PhD Candidate in Mathematical Physics

9 Feb 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Radboud University

Research Field

Physics

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Netherlands

Application Deadline

11 Mar 2024 - 23:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Are you enthusiastic about mathematical physics with an eye on the philosophy of physics? This is the opportunity for you! As a PhD candidate you will do fundamental research on black holes and especially horizon entropy, using techniques ranging from thermodynamics to holography and (algebraic) quantum field theory. The project will be supervised by Manus Visser with Klaas Landsman as promotor.

You will be a member of both the Department of Mathematics within the Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics, and Particle Physics (IMAPP) of Radboud University and the new Radboud Center for Natural Philosophy (RCNP). Thus you are able and willing to work in an interdisciplinary team and especially in the mathematics-physics-philosophy triangle.

The daily activities of the PhD candidate consist mainly in doing research in mathematical physics, and partly also in philosophy of physics. Further, it is expected that the candidate participates in the seminars by internal and external speakers as well as reading clubs and group activities of the RCNP. The candidate should be comfortable using both heuristic and rigorous mathematical tools to attack fundamental problems at the frontier of modern physics. Collaboration with other PhD candidates and faculty members will be encouraged. The candidate will be also part of a strong and coherent national and international network of researchers. The position includes funding for traveling to international conferences and visiting collaborators worldwide. Your duties as a teaching assistant are about 0,2 fte during the first three years of appointment.

Requirements
Specific Requirements

• You are communicative, curious, critical, enthusiastic, proactive, and willing to learn.
• You should be able to work in a team as well as independently.
• You should excel in mathematical reasoning about physics and in doing calculations, and should also be able to understand literature on foundations of physics in depth.
• You hold a Master's degree in mathematics with a strong background in physics (preferably in mathematical physics) or in theoretical physics with a strong mathematical background; or you are on track to obtain a master’s degree around the starting date of the project (September 2024).
• Further academic qualifications in philosophy are recommended.
• Classes taken in (advanced) General Relativity, (advanced) Quantum Field Theory, and Mathematical Methods in Theoretical Physics (topology, differential geometry and Lie algebras) are recommended.
• You have a demonstrable interest in the mission of the Radboud Center for Natural Philosophy to improve ties between mathematics, physics, and history and philosophy of science.
• You possess excellent written and oral English communication skills.

Additional Information
Benefits

• It concerns an employment for 1.0 FTE.
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,770 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,539 in the fourth year (salary scale P ).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract).
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services . Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions . You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

Selection process

You can apply until 11 March 2024, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to Manus Visser and Klaas Landsman. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents:

• A letter of motivation where you describe your background and potential research interests.
• Your CV, including the contact details and email address of two academic references (one being your Master's thesis supervisor).
• A transcript of your grades for your Bachelor's and Master's degrees.
• An abstract of your Master's thesis, even if it is not yet completed.

The first round of interviews will take place between 25 and 28 March. You would preferably begin employment on 1 September 2024.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure . It offers a rough outline of what you can expect during the application process, how we handle your personal data and how we deal with internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information .

Additional comments

For questions about the position, please contact Manus Visser at [email protected] or Klaas Landsman at [email protected] .

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/337554/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Radboud University

Country

Netherlands

City

Nijmegen

Postal Code

6525 XZ

Street

Houtlaan 4

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/337554/phd-candidate-in-mathematical-physic…

Contact

City

Nijmegen

Website

http://www.ru.nl/

Street

Houtlaan 4

Postal Code

6525 XZ

STATUS: EXPIRED