Research Fellow in Observational Cosmology

Faculty of Technology

Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation

 

Research Fellow in Observational Cosmology

 

Employment type: Fixed-term contract (3 years)

Employment basis:  Full-time

Salary:  £35,845 - £39,152 per annum 

Post number: ZZ005904

Date published: 01 October 2019

Closing date: 01 December 2019

Interview date: 16 & 17 January 2020

Start date: 01 September 2020

We announce a 3-year postdoctoral research fellow position at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) at the University of Portsmouth aimed at promising early-career researchers in cosmology. The applicant should be highly motivated to contribute to fundamental cosmological research and be able to perform independently and as part of a team.

The successful candidate will join the group headed by Dr Florian Beutler (funded through an ERC grant) working on galaxy clustering with particular focus on Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), Redshift-space distortions (RSD) and tests of inflation through primordial non-Gaussianity and primordial features.

The main focus will be on contributions to the data analysis of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). Starting in early 2020 DESI will, in a 5-year observing campaign, collect 30 to 40 million galaxy spectra, surpassing existing datasets (e.g. BOSS with 1 million spectra) by more than an order of magnitude. The experiment is expected to contribute to the detection of the sum of the neutrino masses, map the expansion history of the Universe through BAO, test early Universe (inflation) models and probe gravity on cosmic scales.

As a member of the DESI collaboration you are expected to attend DESI collaboration meetings (mainly in the US and Europe), participating in DESI observing runs by travelling to the Mayall telescope in Arizona (https://www.noao.edu/outreach/kptour/mayall.html no prior observing experience needed) and attend international workshops and meetings to present and advertise the results. Experience in cosmological data analysis, perturbation theory or N-body simulations are desirable, but bringing new skills and experience from outside the field with a clear vision for how these could help and advance galaxy survey science, is highly valued as well. Basic programming skills are expected.

The ICG consists of 14 academic staff, 18 postdoctoral researchers and 29 PhD students, with an active international visitors programme. Portsmouth is a member of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) and Dark Energy Survey and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) with involvement in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and other major international collaborations, including ESA’s Euclid satellite mission and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The University of Portsmouth is a member of the South-East Physics Network (SEPnet) and hosts the 3704-core SCIAMA supercomputer. More information is available at http://www.icg.port.ac.uk/

We welcome applications from all qualified applicants, but applications are particularly encouraged from traditionally under-represented groups in science. The University of Portsmouth and the ICG hold Athena SWAN bronze awards which show a commitment to introduce organisational and cultural practices that promote diversity and equality and create a better working environment for women and men.

Applications (application form, CV, publication list and research proposal for the fellowship) should be submitted via the online application system by the closing date.  Applicants should also arrange for three reference letters to be sent by email to [email protected], to arrive by the same date. We expect the position to start 1st September 2020 or as close to that date as feasible.  

To find out more about the University of Portsmouth and this role, visit https://port.engageats.co.uk and apply on-line. 

All applications for this position will be processed and conducted in compliance with UK legislation relevant at that time.

Applications from candidates who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons and all appointments will be made on merit. As we are committed to the principles of the Race Equality Charter Mark, we would particularly welcome applications from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community who are currently under-represented at this level in this area.