Institute of Astronomy

Vacancies

The Institute of Astronomy offers a number of PhD and Masters opportunities each year. Details of these can be found on the admissions pages.

Current and previous employment opportunities at the Institute can be found below.

Open Vacancies

Herchel Smith Postdoctoral Research Fellow x 2 (Fixed Term)

Published on 15/10/2021 
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
Reference: 
LG28322
Salary: 
£33,309-£40,927
Starting Date: 
from 1 October 2022 (or otherwise by negotiation)
Tenure: 
3 years in the first instance

The Managers of the Herchel Smith Postdoctoral Research Fellowships Fund invite applications for up to two Fellowships which would be held in Departments in the School of the Physical Sciences (SPS) at the University of Cambridge from 1 October 2022 (or otherwise by negotiation). Fellows are required to pursue their research on a full-time basis in Cambridge.

Application Information: 

Click  'Apply'  to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please submit your application by 23:59 BST of the closing date of Wednesday, 1st December 2021. If you have any queries about your application please contact Ms Joy McSharry (hr(at)ast.cam.ac.uk).

Further information about the vacancy can be obtained from Ms Paulina Pieprzyca (pp453(at)cam.ac.uk)

Please quote reference LG28322 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Application Deadline Date: 
1 December 2021
Application Deadline Information: 
Applications to be received by midnight BST

Royal Society - Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships

Published on 18/10/2019 
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
Salary: 
Starting salary up to £41,340.00
Starting Date: 
01/10/2022
Tenure: 
5 years

The Institute of Astronomy is pleased to invite expressions of interest from suitably qualified researchers who wish to apply for a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship to be held within the Institute.

This fellowship scheme is aimed at outstanding scientists in the UK at an early stage of their research career (have completed your PhD but have no more than 6 years of research experience post PhD by the closing date of the round) who require a flexible working pattern due to personal circumstances such as parenting or caring responsibilities or health issues.

The Society’s fellowships are highly flexible and part-time working, sabbaticals and secondments can be accommodated. There is also provision for maternity, paternity, adoptive or extended sick leave.

Funding for 5 years is provided, which covers the applicants salary as well as research expenses (up to £13,000 for the first year and up to £11,000 annually thereafter).

This year up to an additional £40,000 can be applied for, which can be used as a contribution towards the cost of a 4-year PhD student or additional research expenses.

In the first instance applicants should make contact with a member of the Institute’s Academic Staff who has related research interests to discuss the possibility of hosting the fellowship within the Institute.

All applicants should inform David Savidge in the IoA finance office of their intent to apply by 29th October, or ideally sooner.

Royal Society's ultimate submission deadline is 10th November. Further details and scheme notes are available on Royal Society's website;

https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/dorothy-hodgkin-fellowship/

Application Deadline Date: 
29 October 2021

Leverhulme Trust/Isaac Newton Trust Early Career Fellowship

Published on 22/11/2017 
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
Salary: 
£33,309 - £40,927
Starting Date: 
Between 1 September 2022 and 1 May 2023
Tenure: 
3 Years

The Institute of Astronomy is pleased to support up to two applications for the Isaac Newton Trust/Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship scheme. Potential applicants should first contact a member of the Institute's Academic Staff to discuss the possibility of submitting a pre-application to the Institute's selection committee which will review requests.

Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships aim to provide career development opportunities for those who are at a relatively early stage of their academic careers, but who have a proven record of research. The expectation is that Fellows should undertake a significant piece of publishable work during their tenure.

Applications are invited from those with a doctorate who submitted their doctoral thesis for viva voce examination not more than four years prior to the Leverhulme Trust application closing date on 24 February 2022. All candidates must hold a doctorate or have equivalent research experience by the time they take up the Fellowship. Those who are or have been registered for a doctorate at any time may apply only if they have submitted their doctoral thesis by the closing date of 4pm on 24 February 2022.

Applicants must either hold a degree from a UK higher education institution at the time of taking up the Fellowship or at the time of the application deadline must hold an academic position in the UK which commenced no less than 4 months prior to the closing date.

Applicants who have not already moved institutions in the course of their academic career (i.e., between their undergraduate degree and current position) should nominate a new host institution, or otherwise demonstrate clear evidence of the academic and/or personal reasons for remaining at the same institution, such as access to highly specialist equipment or a highly specialised research team.

The Leverhulme Trust offers funding cover 100% of salary costs in year 1 and 50% of salary costs in years 2 and 3 of the three-year early career fellowship position, as well as research funds of up to £6,000 per annum. The Isaac Newton Trust is the main Cambridge University body offering matching funding for the remaining 50% salary cost. The Institute of Astronomy is allowed to support up to two Isaac Newton Trust applications per year.

A “three-stage” application process is therefore required, with applicants first submitting a pre-application to the Institute of Astronomy for support. Supported applicants will then apply to the Isaac Newton Trust for matched funding. If approved, applicants would then apply to the Leverhulme Trust for the full fellowship. All application stages have to be successful to be awarded the fellowship.

Once applicants have engaged with a member of the Institute's Academic Staff, a pre-application may be made by submitting:

  • Isaac Newton Trust cover sheet
  • CV (not exceeding two sides)
  • A list of your major publications (maximum one side)
  • A statement of your current research (maximum 250 words)
  • A detailed statement of your proposed research (maximum two sides)
  • Name and contact details of your two proposed referees
  • Name of the IoA Staff member who has agreed to support the pre-application

Materials should be sent to fellowships@ast.cam.ac.uk with attachments as a single .pdf format file.

Applicants should also request that their endorsing IoA academic staff member send a statement in support of their application to the same e-mail address by the same deadline.

The Institute's selection committee will begin reviewing applications in early December and pre-applications must be received no later than 6 December for consideration by the Institute's slection committee.

The Isaac Newton Trust closing date for submission of applications is 10 January.

 

Application Deadline Date: 
6 December 2021

Closed Vacancies

Kavli Institute Fellow/Kavli Institute Senior Fellow (Fixed Term)

Published on 28/08/2021 
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
Reference: 
LG27880
Salary: 
£32,816-£52,559
Starting Date: 
October 2022, but alternative starting dates can be arranged with some flexibility.
Tenure: 
3 years in the first instance

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years in the first instance with the possibility of extending the term for 2 additional years depending on funding.

The Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge, is offering one or more Kavli Fellowships in Cosmology and Astrophysics.

Applicants must have a PhD in Astrophysics or a related field, or have submitted their PhD thesis by the start date of the fellowship. We welcome applications from observers and theorists with interests relevant to one or more of the scientific themes of the Kavli Institute (see http://www.kicc.cam.ac.uk), i.e., the cosmic microwave background and the early Universe, the formation and evolution of galaxies and of supermassive black holes, the epoch of cosmic reionization, evolution of the intergalactic medium, the nature of dark matter, large-scale structure and precision cosmology, and gravitational waves.

The successful applicant will be expected to develop research objectives and conduct collaborative scientific research, write up research work for publication and presentations, and may be involved in one or more of the various research projects associated with the Kavli Institute. The successful applicant may be requested to assist with the supervision of graduate students and outreach activities as requested by the Director of the Kavli Institute. Applicants must have excellent communication and computing skills.

Salary will be either on the Research Associate scale (grade 7, from £32,816 to £40,322) if appointed as Kavli Institute Fellow or, for exceptional and established researchers, on the Senior Research Associate scale (grade 9, from £41,526 to £52,559) if appointed as Kavli Institute Senior Fellow. A research allowance of £10,000 per annum will be provided. A relocation allowance up to £3000 will also be provided. Further benefits of University employment are outlined at http://www.induction.admin.cam.ac.uk/.

Appointment at Research Associate level (grade 7) is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted their thesis but not yet been awarded their PhD will initially be appointed as a Research Assistant and amended to Research Associate level when the PhD is awarded. The Research Assistant salary (grade 5) falls within the range £26,715 to £30,942.

Applications will be reviewed after the closing date and short-listed candidates will be interviewed in December 2021.

The candidate shall ideally start in October 2022, but alternative starting dates can be arranged with some flexibility.

Application Information: 

Click on 'Apply' to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please submit your application by 23:59 BST of the closing date of Monday, 25th October 2021. If you have any queries about your application please contact Mr Steven Brereton (kavlisec(at)ast.cam.ac.uk) who is also the contact for informal enquiries.

Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV), cover letter, publications list and research statement (three A4 pages maximum in 11pt font) in the Upload section of the online application. The names and contact details of three academic referees will be requested with a deadline for receipt of references of 3 November 2021.

Please quote reference LG27880 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University of Cambridge thrives on the diversity of its staff and students. Applications from under-represented groups are particularly welcome. The parent departments of KICC have active Equality and Diversity Committees, which continually work to further the aims of the Athena SWAN charter. The University has a number of family-friendly policies and initiatives, including a returning-carer scheme, university workplace nurseries, university holiday play-schemes, and a shared parental-leave policy. As part of its commitment to providing a family-friendly environment for researchers, the KICC ensures that should parental leave be needed during the course of employment, there is provision for extension to contract to compensate for the parental leave taken.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Application Deadline Date: 
25 October 2021
Application Deadline Information: 
Applications to be received by midnight.