PhD Positions at the Kapteyn Institute Groningen
Job Summary
Job Description
The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen invites applications for at least 7 PhD positions:
- two positions in the group of Prof. dr. Amina Helmi to study the formation history and internal dynamics (especially to constrain dark matter distribution) of the Milky Way. The PhD positions can be theoretical or data-oriented, particularly given our involvement in the Gaia mission and in the upcoming large spectroscopic surveys WEAVE and 4MOST;
- a position in the group of Prof. dr. Inga Kamp to study the warm chemistry in the inner regions of planet forming disks in the context of existing VLT/VISIR and CRIRES data and upcoming JWST/MIRI data;
- two positions shared with SRON in the group of dr. Michiel Min to study exoplanets and planet formation. One position will be focussed on connecting exoplanet atmospheres with their formation conditions, the other will be focussed on applying machine learning techniques to interpretation of exoplanet observations;
- a position in the group of Prof. dr. Fraternali to study the dynamics and dark matter content of high-redshift galaxies and learn about their formation and evolution;
- a position in the group of Prof. dr. Caputi studying new insights on the high-z universe with forthcoming spectroscopic surveys.
The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute is part of the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA) and is recognised world-wide for the quality of its research in multiple areas of astronomy. With 15 faculty 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 Institute and the low-energy astrophysics division of the Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON). 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. English is the common language of the Institute.
We seek excellent students with strong backgrounds in the physical sciences who desire obtaining a PhD degree from a top European university. A successful candidate must hold a Masters degree or equivalent 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 CAO Dutch Universities, which means that they earn competitive salaries (the current annual gross salary, including allowances, increases from about €31,000 in year 1 to about €40,000 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 http://www.rug.nl/research/kapteyn/vacatures/. Informal inquiries are welcome and should be sent to [email protected].
Selection of candidates will start December 8, 2019 and will continue until all positions are filled.