Assistant Professor of Mathematical Physics

Are you an innovative thinker with a commitment to excellence in research and teaching? And do you love exchanging ideas in an interdisciplinary environment with natural scientists and the humanities? As an assistant professor, you will push the boundaries of research in determinism, randomness and emergence in modern physics, inspire the new generation, and contribute to our vibrant academic community.

Your primary place of employment will be the Department of Mathematics at the Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics, and Particle Physics (IMAPP) of Radboud University. You will also be a member of the new Radboud Center for Natural Philosophy (RCNP), created by 2022 Spinoza laureate Klaas Landsman, where you can exchange ideas with mathematical physicists, theoretical physicists, philosophers of science, and historians of science. The other partners in this Center, besides IMAPP, are the Institute for Science in Society (ISiS) in the Faculty of Science and the Center for the History of Philosophy and Science (CHPS) in the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies. You should therefore be willing and able to work in an interdisciplinary team and collaborate with both natural scientists and humanities scholars. RCNP's initial research focus will be on determinism, randomness and emergence in modern physics. Your expertise should be in at least one and ideally more of the three great fundamental theories of modern physics, viz. statistical mechanics, quantum field theory, and general relativity. Expertise in the foundations of mathematics and logic would be a plus.

As Assistant Professor of Mathematical Physics, you will teach general mathematics and mathematical physics courses to mathematics and physics students at both BSc and MSc level. In addition, you will develop and teach specialised courses within the domain of the Radboud Center for Natural Philosophy, often jointly with colleagues from relevant neighbouring disciplines. On average, the teaching load will be 40% (20% in the first three years), with 40% research time (to be dedicated to high-quality, internationally visible research), and 20% management and outreach activities. You will supervise or co-supervise BSc, MSc and PhD students writing their theses. You will be expected to publish in reputable international journals and attract external research funding from governmental, European and/or private institutions. Moreover, you will build or at least contribute to appropriate international networks.

• It concerns an employment for 0.8 - 1.0 FTE.
• At the start of your employment you will be appointed as Assistant Professor level 2 (minimum €3,974 / maximum €5,439 salary scale 11) on a career track towards promotion to Assistant Professor level 1 (minimum €4,814 / €6,181 salary scale, 12). This is based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience. The performance criteria and duration of the career track will be tailored to your background and track record. 
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will be employed on the basis of a temporary contract for 18 months with the prospect of a permanent contract in case of a positive evaluation of your performance.
• 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.

The Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics, and Particle Physics (IMAPP) is embedded in The Faculty of Science (FNWI) of Radboud University. FNWI is responsible for research and teaching in biology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, mathematics and computer sciences. Besides IMAPP, FNWI encompasses six other research institutes. IMAPP is home to several world-leading research groups (e.g. in black hole imaging, astroparticle physics, and mathematical physics) and covers a broad range of fields in fundamental science. Our mathematics and physics teaching programmes are regularly elected the best in the country. IMAPP collaborates with the other FNWI institutes in both research and education, and, through RCNP and ISiS, also with the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies.



Radboud University


We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!

You can apply until  2 April 2023, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to prof. dr Klaas Landsman. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents:

• A letter of motivation,
• Your CV, with a publication list and the names and contact details of at least three referees (please do not send letters of reference with your application).

The first round of online interviews will take place on 25 May and 31 May.
You would preferably begin employment as soon as possible.

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.