Jobs and PhD Opportunities in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

Here you will find any information about current job vacancies at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology. We may also, from time to time, post details of relevant positions within other groups or centres at DAMTP.

 

CTC/GR Group postdocs

The CTC/GR group occasionally advertises Stephen Hawking Advanced Fellowships for outstanding candidates in Cosmology and Gravitation with a tenure of 4-5 years. We also hold a large STFC consolidated grant which funds a number of postdoctoral positions in cosmology and relativity. These posts, if available, will be listed on this page (and elsewhere, usually in the autumn).

Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge

The Kavli brings together researchers from the Institute of Astronomy, the Cavendish Laboratory (Department of Physics) and DAMTP, offering the benefit of close interaction as well as access to giant telescopes and space satellites. Researchers from any country can apply for Kavli Institute Fellowships and can be based in the CTC in DAMTP.

Some of the possible opportunities regularly available each year include:

Kavli Institute Senior Fellow in Cosmology (5 years)
Newton-Kavli Junior Fellow (3 years)

The following positions are offered on a more occasional basis every few years:

Kavli Institute Fellow in Gravitational Waves (5 years)
Gavin Boyle Fellowship in Cosmology and Exoplanetary Science (3 years)

Other Cambridge opportunities

Herchel Smith Postdoctoral Fellowships provide support for 2-3 years for researchers in the biological and physical sciences. They are open to applicants from anywhere except those who obtained their PhD from Cambridge or Harvard. Candidates must have less than three years of postdoctoral research experience.

External funding opportunities

• The STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship is offered every year. The deadline for applications is in September, but interested applicants who wish their Fellowship to be hosted in DAMTP must have discussed their application with a member of the DAMTP academic staff, who will act as their "sponsor" should their application be successful. The deadline for DAMTP to receive applications is usually in August.
• ESPRC/STFC Stephen Hawking Fellowships provide up to four years of funding for UK and international researchers in all areas of theoretical physics, and in those areas of mathematics and computer science which underpin and contribute to the development of theoretical physics.
• The Royal Society Wolfson Fellowship offers up to five years of funding for senior career researchers of any nationality. There are three rounds per year.
• The Royal Society University Research Fellowship is for applicants at an early stage of their research career, with three to eight years of experience since their PhD.
• The Royal Society JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship provides funding for young researchers to conduct cooperative research in Japan for 12-24 months.
• The Royal Society Newton Advanced Fellowship provide opportunities for international researchers to collaborate with a partner in the UK for up to two years.
• The Marie Curie Individual Fellowship offers one to two years of funding for researchers working in EU or associated countries. Applicants need at least four years’ full-time research experience by the time of the call deadline.
• RAS Research and Norman Lockyer Fellowships are awarded for a period of up to three years.
• Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowships fund a research programme in any discipline for 3 to 24 months.

PhD opportunities

Entry requirements:

For those interested in taking a PhD in the CTC/GR group, this would normally be possible when the candidate has taken the University's Part III Mathematics course or an equivalent four-year degree, achieving a Distinction or first-class honours degree (though in practice most candidates come through Part III). Graduates from outside Cambridge frequently take Part III as a qualifying fourth-year course. Exceptional external applicants with masters degrees may be considered in cosmology or if there are other opportunities advertised on this website.

DAMTP deadline:

The deadline for applications is the end of January each year, unless you require funding from the Cambridge Trusts, in which case earlier deadlines apply. However, later applications will be considered where possible. For more detailed information please go to http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/study/phdstudentships.html and http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/postgrad/phd/

Funding:

There are other awards available from Cambridge sources outside DAMTP. The Graduate Admissions website contains an up-to-date guide. See also the Student Registry for funding-related information.

Centre for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science

There is an alternative route for PhD funding through the Cambridge CDT in Data Intensive Science. This provides a four-year PhD working on a data-intensive project and can be based in DAMTP.