Scientific staff

4 ERC-funded postdoctoral positions at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands 

The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands invites applications for 4 postdoctoral positions in the areas of planet forming disks, galaxy formation and evolution, galactic archeology and exoplanet science.

Project Descriptions:

Project 1: DISKS-ROCK – Element transport processes in planet forming disks with substructure

Supervisor: Prof. Inga Kamp
Project Description: The James Webb Space Telescope shows an intriguing difference between the mid-IR spectra of disks around Solar mass stars and Very Low Mass Stars, the former being oxygen-rich, the latter carbon-rich. Within my ERC project DISKS-ROCK, we will decipher these JWST spectra and characterize the current birth environment of planets forming there. The Postdoctoral Researcher will quantify the efficiency of transport processes from the outer to the inner disk in the presence of outer disk substructure, and derive the resulting inner disk gas compositions. The project entails developing existing simulation codes further, connecting to thermo-chemical disk models (in collaboration with PhD students) and detailed comparison with observational data (e.g. ALMA). Strong computational skills, and/or experience with ALMA data are important assets.

Project 2: FLOWS – Gas flows in and out of galaxies: solving the cosmic baryon cycle

Supervisor: Prof. Filippo Fraternali
Project Description: Gas flows in and out of galaxies are the engines of the cosmic baryon cycle, however, due to their complexity, they remain poorly understood. The ERC FLOWS project aims to make a major leap forward in our understanding of gas flows and their fundamental role in galaxy formation and evolution. The FLOWS group combines innovative data analysis with advanced theoretical investigations, including high-resolution magneto-hydrodynamical simulations and spatially resolved chemo-dynamical evolution galaxy models.

Within this framework, we are seeking an enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher with a strong interest in analysing, interpreting, and exploiting state-of-the-art observational data from facilities such as ALMA, the SKA pathfinders, the VLT, HST, and JWST. The position will focus on the development and application of novel data analysis techniques, in close synergy with the cutting-edge theoretical tools developed within the FLOWS group. Experience in the analysis and interpretation of spectroscopic data is highly valued, but applicants with complementary expertise, including theoretical or modelling backgrounds, are also encouraged to apply.

Project 3: EARLYMW – A detailed reconstruction of the early Milky Way from its most metal-poor stars

Supervisor: Prof. Else Starkenburg
Project Description: Studying the most metal-poor stellar populations in our Galaxy provides us with the opportunity to learn more about the very early history of galaxies at small scales that are not attainable in the high-redshift Universe. In the ERC EARLYMW project, our team aims to provide a more quantitative picture of the proto-galaxy that became our Milky Way. This postdoctoral project studies very metal-poor stars in spectroscopic data, including the novel massively multi-plexed WEAVE and 4MOST Galactic Archaeology surveys, and additional targeted follow-up campaigns. Key topics to investigate include the quantification of structures and/or gradients in chemical abundance space for very metal-poor stars with Galactocentric distance, metallicity, and Galactic environment. The final goal of this project is to use this information to quantify and chart supernova contributions to the early Milky Way. Experience with stellar spectroscopy and/or within the fields of Galactic archaeology, or near-field cosmology are clear assets.

Project 4: MagmaWorlds – Tracing the chemical evolution of super-Earth exoplanets

Supervisor: Dr. Tim Lichtenberg
Project Description: The origin and evolution of the atmospheres of rocky worlds is a major question of exoplanet science, affecting the frequency of potentially habitable worlds and the prebiotic environment of the earliest Earth. In the ERC MagmaWorlds project our team will build a numerical framework of the chemical evolution of super-Earth exoplanets, bridging the ultra-hot conditions of atmosphere-stripped lava worlds with the climate of temperate volatile-rich super-Earths. The postdoctoral researcher will study the influence of internal geophysical and/or atmospheric processes on the composition, climate, and observable signatures of super-Earth exoplanets. Key topics may include the roles of atmospheric disequilibrium chemistry and escape, and the internal structural and tidal evolution during mantle crystallization. The project will focus on developing and applying novel computer codes to numerically simulate these geophysical and atmospheric processes for interpretation with JWST and future exoplanet surveys. Applicants with strong computational skills and a background in either planetary geoscience or atmospheric science are particularly encouraged to apply. More information can be found at: https://www.formingworlds.space/erc-magmaworlds-positions 

For detailed questions about a particular project, you can also email the prospective supervisors: https://www.rug.nl/(...)e/people/medewerkers. Please write a clear reference in the email subject, e.g., title of the project you are applying for and/or name of the supervisor(s).

Qualifications

We seek highly motivated and dynamic researchers who are eager to join a vibrant and internationally-oriented research institute. A successful candidate must hold a PhD degree in a relevant field by the starting date of the position. Previous research experience, technical skills, and publication record will be important criteria for the selection.

Organisation

The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute is part of the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA) and is recognised worldwide for the quality of its research in multiple areas of astronomy. With 17 faculty, about 15 postdocs, and 60 PhD students spanning all areas of modern astrophysics from exoplanets to high-z galaxies and cosmology, it is a vibrant and international institute in the Netherlands. Kapteyn and the Faculty of Science and Engineering have an active postdoc career policy, local events, and offer training opportunities to optimally support postdoctoral scientists in their careers. 

Groningen occupies a strategic place in Dutch astronomy, hosting both the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, the low-energy astrophysics division of the Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON) and the NOVA sub-mm lab. The Kapteyn Institute has a strong connection with the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) in Dwingeloo, a European centre of radio astronomy research. Staff and PhD students at the Kapteyn Institute frequently collaborate with SRON and ASTRON scientists and engineers. There are also strong interdisciplinary connections with other institutes in the Faculty of Science and Engineering in Groningen, and across the Netherlands, such as with the Dutch Origins Center. English is the common language spoken at the institute.

Groningen (https://www.visitgroningen.nl/en) is a historic university town in the northern Netherlands with a population of approximately 240,000 people, of which almost 25% are students. This makes Groningen the city in the Netherlands with the highest student population density, the youngest city in the country, and one of the youngest in Europe. Groningen offers a very high quality of life, surrounded by beautiful nature, and is a lively city with a remarkably diverse cultural scene. You can find more information on http://groningenlife.nl/en.

Conditions of employment

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

• a salary in the range of € 4,241 – € 4,728 depending on years of experience post-PhD (PD salary scale), based on a full-time position

• a holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income

• an 8.3% year-end bonus

• a full-time position (1.0 FTE)

• a position for two years, renewable for a third year based on performance

Application

A complete application includes the following:

• Cover letter (≤2 pages) addressed to the supervisor of the respective position, including name and contact information of 3 referees

• Statement of research experience and interests (≤3 pages)

• CV (≤4 pages)

• Publication list (≤2 pages), highlighting 2 papers that you are most proud of or that are particularly relevant to the position, incl. a short motivation

Please upload your application as a single pdf file (≤11 pages in total), following the order stated above. You may apply for this position until 28 November 11:59pm Dutch local time (CET) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below). Short-list in-person interviews are planned between January and February 2026. In the case of visa-related travel issues these may be conducted virtually, upon discussion with the respective supervisor.

The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/(...)rsity-and-inclusion/

Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/brochures/am509774cee_en_e4.pdf 

Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.

Information

For information you can contact: pdkapteyn astro.rug.nl 

Please do not use the e-mail address(es) above for sending in your application documents.

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