rapid alerts, for further follow-up.
• Implementation of a multi-level testing program for the developed infrastructure and system and its integration with other PhotSat software components.
• Preparation of the necessary documentation (reports, articles, etc.) to present the results of the research/development.

Participation requirements and selection criteria

During the selection process, the following criteria will be considered:

• Education: Bachelor´s degree in Computer Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Physics, Electronic Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• Fluency in English: Fluent spoken and written English.

During the selection process, the following merits will be assessed:

• Solid knowledge of object-oriented programming, software engineering, and design and optimization of databases.
• Previous knowledge related to astronomy and astrophysics, reduction of astronomical observations and integration in embedded architectures.
• High motivation to work in pioneering engineering.
• It will be valued to be in possession of or currently pursuing a master's degree in Computer Engineering, Physical Engineering, Telecommunications, Aerospace Engineering, Astrophysics, or a related field.
• Experience in C++ and Python programming languages.
• Experience in Linux Server and Linux Raspberry Pi/Arduino environments.
• Ability to work independently and in a multidisciplinary team. Proactivity and initiative.
• Written and verbal communication skills. Experience in the preparation of technical and scientific documentation will be valued.

In evaluating the candidate's experience, the following will be taken into account: the role or position held, the budget of the projects, the degree of complexity of the work carried out and the consortia involved. Likewise, the link with the space sector and the level of internationalization will be taken into account.

Contact and deadline

Interested idividuals who meet the established requirements can send their personal resume in PDF format, signed as certification, containing a brief description of the tasks carried out in previously held positions, to the email address: RecursosHumans@ieec . cat all indicating the reference "surnames and first name - OF_IEEC_133_2023" in the subject of the mail.

The reception of nominations will end on the day

19/12/2023

Requests that do not meet the requirements, that are not included in the foreseen cases or that are not processed in accordance with the established procedure will not be taken into account.

Selection procedure

Initially, there will be a verification of participation requirements and a study of the curriculum to assess aspects related to the position to be filled. Next, a first selection of candidates will be made based on the provided resumes.

Preselected candidates will be invited to a personal interview and/or a test to gather additional information detailed in the curriculum and assess aspects related to professional skills.

Interested persons should provide the original certificates verifying the education and work experience mentioned in the curriculum in case they are required.

The Atomic, Molecular & Nuclear Area of the University of Barcelona (http://icc.ub.edu/research/research_areas/nuclear_physics) invites applications for a postdoctoral position focused around machine learning and its application to solve the quantum many-bod problem. The candidate will work with Dr Arnau Rios in the application of neural quantum states to solve quantum many-body problems of interest across several disciplines, including nuclear theory.

The candidate is expected to:

• Advance cutting-edge knowledge on neural quantum states and/or nuclear theory.
• Develop strong programming skills and prepare open source code for scientific purposes.
• Publish research in leading scientific journals and present it in conferences.
• Work both independently and in a team environment.
• On occasion, supervise more junior research staff.

The Atomic, Molecular & Nuclear Physics Group has broad interests, including nuclear and hadronic physics (theory); quantum many-body physics; quark-gluon plasma and quantum technologies. Group members are also typically ascribed to the Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICC-UB, http://icc.ub.edu/), a Maria de Maeztu Unit of Excellence with about 180 staff working in all aspects of cosmological sciences. We acknowledge, understand, and embrace cultural and gender diversity.

Employment conditions

The position is offered for one year, renewable for another year depending on the availability of funding and performance, and it is expected to begin in early 2024. Gross annual salary includes social security and public healthcare benefits, covering spouse and children.

Application procedure and deadline:

Applicants should fill in this link  with their information and that of two referees who will provide recommendation letters for you.

After you submit this form you will receive an email with instructions on how to upload your application materials:

• Curriculum Vitae, including an up-to-date publication list
• Cover letter including research experience and interests (2 pages max).

The referees will receive an email with instructions on how to upload their letters.

The application deadline is

15 December 2023

Inquiries about the application submission can be directed to Esther Pallarés, secretaria@icc.ub.edu. For inquiries about scientific aspects, please contact Arnau Rios, arnau.rios@icc.ub.edu.

About the Institute of Cosmos Sciences

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is a research institute of the University of Barcelona. It is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to fundamental research in the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. In addition, the institute has a strong technology program through its participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy and experimental particle physics.

As part of the University of Barcelona, the ICCUB is a recipient of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

The ICCUB is located in Barcelona, considered the 8th World's Best Cities 2021: one with near-perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colorful neighborhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.