Call for Applications for Postdoctoral Fellowships Commencing in 2022

South African Radio Astronomy Observatory

Call for Applications for Postdoctoral Fellowships Commencing in 2022
Application Forms Available at: https://nrfsubmission.nrf.ac.za/nrfmkii/

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for five postdoctoral fellowships, commencing in 2022.

For 2022, SARAO will consider post-doctoral applications that focus on observational research programmes, which utilise key existing radio astronomy instruments located in South Africa. These include MeerKAT, HERA, C-BASS, early versions of HIRAX, and HartRAO facilities (including astrometry and geodesy applications). Amongst these, MeerKAT is the highest priority area. Other relevant research will also be considered.

1. Applicants for SARAO Postdoctoral Fellowships must have been active in research since obtaining their Doctoral degree. In the case of a break in research, an applicant must have obtained his/her Doctoral degree on, or after, 30 September 2017.
2. SARAO postdoctoral fellowships are only tenable at South African universities, and successful applicants must commence with their postdoctoral fellowships in South Africa on, or before, 1 October 2022.
3. SARAO postdoctoral fellowships are awarded for a period of three years.
4. The current value of a SARAO postdoctoral fellowship is ZAR 410,000 per annum (non-taxable). (Please note that the current value of the postdoctoral fellowship may be adjusted in 2022, to account for annual inflation changes.) The fellowship is supplemented by travel and equipment grants.
5. There is NO relocation grant for SARAO post-doctoral fellows, and successful applicants may NOT use their postdoctoral fellowship travel grants to cover the costs of their relocation to South Africa.
6. All applications must be endorsed by a host/supervisor, at the university in South Africa where the fellowship will be undertaken. A list of supervisors who have indicated that they are willing to host SARAO post-doctoral fellows is provided in the application guide on the online application system. Applicants are required to investigate the research specialisations of the individual hosts and institutions to inform their choices, and match their own strengths and interests. Applicants must contact the respective hosts to discuss the willingness of a host to endorse the application, and to discuss and draft a research project and implementation plan, for submission as part of the application.

Queries with regards to the application requirements or the application procedure, may be directed to:

Dr. Mthuthuzeli Zamxaka

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: +27 11268-3424

 

Table 1: Supervisors / Host for SARAO-funded Post-doctoral Fellows in 2022

Name University Host/Supervisor Email Address Research Specialisation Prof.        Andrew Chen University of the Witwatersrand [email protected] MeerKAT Observations of Circumnuclear Outflows in Spiral Galaxies Prof. Oleg Smirnov Rhodes University [email protected] Algorithms, Calibration and Imaging, Direction-Dependent Effects Prof. Amanda Weltman University of Cape Town [email protected] Cosmology, Astrophysics, HIRAX Prof. Kavilan Moodley University of KwaZulu-Natal [email protected] Observational Cosmology (HIRAX, MeerKAT) Prof. Yin-Zhe Ma University of KwaZulu-Natal [email protected] Epoch of Reionization, Fast Radio Bursts, and HI Intensity Mapping Prof. Mattia Vaccari University of Western Cape [email protected] Observational Galaxy & AGN Evolution, Cosmic Star Formation History, Multi-Wavelength Extragalactic Astronomy, Machine Learning in Astronomy Prof. Petrie Meyer Stellenbosch University [email protected] Statistically Optimized Antenna Arrays Prof. Micheal Backes North-West University [email protected] Precipitable water vapour measurements for the Africa Millimetre Telescope, a prospective telescope for the AVN Dr Gyula I. G. Józsa Rhodes University [email protected] Galaxy Evolution, Radio Astronomy, Analysis Techniques Prof. Bruce Bassett University of Cape Town [email protected] Machine Learning, Observational Cosmology Prof. Jaco Versfeld Stellenbosch University [email protected] Signal Processing and Big Data Prof. Renée C Kraan-Korteweg University of Cape Town [email protected] Extragalactic Large-Scale Structure, Systematic HI Surveys, MeerKAT HI Surveys, Cosmic Flow Fields, Tull-Fisher Relation Prof. Tim Gibbon Nelson Mandela University [email protected] Coherent Frequency Reference and Data Signals over Optical Fibre Networks for the SKA Dr Michelle Lochner University of Western Cape [email protected] MeerKAT/ LSST Multiwavelength Research, Machine Learning, Statistics Dr. Jacki Gilmore Stellenbosch University [email protected] Radio astronomy receiver system with integrated, adaptable RFI mitigation Dr. Lanche Linden Grootboom Stellenbosch University [email protected] Investigating and Characterising the Performance Metrics of an Active Integrated Antenna to be Used on a Mid-Frequency Aperture Array Antenna Receiver System Prof. Roger Deane University of Pretoria [email protected] Radio Astronomy Dr. Trienko Grobler Stellenbosch University [email protected] A comparison framework for RFI detection algorithms Dr Johan Schoeman University of Pretoria [email protected] Calibration of wideband interleaved ADC structures Prof. Matt Hilton University of KwaZulu-Natal [email protected] Galaxy Clusters, Galaxy Evolution, Observational Cosmology Prof. Gianni Bernardi Rhodes University [email protected] 21cm Cosmology, Galaxy Clusters Prof. Mario Santos University of Western Cape [email protected] Cosmology with MeerKAT/SKA, HI Intensity Mapping, Reionization and HERA Prof. Tinus Stander University of Pretoria [email protected] Multi‐band and dispersive time delay circuits. Self‐calibrating time delay circuits. A compact integrated water vapour radiometer Prof. Matthys Botha Stellenbosch University [email protected] Solver integration for large-scale radio astronomy antenna array analysis Prof. Dirk de Villiers Stellenbosch University [email protected] Antenna Systems for Radio Astronomy Prof. Patrick Woudt University of Cape Town [email protected] Radio Transients, Cataclysmic Variables, Optical Synoptic Surveys Dr Sarah Blyth University of Cape Town [email protected] Galaxy Evolution and Large Scale Structure - Particularly interested in Evolution of Cold Gas Component of Galaxies over Cosmic Time (co-PI LADUMA HI survey) Prof. Russ Taylor University of Cape Town [email protected] The HI Mass and Velocity Functions for MIGHTEE-HI Prof. Lerothodi Leeuw University of South Africa [email protected] Extragalactic Observational Astronomy