The Stellar Physics group at the ICCUB welcomes expressions of interest from outstanding postdoctoral researchers to jointly apply for the 2025 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA-PF-2025) through the European Commission. The group offers expert mentoring and comprehensive guidance throughout the application process to help candidates develop competitive proposals.

The research developed at the Stellar Physics group covers different stages of star formation, stellar evolution all the way from dust to life, and the study of stellar environments and their planetary systems. We aim to develop a multi-scale, multi-disciplinary approach to answer these three main questions:

1 - How do stars form?

2 - How do stars evolve in isolation; in multiple systems and as a population?

3 - How does atmospheric activity (e.g., stellar winds, flares, coronal mass ejections), including the Sun, impact their environment and how does this affect the habitability of exoplanets?

To this end, the research activity of our group focuses on the following topics:

1. Star formation with a multiwavelength approach, covering from radio to high energy spectral range.
2. Evolution of stellar binary stars with time-domain astrophysical datasets (transients, variable and eclipsing systems, etc.), spectroscopic characterization, and stellar evolution models.
3. Analysis and modeling of solar particle events as well as the development of solar particle radiation interplanetary environment prediction models.
4. Understanding the impact of stellar activity (flares) over planetary atmospheres and habitability.
5. Stellar astrophysical parameter estimation and stellar characterization from astrometry, photometry, and spectroscopy.
6. Understanding different stellar populations within the Milky Way with large astrophysical datasets (Gaia, future GaiaNIR,  the spectroscopic WEAVE survey…).
7. New instrumentation for astrophysics for Montsec Observatory.

The members of the group have leading and collaboration roles in major collaborations in the field of stellar physics, such as Gaia Data Analysis and Processing Consortium, Euclid, BlackGEM time-domain survey, Transient and Variable Science collaboration within the Vera Rubin Observatory (LSST), SKA and “The VLA Orion A Large Survey” collaboration, Solar Orbiter and PLATO missions, and the UV-optical CubeSat mission PhotSat, entirely led by the Institute of Space Sciences of Catalonia (IEEC). In addition, the group has ongoing collaborations with European and international research institutions (Caltech, Radboud University, KU Leuven, Universidad Nacional de Mexico, among others), which can enhance the internationalization of our member’s research.

The group can offer support for computing time in the Institute of Cosmos Sciences cluster. The fellow will have the opportunity to develop a career development plan and be part of a mentorship program.

REQUIREMENTS:

We are excited to support candidates with expertise related to the main research areas carried in our group, both from observational and theoretical perspectives. In particular, we are interested in exploring projects that can exploit the synergies between the major research lines in stellar physics, and also with other research groups at the ICCUB, such as the high energies group, the gravitational waves group, the galaxy structure and evolution, and the technological unit.

Eligible Researchers

Researchers can be of any nationality and must:

• Be in possession of PhD at the call deadline.
• A maximum of 8 years full-time research experience after the date of award of the doctoral degree.
• Not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of the recruiting beneficiary (Spain) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.
• Researchers who are refugees in an EU MS or HEU AC according to the Geneva Convention may also apply to both Fellowships, irrespective of whether they are long-term residents or not.
• GPF researchers must be nationals or long-term residents of EU MS or HEU AC.

Applicants who apply and choose our institute as Host Institution for a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (European or Global) proposal can benefit from dedicated support, which specifically consists of:

• Mentorship program
• On-demand support with dedicated staff

Financial Support

The salary conditions of a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow are very competitive in relation to the average cost of living in Barcelona. It provides the following yearly funding:

• Monthly living allowance: 5.990€ per month (to be adjusted using the corresponding country coefficient).
• Mobility allowance: 710€ per month.
• Family allowance: 660€ per month.

HOST INSTITUTION