Three Postdoc Positions in Galaxies

We  invite applications for THREE postdoctoral positions within the broad area of the astrophysics of nearby galaxies. Each of the three postdocs will develop an ambitious research programme in close collaboration with colleagues at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC), at the Universities of Groningen and Durham, and at the Strasbourg Observatory, centred on the three focus areas radio astronomy (position 1), numerical simulations (position 2), and the analysis of deep and wide optical/near-IR imaging data (position 3), respectively. The postdocs will be based at the IAC in Tenerife, Spain, but will have the possibility to spend significant time, of order 6 months, at the partner institutions.

The positions are offered in the context of the project 'Excellence in Galaxies - Twinning the IAC', funded by the EU Horizon Europe Widening Actions (HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-02-01, 101158446) and led by Prof. Johan Knapen at the IAC. The project aims to increase the competitiveness of the IAC in the focus areas by enhanced collaboration with the three partner institutions.

Affinity with and expertise in the area of focus of the position applied for, as defined above, is a prerequisite. We are particularly interested in candidates with interests in the following areas:

* Exploiting the combination of data from the WEAVE IFU spectrograph on the 4.2m WHT with radio data, e.g. from APERTIF or LOFAR to study the properties of galaxies and/or the AGN in their centres (position 1);
* Running and analysing hydrodynamic cosmological simulations and simulations exploring the physics of Milky Way-like and dwarf galaxies (position 2);
* Using deep optical and near-IR imaging from modern surveys, incl. Euclid, to constrain cosmology from dwarf galaxy properties, LSB tidal features, and/or extended stellar halos around massive galaxies (position 3);
* Active participation in the training of other researchers, through mentoring, co-supervision, and training schools;
* Building close and sustainable links between the IAC and the respective partner institutions.

The contracts will be of indefinite duration. It is estimated that the date of commencement will be 1 October 2024. The current funding horizon for the project ends on 30 September 2026 but opportunities for further funding may be available at the IAC or at the partner institutions.

Research topics at the IAC include most areas of astrophysics, supported by an ambitious instrumentation programme. In 2020, the IAC was granted by the Spanish Government the status of Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence, a prestigious recognition awarded for the third time to the IAC as a leading research institute in Spain. Further information about the IAC's research programme, its Observatories and the 10.4m GTC is available at the IAC's web page: https://www.iac.es/en . Information on the partner institutions can be found on https://www.rug.nl/research/kapteyn/?lang=en (Univ. of Groningen), https://www.icc.dur.ac.uk (Univ. of Durham) and https://astro.unistra.fr/en/ (Obs Strasbourg).

Requirements: Candidates must have an excellent research record, commensurate with the duration of their research career. They must be in possession of a Ph.D. degree in Astrophysics or Physics by the start of their employment. Applicants who prepared their PhD thesis at the IAC have to present accreditations of complementary training at other research centres (this period should be either 1 continuous year or 18 accumulated months) by the application deadline.

The gross annual salary will be 38.371 Euros, with deductions of up to 20% for income tax (IRPF) and social security (dependent on the candidate's personal situation). The contract provides social security cover for spouse or de facto partner and children. The present job offer includes financial support related to the incorporation of the selected candidate at the IAC. You may apply for up to 2500 Euros to cover any necessary - and duly documented - relocation costs when you take up your post at any IAC workplace. These costs must fall under the following categories and must have been incurred within a period of 14 days prior to the date of the commencement of your contract: (1) Plane or boat ticket from your former place residence to Tenerife (arranged by the IAC). The price of the ticket will be at the cheapest rate. (2) Accommodation costs for the two weeks (13 nights) also arranged by the IAC. (3) A per diem of 37.40 Euros x 14 days. No other expenses (bus, train, taxi, etc.) shall be reimbursed. This grant is considered as taxable income and the corresponding taxes (IRPF), payable by physical persons, will be retained. Those researchers who, having benefited from it in the past, have not passed 12 months since the last termination of their contract at the IAC, cannot be beneficiaries of this grant. In addition, those researchers whose place of residence, at the time of their application, is Tenerife will not be able to benefit either.