Tag: PhD position

The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) is located at the historic and beautiful Royal Observatory Edinburgh on Blackford Hill and makes up approximately one third of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. PhD stipends are tax-free, and full-time students are typically exempt from council tax. Each year, the IfA admits a new cohort of about 10 PhD students from around the UK and the world. We are now accepting applications for admission in September 2026. Application deadlines from December 5th 2025 to January 5th 2026.

The IfA is committed to advancing equality and diversity, welcoming applications from everyone irrespective of gender, age, (dis)ability, race, nationality, carer status, religion or belief, and sexual orientation. We aim to ensure our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply for our places.

Our PhD projects cover topics ranging from cosmology/LSS, galaxy formation/AGN, the Milky Way, exoplanets, and the solar system; with techniques including observation, instrumentation, theory, and simulations. On our project webpages, you can find descriptions of all projects on offer, as well as some videos from the PhD supervisors.

To apply, you will submit a 1-page anonymized form where you briefly share information about your research experience and academic preparation. Detailed steps on how to apply are given here:

https://ifa.roe.ac.uk/phds-jobs-fellowships/phd-studentships

In order for your application to be given full consideration for one of our regular funded places, it should be received by the deadline of 5th January 2026.

In addition, the following studentships have special application procedures and deadlines:

• Career Development Scholarship – for students with Black heritage, including mixed Black background, UK and international students. Deadline: 24th November 2025
• Bell Burnell Graduate Student Fellowship – for students from underrepresented groups in physics, including UK and international students. Deadline: 5th December 2025

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Two PhD positions to join the new research team StarHearts of Prof. Eva Laplace at the Institute of Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium.
When stars end their lives, their hearts continue to exist in a different, exotic form, known as a compact remnant: black holes, neutron stars, or white dwarfs. Understanding the exact origin of these objects is one of the most pressing scientific questions in astrophysics at this time. With the discovery of gravitational waves (GWs), we have a new way to study these extreme objects. To make breakthroughs in understanding the properties of stellar remnants and the GWs they generate, it is crucial to study the binary stellar hearts and the core-collapse process that form them. The application should be received by December 16th, 2025.

PhD project 1 – Investigating the Explosion and Implosion Signatures of Binary Stars

The aim of this PhD project is to characterize the observable explosion and implosion signatures of stars that have interacted in a binary star system. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop theoretical models to interpret the observations of explosive transients (in particular stripped-envelope supernovae) and connect these back to the properties of the stellar hearts that generate them.

PhD Project 2 – Characterizing the Heartbeats of Binary Evolution Products

The hearts of stars that interact in binary systems are expected to be systematically different from those of single stars. In particular, binary stars grow cores of different masses and different chemical composition, and have different interior mixing and rotation behaviors. Therefore the observable oscillations – or “heartbeats” – of such stars, from internal pressure and gravity waves, are expected to be systematically different. The ultimate aim of this project will be to characterize the observable asteroseismic signals of binary evolution products and to obtain observational constraints on the physical properties of the hearts of stars that form gravitational-wave sources.

More information on https://fys.kuleuven.be/ster/vacancies/vacancies#PhD_StarHearts

The project will explore potential signatures of beyond standard model physics in the merger of two neutron stars. The ideal candidate has knowledge of general relativity, hydrodynamics, particle physics and computational physics with compiled programming languages. 
The application deadline is December 22, 2025.

For more information please contact  Stephan.Rosswog(at)uni-hamburg.de and/or Samuel.Witte(at)physics.ox.ac.uk

The application has to be submitted via the application system of the University of Hamburg, please see https://www.uni-hamburg.de/stellenangebote/ausschreibung.html?jobID=7bd2c136b39027d4ff9feefaa970abcca8ad50b5 for more information.

The group of Professor Soares-Santos, at the University of Zurich (UZH), invites applications for a PhD student position. The group is engaged in data analysis, instrumentation, software development, and operations in state-of-the-art experiments in the field of cosmology with cosmic surveys and gravitational waves. In addition to carrying out some of the most precise cosmological measurements from galaxy clustering and weak lensing, we have led the most comprehensive searches for the electromagnetic (EM) counterparts of gravitational-wave (GW) events and contributed to the first GW-EM multi-messenger discovery. We are currently leading a multi-messenger cosmology effort, combining GW standard sirens and galaxy catalogs while preparing for discovery of new signals such as the stochastic GW background and its cross-correlation with galaxies. Application deadline: December 1st, 2025.

At this time, we are seeking exceptional applicants interested in instrumentation science in addition to physics analysis. Thesis research may include developments for gravitational-wave experiments such as LIGO and the next-generation Einstein Telescope. Our lab is currently aiming to improve the discovery potential of GW observatories by improving the quantum efficiency and power-handling capabilities of photodiodes to be used in such interferometers. This R&D is closely related to our program on sensor characterization for cosmic surveys in optical and infrared wavelengths which may also be a thesis topic. Our group is also a member of the LISA Consortium. Candidates interested in contributing to any of these research threads are welcome to apply. The instrument science research, combined with physics analyses using state-of-the-art data, is expected to produce a high-impact thesis that will propel the PhD student towards their next career goals.

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree, or expect to obtain one before their start date. While specific hardware experience is not required, a good understanding of the experimental methods and techniques used in the field is essential. The successful candidate is expected to have a combination of hard and soft skills, including statistical data analysis and programming in Python, the ability to work independently, self-motivation to go beyond existing experience, good written and oral communication in English, and the willingness to travel.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, a research statement (3 pages max.), and a curriculum vitae via the application system. Also, to complete your application, please arrange for at least two letters of recommendation to be uploaded by the letter writers directly to that same system. Review of complete applications will start on December 1, 2025. Applications received after that date will be considered until the position is filled.

We aim for a start date of April 1, 2026. This date can be adjusted by mutual agreement. For applicants from outside Switzerland or the EU, the application may be subject to approval from the immigration authorities, a process that takes up to three months. PhD positions are fully funded according to the Swiss National Science Foundation salary requirements, and typically last up to four years.

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We invite applications for PhD positions in gravitational physics at the School of Mathematical Sciences of the University of Nottingham. We are seeking applicants in several areas of research listed below, with one scholarship reserved for AI for gravitational waves. Application deadline: December 20th, 2025.

Potential supervisors include Dr Miguel Bezares (numerical relativity), Dr Stephen Green (black holes, AI for gravitational waves), Prof Kirill Krasnov (mathematical relativity, differential geometry), Prof Jorma Louko (black holes and quantum field theory), Dr Laura Sberna (gravitational waves including astrophysics, black holes), and Prof Thomas Sotiriou (gravitational waves, black holes, and alternative theories). A complete list of projects is available at https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/Mathematics/Study/Research/PhD-research-opportunities/PhD-research-projects.aspx.

Successful applicants will also join the Nottingham Centre of Gravity (NCoG), which unites gravitational physics expertise across the School of Mathematical Sciences and the School of Physics and Astronomy. The Centre comprises 17 permanent staff, as well as typically 7-8 postdocs and 25 students. Staff are active members of the LIGO, LISA, and ET collaborations, providing ample opportunities for international collaboration and impact.

For more information and to apply, see https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/course/research/mathematics-phd. Please apply by 20 December for full consideration.

The gravitational-wave (GW) group of the University of Louvain (UCLouvain, Belgium), hosted at the Centre for Cosmology, Particle Physics and Phenomenology (CP3) of the Research Institute in Mathematics and Physics (IRMP) and the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics (ICTEAM), welcome applications for a four-year PhD candidate position on GW data analysis using machine learning (ML) with expected starting date February 2026. The position focuses on using neural posterior estimation for tackling issues related to the analysis of CBC signals in current and future detectors. Applications must be submitted online, by the 30th of November 2025.

The CP3 center hosts research in physics of the Universe and fundamental interactions on the experimental and theoretical fronts. The UCLouvain GW group is part of the Virgo Collaboration at the European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) and has been active so far in searches for ultra-light dark matter, anisotropic stochastic GW background, gravitational wave lensing, and on multi-messenger projects. All the data analysis studies are performed in collaboration with theory specialists and use the IRMP computing center that also serves CERN experiments (CMS and NA62), IceCube, KM3NeT, muography, and projects in theoretical particle physics and cosmology. The UCLouvain GW group is also involved in instrumentation projects for both Virgo and the future Einstein Telescope, notably at the two research and development facilities, E-TEST and ETPF. The selected candidates will work in the GRAVIT-AI consortium led by Giacomo Bruno (GW), Laurent Jacques (ML), Justin Janquart (GW), and Estelle Massart (ML). The candidate will have two main promoters coming from the two different fields.

Constant and careful supervision of the candidate is also guaranteed thanks to the presence in the groups of several postdoctoral researchers. Computing resources and support for traveling are excellent. CP3 and ICTEAM are highly international, diverse, and stimulating environments. The PhD research work will also be conducted in close contact and cooperation with the rest of the Belgian GW community and international partners.

The UCLouvain campus is located some 25 km south of Brussels, to which it is conveniently connected by public transport, thus allowing life either in the EU capital or in the pleasant green countryside surrounding the campus. UCLouvain offers several advantages to its personnel, including reimbursement of public transport season tickets between home and workplace and free language courses. More information about life in Belgium and at UCLouvain is available here.

Applications must include a curriculum vitae, a personal motivation letter (specifying a preference for one of the two topics, if any), the academic transcript of university studies, and at least two recommendation letters from senior scientists. Applications must be submitted online, by the 30st of November 2025 at: https://cp3.irmp.ucl.ac.be/job/117. Applicants should hold, by the time of the start of the appointment, a Master’s Degree in physics or equivalent with a remarkable academic record, and they should demonstrate a strong interest and motivation in fundamental physics research. The position will remain open after the first deadline indicated above until a suitable candidate is found.

For more information, please contact Justin Janquart (justin.janquart(at)uclouvain.be)

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The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute, AEI) in Potsdam, Germany, announces the opening of several PhD positions at the IMPRS “Gravity at the Extreme: from Theory to Observation”. We are particularly interested in hiring creative, proactive and motivated candidates who flourish at working in a vibrant, interdisciplinary and synergistic group. Successful candidates will join one of the scientific departments at the AEI in Potsdam, either the “Astrophysical and Cosmological Relativity” (ACR) or the “Computational Relativistic Astrophysics” (CRA) department. 

The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) is comprised of the scientific departments and groups of the AEI at its locations in Potsdam and Hannover, the University of Potsdam (UP), the Humboldt University (HU) in Berlin, and the Leibniz University in Hannover (LUH). Our graduate students are exposed to a variety of research topics and have access to a world-wide research network, including international partner universities (University of Maryland and the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics at Kyoto University). Our graduate students also have the opportunity to join the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the LISA Consortium through the ACR-division’s membership, and the Einstein Telescope Collaboration through the AEI-UP membership. For an overview of the IMPRS, its research groups, and the application procedure, please visit the IMPRS website.

The ACR and CRA research divisions at the AEI in Potsdam operate three high-performance compute clusters to model gravitational-wave sources (binary black holes, neutron star binaries, and stellar collapse of massive stars), electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves, high-energy astrophysical phenomena, and to carry out waveform development, and data analysis of gravitational waves observed by LIGO and Virgo detectors.

Research Topics and research environment:
PhD theses can cover a broad spectrum of topics in gravitational-wave astronomy, high-energy astrophysics and fundamental physics, such as: 

• analytical modeling of gravitational dynamics and radiation (within post-Newtonian theory, post-Minkowskian theory, gravitational self-force, black-hole perturbation theory, and effective-one-body theory),
• numerical-relativity, most notably simulations of compact objects in general relativity and alternatives,
• interpretation and analysis of data from gravitational-wave detectors on the ground (LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA),
• development of pipelines and data-analysis methods for future detectors in space (LISA) and on the ground (Einstein Telescope),
• acceleration techniques for gravitational-wave inference, including machine learning,
• cosmography with gravitational waves (including dark energy, dark matter, gravitational lensing),
• tests of gravity in the strong-field and highly dynamical regime
• modelling neutron star mergers as high-energy phenomena,
• modelling electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves,
• exploring neutron-star equation of state,
• exploring nucleosynthesis,
• stellar collapse to a black hole and a neutron star, and
• modelling gamma-ray bursts.

Successful applicants will conduct their research projects at the AEI in Potsdam, and they will have to enrol and receive their PhD degree from either the University of Potsdam or the Humboldt University in Berlin. The expected duration of the PhD program is three to four years. Applicants are required to have a Master degree by the start of the PhD program.

We offer:

• A vibrant research environment with access to a world-class research facilities and cutting-edge research projects
• A structured English-language graduate program
• Fully funded positions, no tuition fees, and additional funding for conferences and professional development, more info on financial aspects, see here.
• Individual supervision and mentoring by research scientists who are leaders in their respective fields
• An excellent working environment with various on-campus support (computing facilities, PhD representatives, language courses, residence permit and visa support, children’s day care, etc.), located just 30 minutes from the city center of Berlin

Application Process:
In order to apply, please fill in this form.

You will be asked to upload a cover letter, curriculum vitae, university transcripts, a statement of research interests (no more than three pages), a list of publications (if applicable), and your Master thesis (if applicable). The statement of research interests should describe the student’s past research experience, future research interests and how they relate to the IMPRS’s scientific mission.

Applicants also need to indicate the names of three referees for recommendation letters. Referees will be notified by email on how to upload the letters. More information on the preparation of the documents can be found in the IMPRS’ FAQ section.

Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The deadline for full consideration is December 19th, 2025.

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Multiple funded PhD positions are available at the UMass Dartmouth and University of Rhode Island gravity research group. 
We seek candidates for multiple, fully-funded PhD positions at UMass Dartmouth and the University of Rhode Island in the broad area of gravitational-wave science. 

Gravitational physics researchers at both universities have recently established the UMass-URI Gravity Research Consortium (U2GRC) — a joint gravity research group. Several new researchers have been hired by both universities, including Drs. Aidan Chatwin-Davies (URI), Sarah Caudill (UMassD), Derek Davis (URI), Deborah Ferguson (URI), Michael Puerrer (URI) and Vijay Varma (UMassD). This is in addition to others who were already present, i.e. Drs. Rob Coyne (URI), Scott Field (UMassD), Bob Fisher (UMassD), Doug Gobeille (URI), and Gaurav Khanna (URI/UMassD). Most are members of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration, LISA Consortium and the SXS Collaboration. U2GRC currently has over 20 PhD students working on various different aspects of gravitational-wave science. The group has Zoom meetings twice a week and meets in person monthly. Course exchange agreements have been formalized between the two universities to make it seamless for U2GRC students to take classes being offered at either campus. Additional agreements underway include joint student advising, collaborative grant funding, and extensive computational resource sharing.

We are particularly interested in applicants interested in working in these specific research areas: gravitational-wave data analysis and detector characterization, data driven surrogate models, numerical relativity, black hole perturbation theory, and quantum information / gravity. Please apply by February 1st, 2026 for best chances of receiving funding.

Please reach out with any questions to Drs. Scott Field (UMass Dartmouth) and Gaurav Khanna (URI) by emailing u2grc-faculty(at)googlegroups.com. Candidates are welcome to apply to either or both universities, but may wish to consult Drs. Field and Khanna first on the best match for their interests and goals. To find out more about the PhD programs at both universities: UMass Dartmouth Interdisciplinary PhD (Computational Science option) and URI Physics PhD Program.

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