IAC Postdoctoral Fellowship in Big Data Science in Astronomy

The IAC (Tenerife) invites applications for ONE postdoctoral contract to work on Big Data science in Astronomy within the EU-funded SUNDIAL project (H2020-721463), led at the IAC by Drs. Johan Knapen and Ignacio Trujillo.

Research topics at the IAC include most areas of astrophysics: solar physics, planetary systems, stellar and interstellar physics, galaxy formation and evolution, and cosmology and astroparticles. These research lines are supported by an ambitious instrumentation program. The IAC has been selected as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence by the Spanish Government in 2015, a prestigious recognition awarded for the second time to the IAC as a leading research institute in Spain. Further information about the IAC's research programme, its Observatories and the 10.4m GTC is available at the IAC's web page (http://www.iac.es).

The EU ITN SUNDIAL (https://www.astro.rug.nl/sundial) is an ambitious interdisciplinary network of nine research groups in The Netherlands, Germany, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium and Italy. The aim of the network is to develop novel algorithms to study the very large databases coming from current-day telescopes to better understand galaxy formation and evolution, and to prepare for the huge missions of the next decade. SUNDIAL has hired 14 PhD students who start in September 2017. The postdoc is expected to work closely with the SUNDIAL researchers, both staff in computer science and astronomy, and with the PhD students. Collaboration visits to other SUNDIAL nodes will be encouraged.

Duties: The selected candidate will be mainly devoted to the Big Data project at the IAC. In particular, the candidate will develop image processing software and use deep imaging, for instance from the public ultra-deep Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC SSP) survey, to discover and characterize extremely low surface brightness structures. This task will be done using Big Data software, especially pattern recognition tools based on new algorithms in the general area of machine learning. The HSC SSP survey is a multiwavelength (grizy) deep survey which is similar to the type of data we will have with the arrival of the LSST. In this sense, we expect the tools to be developed by the candidate to be able to handle the extraordinary and complex information hidden in the future LSST data. Application of the software to spectra will also be considered. In addition to the creation of the algorithms and software tools, the candidate is expected to publish a number of articles describing the new software and the discoveries made with such applications.

Position requirements: The successful candidate must have a good publication record and provide evidence of leading original research experience.

Qualification requirements: To be eligible for admission, applicants must have obtained a Ph.D. degree in Astrophysics, Physics or Computer Science, by the application deadline (December 31, 2017).  A copy of the degree or corresponding stamped certificate (issued by the University where the degree was obtained), must be included. Applicants who have not completed the Ph.D. degree within the application deadline will not be considered.

Particularly regarded merits:

Section A:

- Scientific and technical contributions to your field of research.

- Scientific publications, in terms of both quality and quantity, collected in the Science Citation Index (SCI), papers delivered at conferences; teaching tasks, activity in scientific and conference committees, conference organization, journal refereeing and stays in other centres.

Maximum score: 60 points.

Section B:

Suitability of the candidate’s training and experience for the contract he/she is applying for:

- Applicants must have considerable experience in image processing, data programming and big data analysis.

- Experience with deep imaging data (reduction and photometric calibration) and pattern recognition are also of utmost interest.

Maximum score: 40 points.

In order to guarantee the effective equality of men and women in accordance with the provisions stipulated in the IAC’s Second Plan of Equality, merits will be evaluated taken into account certain documented circumstances that might diminish the performance of personnel, but always with the aim that such considerations do not negatively influence the evaluation of the career of each applicant. The following are considered to be special circumstances:

• Maternity, up to 18 months after the date of birth or adoption.
• Paternity, enjoyed as provided by Social Security, for the duration of the corresponding permit.
• Severe illness or accident with medical leave for a minimum of 3 months.
• Care for dependents for a minimum period of 3 months, as provided by Law 39/2006.
• Work Permits for care of dependent children or adults.

Training: Those candidates who have done their Ph.D. research at the IAC must have undertaken a period of training in other research centres. This period must consist of either one continuous year or 18 accumulated months (including periods of training during their doctoral period).

Duration: The appointment will be for a period of two years. The starting date is expected to be before June 2018.

Remuneration: The gross annual salary is 33,215 Euros, subject to up to 20% tax and Social Security deductions (depending on the personal situation of the candidate). Medical insurance under the Spanish National Health Service will be provided for the candidate and will also cover spouse or registered partner (de facto partner) and children (if relevant).

Relocation allowance: This call includes a relocation allowance (only for the selected candidate) comprising: the cost of the flight ticket (booked and issued by the IAC), temporary accommodation for up to two weeks (organised by the IAC) and per diem rate up to two weeks.  The maximum IAC will reimburse is 2,000 Euros.

Non-UE citizens: Applicants who are not citizen of a country belonging to the European Union are invited to apply for this position, but, if selected, will be allowed to sign the contract with the IAC only after obtaining the compulsory documentation required to live and work in Spain. 

How to apply: use the online application system, http://www.iac.es/jobs/research/, including the required information and documents. Alternatively, follow the instructions in the official announcement (only in Spanish).

The required documentation must be submitted using the online application system and received by the application deadline. The application form, CV, publication list, statements of research interests and suitability for the position, copy of the Ph.D. degree, and copy of the national identity or passport should be merged into a single PDF file.

Late applications or those that do not include the mandatory application form (Annex I), will not be considered. In case of incomplete applications, the applicant will have a period of five (5) days, starting from the day after publication of the provisional list of accepted and excluded candidates, to provide the missing documentation.