The Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP) at Utrecht University is looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher in gravitational wave data analysis. In this position you will help develop novel analysis techniques to address the challenges that will be posed by next-generation gravitational wave detectors, specifically LISA in space, and Einstein Telescope on the ground. These observatories will have in common that there will likely be no stretch of data that is devoid of signal, due to the length of binary black hole and other signals while in band, and that signals will frequently overlap, thereby severely stretching the capabilities of traditional data analysis techniques. The aim is to arrive at an entirely new methodology based on machine learning to solve these problems, thus opening the door for precision gravitational wave science.

At GRASP, the data analysis effort is led by Professor Chris Van Den Broeck and Dr. Anuradha Samajdar, and currently involves 16 postdocs and PhD candidates. The team has close ties with researchers at Utrecht University’s Institute for Theoretical Physics, with Nikhef in Amsterdam, and with other individuals and institutes across the Netherlands as well as globally. The position itself is part of a national consortium on the theme “Shivers from the Deep Universe: A National Infrastructure for Gravitational Wave Research”, which comprises nine knowledge institutes in the Netherlands.  The successful candidate will conduct her or his research as a member of the LISA Consortium and the Einstein Telescope Collaboration.

We are looking for a motivated colleague who brings the following:

• a PhD degree in Physics or a closely related field (or you are in the final stages of obtaining a PhD);
• excellent programming and scientific writing skills;
• excellent communication skills in English (C1 level);
• motivation to work in a multidisciplinary, international research team;
• prior experience in machine learning and/or gravitational wave data analysis is highly desirable.

We offer:

• a position for three years;
• a full-time gross salary between €3,226 and €5,090 in scale 10 of the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities (CAO);
• 8% holiday bonus and 8.3% end-of-year bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, and flexible employment conditions based on the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities.

In addition to the employment conditions from the CAO for Dutch Universities, Utrecht University has a number of its own arrangements. These include agreements on professional development, leave arrangements, sports and cultural schemes and you get discounts on software and other IT products. We also give you the opportunity to expand your terms of employment through the Employment Conditions Selection Model. This is how we encourage you to grow. For more information, please visit working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

At the Faculty of Science, there are six departments to make a fundamental connection with: Biology, Chemistry, Information and Computing Sciences, Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Physics. Each of these is made up of distinct institutes that work together to focus on answering some of humanity’s most pressing problems. More fundamental still are the individual research groups – the building blocks of our ambitious scientific projects. Find out more about us on YouTube.

The Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP) aims at understanding the basic constituents of matter and their interactions, and the fundamental properties of space and time. Its members perform experimental research on heavy-ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider, and gravitational wave data analysis related to neutron stars and black holes. We have ties with Utrecht University’s Institute for Theoretical Physics, and at the national level also with Nikhef, the National Institute for Subatomic Physics in Amsterdam, of which we are a consortium partner. We are actively involved in large international collaborations such as ALICE, Virgo, Einstein Telescope, and LISA.