Post-doctoral fellow in galactic archeaology - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Subject description

The position is placed at the Department of Geology to work in the Galactic Archeaology group led by Prof. Sofia Feltzing. The main topic of research is foreseen to be the formation and evolution of the Milky Way thick disk. The primary aim of the project is to leverage extant elemental abundance data together with stellar ages and kinematics based on Gaia data to delineate the history of the Milky Way disk and test formation scenarios as well as to compare and contrast with recent studies of high redshift galaxies which appear to imply the existence of thick disks from a very early time. The over-arching aim is to understand the formation of galaxies in general and thick disks in particular.

Work duties

The main duties involved in this postdoctoral posistion are to conduct research within the scope of the project.

The employ can join the 4MOST survey and, via collaborations, work on WEAVE and SDSS-V data. The employee may join one of the 4MOST infrastructure working group (max 20% of the time), preferably the one focusing on selection functions.

The employee is expected to promote the research results via publication of scientific papers, give talks at international conferences and via visiting other research institutes and give seminars. This will mean some travel. There is a budget available for this but the employee is also expected to apply for travel funds from external bodies, such as learned societies and research councils.

The employee is expected to contribute to the groups daily scientific life and participate in meetings and similar with collaborators in Lund and elsewhere where we share our research results and have scientific discussions. 

Work duties will include:

• Determine ages for sub-giant stars in extant large datasets.
• Conceptual work on a pipeline to perform highly differential abundance analysis for sub-giant stars (the work can further result in the construction of such a pipeline).
• Developing an understanding of formation scenarios for the formation of the thick disk and how those can be tested.
• Interpreting large stellar datasets to understand the assembly history of the Milky Way.
• Actively seeking external research funding.
• Collaboration and participation within the research group.

The position shall include the opportunity for three weeks of training in higher education teaching and learning.

 Qualification requirements

Appointment to a post-doctoral position requires that the applicant has a PhD, or an international degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, within the subject of the position, completed by the start of employment and no more than three years before the date of employment decision. Under special circumstances, the doctoral degree can have been completed earlier.

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• Ability to undertake original research.
• Demonstrated capacity to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong analytical thinking and independent problem-solving skills.

Assessment criteria and other qualifications

This is a career development position primarily focused on research. The position is intended as an initial step in a career, and the assessment of the applicants will primarily be based on their research qualifications and potential as researchers.

Particular emphasis will be placed on research skills within the subject.

For appointments to a post-doctoral position, the following shall form the assessment criteria:

• Received a PhD with a focus on the study of the Milky Way, its stars and galaxy formation, or a PhD with the focus on galaxy formation in general
• A good ability to develop and conduct high quality research.
• Specialization in observations or theory/simulations.

Additional assessment criteria:

• Experience in interpretation of Milky Way data in the context of galactic formation
• Familiarity with stellar age determination
• Experience with stellar spectral analysis
• Experience with dynamical studies of stars in the Milky Way and/or other galaxies, including building dynamical models
• Knowledge of Python programming
• Experience working within large surveys
• Experience working with data from large surveys
• Good knowledge of statistical methods and their application within the research field

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research at Lund University.

Terms of employment
This is a full-time, fixed-term employment of a maximum of two years. The period of employment is determined in accordance with the agreement “Avtal om tidsbegränsad anställning som postdoktor” (“Agreement on fixed-term employment as a post-doctoral fellow”) between Lund University, SACO-S and OFR/S, dated 1st February 2022.

Instructions on how to apply

Applications shall be written in English and be compiled into a PDF-file containing:

• Cover letter with motivation
• Résumé/CV, including a full list of publications
• General description of past research and future research interests (no more than three pages)
• Contact information of at least two references
• Copy of the doctoral degree certificate, and other certificates/grades that you wish to be considered. If a PhD degree has not yet been obtained, include documents supporting that a PhD degree will be obtained by the start of the employment.

Welcome to apply!