PhD grants at the Scientific and Space Instrumentation and Modelling group at CENTRA

CENTRA/SIM invites applications from outstanding candidates for 4-year PhD grants.

CENTRA is a key Space Science research unit in Portugal. The Scientific and Space Instrumentation and Modelling (SIM) group at CENTRA, with offices at the Universities of Lisbon and Porto, develops instrumentation, data analysis and processing software, and carries out scientific exploitation of these systems in the ESA and ESO space observation frameworks.

The group has expertise in optical/near-infrared cryogenic instrumentation, opto-mechanics, photonics, image and data processing, and data visualisation. CENTRA leads the Portuguese participation in the ESA Gaia mission and in the GRAVITY instrument for the ESO VLTi, and participates in the ESO ELT project contributing to the development of the METIS instrument. The group is active in a number of proposals for ESA satellites for Astrophysics. The main Astrophysical research topics are star formation, and structure and evolution of Milky Way, from models to observations.

The grants are renewable for one-year periods up to four years in total. The applicants are expected to be highly motivated to do research and in pursuing a PhD degree. The recruiting priorities are in the following areas (no particular order):

1. Physical Engineering/Instrumentation:

a. The METIS imaging-spectrometer for the ESO Extremely Large Telescope
b. All-reflective optical designs for ultraprecise differential Space-Astrometry missions
c. Design of real time embedded electronics for signal acquisition and data transition.

2. Data analysis and processing:

a. Development of visualisation and exploration frameworks for Big Data in Space Sciences (Mandatory: previous experience with Java, JavaScript and Python). Advantage: A taste for producing highly aesthetic astronomical images).
b. PSF reconstruction for leading-edge adaptive optics systems.
c. Optimization of space-based interferometers for metrology and gravitational effect observation.

3. Astrophysics:
Astrophysical exploitation of and GRAVITY and Gaia data, under the following topics:

a. Structure and evolution the Milky Way using the Gaia data and others
b. Star formation in clusters or individually using the GRAVITY instrument or others

4. Highly motivated and creative applicants are encouraged to propose additional topics. These topics will be analysed by CENTRA/SIM to verify if they fit well or promote the interests of the group. In this case, please contact CENTRA/SIM to the email below before the submission of your application.

The grant values and regulations are similar to those defined by the regulations of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).

Applications will be received immediately. Starting dates for contracts range from April 2017 to December 2017. Applicants should send a curriculum vitae (including a possible list of publications) and a letter of motivation (2 pages max.) to the email [email protected]. Applicants should arrange for two letters of recommendation to be sent to that same email.

Further inquiries may also be sent to [email protected].

For full consideration the application material, including the letters of recommendation, should arrive before the 30th of March.

More information on CENTRA and the SIM group at:
CENTRA - https://centra.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/about/
SIM group - https://centra.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/network/sim/about/