Two IAC Research Fellowships: Astrophysical Research

The IAC (Tenerife, Spain) invites applications for TWO IAC Fellowship positions in Astrophysics. Research at the IAC covers most areas of astrophysics, including solar physics, planetary systems, stellar and interstellar physics, galactic formation and evolution, and cosmology, and particle astrophysics. These lines of research are supported by an ambitious instrumentation programme. The IAC was, for a second time, awarded the prestigious status of Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence by the Spanish Government in 2015 in recognition of its leading role as a research institute in Spain. Further information about the IAC's research programme, its observatories and the 10.4m GTC is available on the IAC's web page (http://www.iac.es).

 

Subject of the Contract: The successful candidates will be based at IAC headquarters in La Laguna and will be expected to join one or more of the IAC's research groups to pursue independent research within that framework. In their covering letter applicants should indicate which group/s they would wish to collaborate with. It must be decided which of the projects the candidate is going to join before the contract is signed.

 

The position will be awarded to candidates with a long proven record of excellence in research. The selected candidates will be allocated a bursary of 5,000 Euros to cover overheads.

 

Qualification requirements: To be eligible for admission to the selection process, applicants must have obtained a Ph.D. degree in Astrophysics or Physics, before the application deadline (30 June 2018), and no more than seven years prior to this deadline (30/06/2011). In case of maternity or paternity during this period, a one-year extension of this term for each child will be applied, provided that it is duly accredited by the applicant.

 

A copy of the degree certificate or the corresponding stamped original certificate (issued by the university where the degree was obtained), must be included. Applicant who have not completed their Ph.D. degree before the application deadline will not be considered.

 

Selection stage: The selective process will consist of two stages: merit assessment phase and an interview.

 

In the merit assessment stage, the Selection Committee will verify and rate the merits documented by the applicants. The maximum score that can be awarded for the assessment of merits will be 80 points, which will be calculated as the sum of the scores obtained in each of the sections.

 

1. Maximum score: 60 points

 

• Scientific and technical contributions to the field of research.
• Scientific publications, in quality and quantity, listed in the Science Citation Index (SCI conference contributions; teaching tasks, participation in scientific committees, membership of scientific conference committees, conference organization, journal refereeing, and stays at other research centres.
• Every career stage since the defence of the doctoral thesis will be taken into consideration

 

1. Maximum score: 20 points

 

Adequacy of the candidate's training and experience for the contract applied for:

 

For assessment purposes at this stage, a disposition towards team work and an ability to contribute to one of the existing groups in the IAC's Research Programme would be to the candidate's advantage, together with an ability to anticipate any actions to be followed through within the framework of the Research Project, according to the project presented by the candidate. It is expected that the person selected will take charge of funding applications on both nationally and internationally.

 

Way of accreditation for both sections: Report on the technical and research activity carried out, accompanied by the documentation that proves what was stated in it. Candidates should indicate in this report which group/s they would like to collaborate with and they should present a scientific project to be developed during the four years of the contract.

 

1. Maximum score: 20 points

 

Candidates who have obtained the minimum score to pass the phase will be called indicating place, date and time in which the second phase exercise will take place (interview).

 

In the interview phase, the candidates will present, for a maximum of 20 minutes, their vision about the adaptation of their professional profile to the position, their possible lines of evolution and the activity they plan to develop, as well as their future funding applications. Then, the Selection Committee may ask about the contents of its presentation and of all aspects that they consider relevant.

 

The exposition may be done either in Spanish or in English, as well as the questions of the Selection Committee.

 

In this exercise a score of 0 to 20 points will be awarded, of which:

 

Up to 10 points, correspond to the adaptation of your professional profile to the specialty of the contract awarded.

 

Up to 10 points, correspond to the vision of the future and lines of evolution of the position requested.

 

To pass this second phase a minimum score of 15 points will be necessary.

 

To pass the selective process, it will be necessary to obtain the minimum score of 65 points.

 

In order to ensure the effective equality of opportunity for men and women, in pursuance of the provisions of the IAC's Second  Plan of Equality, and to ensure that that certain documented circumstances of candidates do not prejudice the success of their application, the following  special circumstances will be taken positively into account:

 

• Maternity leave, up to 18 months after the date of birth or adoption.
• Paternity leave, as provided for by Social Security, for the duration of the corresponding permit.
• Severe illness or accident with medical leave for a minimum of 3 months.
• Care of dependents for a minimum period of 3 months, as provided for by Law 39/2006.
• Work permits for the 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 at 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 4 years.  The starting date is expected to be in the last quarter of 2018.

 

Remuneration: The gross annual salary is 33,547 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 (de facto), and children (where applicable).

 

Relocation allowance: This call includes a relocation allowance (for the selected candidate only) comprising: the cost of the flight ticket (booked and issued by the IAC), temporary accommodation for up to two weeks (organized by the IAC) and per diem expenses for up to two weeks, and cannot exceed the amount of 2,500 Euros.

 

Non-UE citizens: Applicants who are not citizens 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 (NIE card) required to live and work in Spain.

 

How to apply: The required documentation must be submitted using the online application system http://www.iac.es/jobs/research/, and received by the application deadline. Alternatively, follow the instructions in the official announcement (only in Spanish).

 

The following documentation will be sent in in a single file in PDF format:

 

• Application form (Annexe I, duly completed and signed)
• Curriculum Vitae, including publication list
• Copy of the Ph.D. degree certificate
• Research activity report and statement of suitability for the position (maximum of 2 pages)
• Scientific project to be developed during the four years of the contract (maximum of 2 pages).
• Copy of the national identity or passport

 

In addition, the names and e-mails of three scientists familiar with the work of the candidate must be indicated.

 

Late applications or those that do not include the mandatory application form (Annexe 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 and will otherwise be excluded from the selection process.