PhD position Institute of Astrophysics – FORTH in Crete, Greece

The Institute of Astrophysics at the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (IA-FORTH) invites applications for a 3-year PhD position broadly on blazars and Tidal Disruption events to work with Dr. Ioannis Liodakis’s group, funded by the ERC Starting Grant BOOTES (Black hOle Optical polarization TimE-domain Survey). BOOTES is focusing on multiwavelength polarization observations of blazars and TDEs trying to understand early accretion disk and jet formation as well particle acceleration and high-energy processes in jets from supermassive black holes. Applicants who can connect their previous research to the objectives of BOOTES are encouraged to apply, but all applications will be considered equally. The PhD projects of the successful applicant will be decided based on their expertise and aspirations for their future academic career. The group is involved in many international collaborations providing networking and mentoring opportunities. The position comes with competitive salary, a generous travel package, and opportunities to spend extended research visits in the US. The expected start date is September 2024 (negotiable).

The group and IA-FORTH, committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, encourages applications from women and underrepresented minorities, and supports a flexible and family-friendly work environment. Candidates must have a MSc in astronomy, physics or a related field by the time of the appointment. Applicants should send 

(1) a cover letter (1-2 pages max); 

(2) a CV including publications (if any); and 

(3) arrange up to three recommendation letters to be sent directly to Dr. Liodakis (liodakis@ia.forth.gr) by the deadline.

For more information, please contact Dr. Liodakis at liodakis@ia.forth.gr

Deadline: May 1 2024 (Applications received by the deadline will receive full consideration, but review will continue until the position is filled).

IA-FORTH (https://www.ia.forth.gr/) is a premier research institute in Greece. Founded in 2019, it provides an international and dynamic research environment with 10 permanent researchers, 11 postdocs and 18 PhD students. Its members perform cutting-edge research in a variety of topics including supermassive black holes (Casadio, Charisi, Liodakis, Papadakis, Pavlidou), compact objects and pulsar timing (Antoniadis, Reig, Zezas), and galaxy evolution (Charmandaris, Diaz-Santos, Tassis). IA currently hosts three additional ERC grants led by Dr. Casadio (radio observations of quasars), Dr. Charisi (multimessenger signatures from supermassive black hole binaries), Prof. Tassis (polarimetry of the Milky Way) and an ERA chair in Astro-informatics led by Dr. Starck (CEA/Saclay, France). IA- FORTH also manages the Skinakas Observatory with 3 small and medium-size telescopes, located at an altitude of 1750m just 60km from the Institute. IA-FORTH boasts a tight-knit and inclusive community, which fosters close collaborations among the different groups, and is committed to the professional development of its early-career members. The institute has established collaborative links with leading institutes in the US, such as Caltech, NASA/JPL, NASA/MSFC, CfA/Harvard, Vanderbilt, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Northwestern, as well as in Europe including CEA/Saclay (France), FINCA (Finland), IAA (Spain), MPE, MPP and MPIfR (Germany), and Cambridge (UK). IA-FORTH is located in Heraklion, a vibrant medium-sized city in the island of Crete, Greece. Located in the biggest island of Greece with international visitors throughout the year, it maintains a very well- connected airport, phenomenal food scene (with plenty high-end restaurants) and a strong cultural identity with multi-cultural influences and historical gems. It is also surrounded by magnificent nature, beaches and mountains, with year-round outdoor activities (sea sports, hiking, cross-country skiing, etc).