Jobs

PhDs with us! 2024 admissions

The University of Milano-Bicocca welcomes applications for PhD scholarships. This year’s application deadline is May 14th, 2024 (noon CEST) for positions starting in the Fall of 2024:

https://en.unimib.it/education/postgraduates/doctoral-research-phd-programmes/applying-doctorate/calls-application

In particular, we are looking for highly motivated candidates to join our activities in black-hole binary dynamics and gravitational-wave data exploitation. Milano-Bicocca hosts a large group in gravitational-wave physics, covering activities ranging from astrophysical/numerical modeling to data analysis. The group counts 7 faculty members (Bortolas, Colpi, Dotti, Gerosa, Giacomazzo, Sesana, and an upcoming new hire) together with several postdocs (of which two prize fellows) and PhD students. Candidates will also have ample opportunities to work with and visit external collaborators.

Our PhD admission program includes several “open” scholarships, covering all research activities in the department (including ours!). All candidates are considered for those by default. In addition, we are advertising an additional “project” scholarship titled “Gravitational-wave source modeling” which will be supervised by Prof. Davide Gerosa. Candidates wishing to be considered for this opportunity should indicate it explicitly when applying (the number of this position FIS.8). For more information on Gerosa’s group see www.davidegerosa.com/group

We strive to build an inclusive group and welcome applications from all interested candidates. For informal inquiries, expressions of interest, and application tips please do not hesitate to contact [email protected]


Tenured professorship in Astrophysics at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy)

The University of Milano-Bicocca (Milan, Italy) will be opening a tenured professorship in astrophysics, with a focus on gravitational-wave data analysis and exploitation. With this notice, we invite expressions of interest from potential candidates.

Milano-Bicocca hosts a large group in gravitational astronomy, with activities covering all bands of the gravitational-wave spectrum and the related experiments (LIGO/Virgo, LISA, ET, PTA). Faculty members with matching interests include Bortolas, Colpi, Dotti, Gerosa, Giacomazzo, and Sesana. The group hosts two large ERC grants and currently counts about 10 PhD students and 15 postdocs. We are part of a wider astrophysics unit at Milano-Bicocca (with activities in large-scale structures and experimental cosmology) as well as a large Physics department with ~70 faculty members.

We are targeting the opening of a faculty position on a timescale of a few months, with a prospective starting date in the early fall of 2024. Onboarding will be at the associate professor level (“professore associato” in the Italian system), which is a tenured appointment. Formal application requirements include holding either the Italian national habilitation (ASN) or a comparable position abroad for at least 3 years. We are happy to assist potential candidates with their ASN application.

Current strategic interests include the development of gravitational-wave data-analysis pipelines for the LISA space mission. At the same time, we are open to all strong candidates willing to bring their ambitious research programs in relativistic astrophysics and/or gravitational-wave astronomy to Milan.

Interested applicants are encouraged to send their CVs and a short cover letter to [email protected] by February 15th, 2024. The CV should include the names and email addresses of three referees who might be approached for references.


Postdoc positions in gravitational-wave astronomy at Milano-Bicocca (Italy)

The University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy) invites expressions of interest for postdoctoral positions in gravitational-wave astronomy.

Successful candidates will join the group of Prof. Davide Gerosa and will be part of the “GWmining” project funded by the European Research Council, with additional support from national grants. Targeted investigations focus on the astrophysical exploitation of gravitational-wave data. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in population-synthesis simulations of compact binaries, gravitational-wave parameter estimation and population studies, as well as applications of statistical and machine-learning tools to gravity (although we are open to all candidates with a strong gravitational-wave and/or high-energy astrophysics background!). Candidates will have ample opportunities to kickstart new projects with group members and will be strongly encouraged to develop their own independent research lines.

We anticipate awarding up to three positions. Appointments will be for 2+1 years and come with a generous research and travel budget. The starting date is negotiable.

The astrophysics unit at Milano-Bicocca provides a vibrant environment with expertise covering all aspects of gravitational-wave astronomy, relativistic astrophysics, and numerical relativity, as well as a wider astronomical context including observational and experimental activities. The group has tight connections with the LISA Consortium, the Virgo Collaboration, the Einstein Telescope Observational Science Board, the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), and the Italian Center for Supercomputing (ICSC). Faculty members with matching interests include Gerosa, Sesana, Colpi, Giacomazzo, and Dotti. For more information on Gerosa’s group see https://davidegerosa.com/group

Milan is a beautiful, international city in the north of Italy with history, art, and outstanding food. Mountains and lakes are just around the corner.

Successful candidates will have a PhD in Physics or related discipline, strong programming skills, and previous experience in gravitational (astro)physics. Applications should include a CV with a list of publications and a two-page statement covering research interests and plans. These should be sent by November 15th, 2023 using this web form:

https://forms.gle/hnQc3N1xh53YAziH9

Candidates should also arrange for at least two, but preferably three, reference letters to be sent using the same form by November 15th, 2023.

We strive to build a diverse and inclusive environment and welcome expressions of interest from traditionally underrepresented groups.

For inquiries please do not hesitate to contact Davide Gerosa at [email protected]


PhD positions in gravitational-wave astronomy at Milano-Bicocca

The University of Milano-Bicocca welcomes applications for PhD scholarships. The application deadline is April 19th, 2023 for positions starting in the Fall of 2023:

https://en.unimib.it/education/postgraduates/doctoral-research-phd-programmes/applying-doctorate/calls-application

In particular, the theoretical astrophysics group is looking for highly motivated candidates to join our activities in black-hole binary dynamics, gravitational-wave data exploitation, and numerical relativity. Faculty members with matching interests include Gerosa, Sesana, Colpi, Dotti, and Giacomazzo. Candidates will have ample opportunities to work with and visit external collaborators as well.

Our PhD admission program includes a number of “open” scholarships, covering all research activities in the department (including ours!). All candidates are considered for those by default. In addition, our group this year is advertising an additional “project” scholarship titled “Gravitational-wave source modeling” and supervised by Gerosa. Candidates wishing to be considered for this additional opportunity should indicate it explicitly when applying (the number of this position FIS.3).

We strive to build an inclusive group and welcome applications from all interested candidates. More information on the astrophysics group at Bicocca can be found at astro.fisica.unimib.it. For informal inquiries and expressions of interest please do not hesitate to contact [email protected]


Postdoctoral fellowships in gravitational-wave astronomy at Milano-Bicocca (Italy)

The University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy) invites expressions of interest for postdoctoral positions in gravitational-wave astronomy.

Successful candidates will join the group of Prof. Davide Gerosa and will be part of the “GWmining” project funded by the European Research Council. Targeted investigations focus on the astrophysical exploitation of gravitational-wave data. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in population-synthesis simulations of compact binaries, gravitational-wave parameter estimation and population studies, and numerical-relativity surrogate modeling (although we are open to all candidates with a strong gravitational-wave and/or high-energy astrophysics background!). Candidates will have ample opportunities to collaborate and kickstart new projects with group members and will be strongly encouraged to develop their own independent collaborations.

We anticipate awarding up to three positions. Appointments will be for a three-year term and come with generous research and travel budget. The starting date is negotiable.

The astrophysics group at Milano-Bicocca provides a vibrant environment with expertise covering all aspects of gravitational-wave astronomy, relativistic astrophysics, and numerical relativity, as well as a wider astronomical context including observational and experimental activities. The group has tight connections with the LISA Consortium, the Virgo Collaboration, the Einstein Telescope Observational Science Board, the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), and the newly formed Italian Center for Supercomputing (ICSC). Faculty members with matching interests include Gerosa, Sesana, Colpi, Giacomazzo, and Dotti. For more information on Gerosa’s group see https://davidegerosa.com/group

Milan is a beautiful, international city in the north of Italy with history, art, and outstanding food. Mountains and lakes are just around the corner.

Successful candidates will have a PhD in Physics or related discipline, strong programming skills, and previous experience in gravitational (astro)physics. Applications should include a CV with a list of publications and a two-page statement covering research interests and plans. These should be sent by November 18th, 2022 using this web form:

https://forms.gle/hnQc3N1xh53YAziH9

Candidates should also arrange for at least two, but preferably three, reference letters to be sent using the same form by November 18th, 2022.

We strive to build a diverse and inclusive environment and welcome expressions of interest from traditionally underrepresented groups.

For inquiries please do not hesitate to contact Davide Gerosa at [email protected].


Job opportunities for Marie Curie past holders and applicants

The Italian government has pushed a hiring program dedicated to holders and applicants of Marie Curie Fellowships from the EU. The call targets those that have either (i) completed a successful Marie Curie Fellowship in the past 4 years or (ii) applied unsuccessfully in the past 4 years but were awarded the so-called “Seal of Excellence”.

For both categories, successful candidates will be awarded a 3yr senior researcher position (at the so-called RTDA level in the Italian system). RTDAs are hired as full employees with related benefits and have limited teaching duties. On top of this, candidates in the Marie Curie winners strand (i) will also be offered a substantial startup grant to hire their own PhD students and postdocs.

All Italian institutions can act as hosts, so I encourage you to contact one of us in the country for more information.

In particular, the gravitational-wave group at the University of Milano-Bicocca provides a vibrant environment with activities ranging from relativistic astrophysics. gravitational-wave data analysis, numerical relativity, and gravity theory. The group counts faculty members Gerosa, Sesana, Colpi, Giacomazzo, and Dotti as well as tens of students and postdocs. The city of Milan is a jewel in the north of Italy with a charming international vibe (as well as mountains, history, art, and outstanding food).

The internal application deadline is October 18th. If you’re eligible and/or interested in applying with us, please get in touch asap ([email protected]) and we’ll go from there.

Here are the relevant webpages (scroll down for the English text):

(i) Marie Curie past winners

https://www.unimib.it/ricerca/opportunita/finanziamenti-alla-ricerca/finanziamenti-nazionali/bando-giovani-ricercatori-vincitori-msca-young-researchers-msca-grants-winners

(ii) Seal of Excellence holders:

https://www.unimib.it/ricerca/opportunita/finanziamenti-alla-ricerca/finanziamenti-nazionali/bando-giovani-ricercatori-seal-excellence-msca-call-young-researchers-seal-excellence-msca


PhD in gravitational physics!

The University of Milano-Bicocca welcomes applications for Ph.D. scholarships. The application deadline is May 20th, 2022 for positions starting in the Fall of 2022:

https://en.unimib.it/education/postgraduates/doctoral-research-phd-programmes/applying-doctorate/calls-application

In particular, the theoretical astrophysics group is looking for strong, highly motivated candidates to join our activities in black-hole binary dynamics, gravitational-wave data exploitation, and numerical relativity. Faculty members with matching interests include Gerosa, Sesana, Colpi, Dotti, and Giacomazzo. The candidates will have ample opportunities to work with and visit external collaborators as well.

Our PhD admission program includes a number of “open” scholarships, covering all research activities in the department (including ours!). All candidates are considered for those by default. In addition, our group sponsors two specific positions:

Candidates wishing to be considered for these additional positions should mention it explicitly in their application.

More information on the astrophysics group at Bicocca can be found at astro.fisica.unimib.it. For informal inquiries please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] or [email protected].


Long-term research appointment in computational astrophysics at Milano-Bicocca (Italy)

The University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy) invites expressions of interest for a 3+2 year research position in HPC applications to astrophysics.

The astrophysics group at Milano-Bicocca provides a vibrant environment with expertise covering all aspects of gravitational-wave astronomy, relativistic astrophysics, galactic dynamics, and numerical relativity. This is embedded in a wider astronomical context including both observational and experimental activities. Our group has tight connections with the LISA Consortium, the Virgo Collaboration, the Einstein Telescope Science Board, the European Pulsar Timing Array, and the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) via the TEONGRAV national initiative. Staff members with matching interests include Colpi, Dotti, Gerosa, Giacomazzo, Lupi, and Sesana.

Milan is a beautiful, international city in the north of Italy. Mountains and lakes are just around the corner. Art, culture, and food are outstanding. The city hosts three international airports with worldwide connections.

This recruitment campaign is part of a wider national initiative supporting HPC-related computational activities throughout the country. This is a major investment program directly supported by the European Union. It will provide the most ideal context for ambitious candidates wishing to develop and apply state-of-the-art computational and machine-learning tools to current astrophysical and gravitational-wave modeling issues.

The researcher will be appointed at the so-called “RTDA” level for 3 years. The contract can also be extended for 2 more years depending on funding availability. The starting date is negotiable, with the earliest and latest dates on January 1st, 2023 and May 1st, 2023, respectively. RTDA researchers are full-time university employees (with full benefits, such as health insurance and pension plan), have limited teaching duties, and are eligible to fully supervise research MSc student projects. This is an ideal setup for early-career researchers wishing to transition toward research independence and start developing their own group.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in Physics, Astronomy, Computer Science, or related discipline, strong programming skills, and previous experience in one or more of the following topics: HPC workflows, GPU software development, computational astrophysics, gravitational-wave astronomy, numerical relativity, statistical data analysis, machine learning.

Applications should include a CV with a list of publications and a two-page statement covering research interests and plans. These should be sent to [email protected] by June 15th, 2022 for full consideration. Candidates should also arrange for two reference letters to be sent to [email protected] by June 15th, 2022.

We strive to build a diverse and inclusive environment and welcome expressions of interest from traditionally underrepresented groups. Women are especially encouraged to apply. For inquiries please do not hesitate to contact Bruno Giacomazzo ([email protected]) or Davide Gerosa ([email protected]).


Postdoctoral fellowships in gravitational-wave astronomy at Milan-Bicocca (Italy)

The University of Milan-Bicocca (Italy) invites expressions of interest for postdoctoral positions in gravitational-wave astronomy.

Successful candidates will join Prof. Davide Gerosa and will constitute the core team of the “GWmining” project funded by the European Research Council. Targeted investigations include applications of machine-learning techniques to gravitational-wave physics, modeling of black-hole binary populations from their stellar progenitors, relativistic dynamics, and statistical inference. Candidates will have ample opportunities to explore other areas of gravitational-wave astronomy and will be encouraged to develop independent collaborations.

We anticipate awarding two positions. Appointments will be for a three-year term and come with generous research and travel budget. The starting date is negotiable.

The astrophysics group at Milan-Bicocca provides a vibrant environment with expertise covering all aspects of gravitational-wave astronomy, relativistic astrophysics, and numerical relativity, as well as a wider astronomical context including observational and experimental activities. The group has tight connections with the LISA Consortium, the Virgo Collaboration, and the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) via the TEONGRAV national initiative. Faculty members with matching interests include Gerosa, Sesana, Colpi, Giacomazzo, and Dotti.

Milan is a beautiful, international city in the north of Italy. Mountains and lakes are just around the corner.

Successful candidates will have a PhD in Physics or related discipline, strong programming skills, and previous experience in one or more of the following topics: gravitational-wave astronomy, stellar evolution, relativistic astrophysics, general relativity, machine learning, statistical inference.

Applications should include a CV with a list of publications and a two-page statement covering research interests and plans. These should be sent to [email protected] by December 1st, 2021 for full consideration. Candidates should also arrange for at least two, but preferably three, reference letters to be sent to the same address by December 1st, 2021. We strive to build a diverse and inclusive environment and welcome expressions of interest from traditionally underrepresented groups.

For inquiries please do not hesitate to contact Davide Gerosa at [email protected].


Come to Milan for a PhD!

The University of Milano-Bicocca welcomes applications for Ph.D. scholarships. The application deadline is June 16th, 2021 for positions to start later in 2021:

https://en.unimib.it/education/doctoral-research-phd-programmes/how-apply-phd-programme

In particular, I am looking for a strong, highly motivated candidate to join my newly established research group supported by the European Research Council. The candidate will work toward interpreting the phenomenology and the astrophysics of gravitational-wave sources using innovative machine-learning techniques. My activities are embedded within the wider Astrophysics group at the University of Milano-Bicocca –a world-leading research environment in strong gravity and relativistic astrophysics. Faculty members with matching interests include Colpi, Sesana, Dotti, and Giacomazzo. The candidate will have ample opportunities to work with and visit external collaborators as well.

This specific position is titled “Large catalogs of gravitational-wave events with machine learning”. Interested candidates should mention it explicitly in their application.

Milan is a beautiful, international city in the north of Italy. Mountains and lakes are just around the corner. For further information and informal inquiries please do not hesitate to contact me ([email protected]).


Postdoc positions in our group

The Institute for Gravitational Wave Astronomy at the University of Birmingham, UK, invites applications for postdoctoral positions.

The Institute provides a vibrant and diverse environment with expertise covering theoretical and experimental gravitational-wave research, with applications to present and future-generation detectors, theoretical astrophysics, transient astronomy, gravitational-wave source modeling, and general relativity theory. Applications from top researchers in all areas related to gravitational-wave and transient astronomy are encouraged.

Institute faculty members include Andreas Freise, Davide Gerosa, Denis Martynov, Haixing Miao, Christopher Moore, Conor Mow-Lowry, Matt Nicholl, Patricia Schmidt, Silvia Toonen, and Alberto Vecchio.

One postdoctoral appointment is funded by the UK Leverhulme Trust (PI Dr. Davide Gerosa) and is focused on developing astrophysical and statistical predictions for the LISA space mission. The successful candidate will have ample opportunities to explore other areas of gravitational-wave astronomy as well.

Appointments will be for a three-year term starting in the Fall of 2020 and come with generous research and travel budget.

Applications should include a CV with a list of publications, and a two-page statement covering research interests and plans. Complete applications should be received by 27 January 2020 for full consideration. Applications should be sent to Ms. Joanne Cox at: [email protected].
Applicants should also arrange for 3 reference letters to be sent by 27 January 2020 to the same email address.

For further information and informal inquiries please contact Dr. Davide Gerosa ([email protected]) and Prof. Alberto Vecchio ([email protected]).


PhD applications now open!

We’re accepting applications from prospective PhD students. The deadline is Dec 31, 2019 for positions starting in the Fall of 2020.

Here below is my project description:

Astrophysics and phenomenology of gravitational-wave sources with LIGO and LISA

This project concentrates on developing theoretical and astrophysical prediction s of gravitational-wave sources. The first observations of gravitational waves by LIGO have ushered us into the golden age of gravitational-wave discoveries. Thousands of new events are expected to be observed in the next few years as detectors reach their design sensitivities. Such large catalogs of gravitational-wave observations will open new, unprecedented opportunities in terms of both fundamental physics and astrophysics. Crucially, they will need to be faced with increasingly accurate predictions. First, among large catalogs, there will be “golden” events. We expect systems that, because of their properties, are particularly interesting to carry out some specific measurements (perhaps because of their favorable orientations, or because they are very massive, or very rapidly rotating, etc). Second, large catalogs need to be exploited with powerful statistical techniques. In the long run, future facilities like LISA will deliver new kinds of sources providing access to a whole new set of phenomena in both astrophysics and fundamental physics. New theoretical tools and techniques need to be developed (and immediately applied!) to maximize the scientific payoff of current and future gravitational-wave observatories.