PhD positions at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen invites applications for 6 PhD positions:

• One position in the group of Prof. dr. Leon Koopmans (Kapteyn) on the localization and study of gravitationally-lensed gravitational waves from black-hole mergers.
• Two positions in the group of dr. Tim Lichtenberg (Kapteyn) to simulate the evolution of magma ocean interiors and atmospheres for the interpretation of exoplanet data.
• One position in the group of Prof. dr. Karina Caputi (Kapteyn) to study high-redshift galaxy evolution with JWST and other world-class telescope data.
• Two positions in the group of dr. Harish Vedantham (ASTRON/Kapteyn) to work on the topic of exoplanet radio astronomy.

The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute is part of the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA) and is recognized worldwide for the quality of its research in multiple areas of astronomy. With 15 faculty members and 50 PhD students, it is the second-largest astronomical institute in the Netherlands. Groningen, a historic town in the northern Netherlands, occupies a strategic place in Dutch astronomy, hosting both the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, the low-energy astrophysics division of the Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON) and the NOVA sub-mm lab. The Kapteyn Institute has a strong connection with the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) in Dwingeloo, a European centre of radio astronomy research. Staff and PhD students at the Kapteyn Institute frequently collaborate with SRON and ASTRON scientists and engineers. There are also strong interdisciplinary connections with other institutes in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and the Dutch Origins Center. English is the common language spoken at the institute.

We seek excellent students with a strong background in the physical sciences who desire to obtain a PhD degree from a top European university. A successful candidate must hold a Masters degree in Physics, Astronomy or a related field, or equivalent degree by the starting date of the position. Previous research experience and skills will be important criteria for the selection.

These PhD student positions are paid according to the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO) Dutch Universities, which means that they earn internationally competitive salaries (the current annual gross salary, including allowances, increases from about €35,000 in year 1 to about €44,800 in year 4) and are eligible for both social security and retirement benefits. All PhD positions are funded for four years.

Detailed information on the individual projects offered and how to apply is given at https://www.rug.nl/research/kapteyn/vacatures/phd-positions. Informal inquiries are welcome and should be sent to [email protected].

The application deadline is December 1, 2022, at midnight and selection of candidates will continue until all positions are filled.