| Postdoctoral position at the University of St. Andrews |
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General Statement and Description Nature of appointment and salary
General Statement and Description The Solar and Magnetospheric Theory Group at the University of St Andrews invites applications for a Research Fellow (postdoc) in a solar physics research group that is part of the Solaire Research Training Network (http://www.solairenetwork.net ) financed by the European Commission. The aim of this network is to carry out research through collaboration of its partners, and to provide intensive training of researchers at the initial stages of their careers. The successful candidate will undertake research that is covered by headings of the collaborative packages of the network and will be able to profit from the training opportunities offered by Solaire. We are looking for a candidate with interest in magnetic reconnection and coronal heating who already holds a PhD in solar MHD or plasma physics. Experience in analytical or numerical modelling of magnetic fields and/or magnetic reconnection are desirable, but not essential. The Solar and Magnetospheric Group has eight staff members (Professors Hood, Priest and Roberts, Drs De Moortel, Mackay, Neukirch, Parnell and Wright), a Senior Scientific Officer, a number of Research Fellows and PhD Students. Links between analytical theory, numerical computations and observations are strongly encouraged. Areas of particular interest within the group include magnetic reconnection, coronal heating, particle acceleration, coronal seismology, MHD waves and computational MHD. The Group leads a national MHD Consortium in computational MHD and has a large Beowulf parallel computer. The successful candidate will undertake research that lies within the interests of the Group and within the remit of the Solaire network. The research of the appointee will benefit from the networking activities within Solaire including network-wide research and research training, postgraduate schools, network meetings and complementary-skills courses. The Solaire network (http://www.solairenetwork.eu) is a joint initiative of 12 European Universities and Research Institutes and a private R&TD company. The position will last for 15 months. The expected start date is 1st April 2009 or as soon as possible thereafter. The selected candidate will be appointed with a full-time, fixed-term contract with their salary plus extras being paid through the Solaire EU network grant. Salary and social benefits are based on the applicable EU regulations, as well as the local regulations of the University of St Andrews. Following the European Commission rules, the total amount for this employment contract will be 52,875 euros per year, that includes salary, contributions (employer and employee) to national insurance and local taxes), plus a mobility allowance depending on the marital status of the applicant., plus a mobility allowance depending on the marital status of the applicant. In addition, the appointee will receive travel and career exploratory allowances in accordance with the European Commission's rules for Marie Curie Networks. Details about salary and benefits can be obtained through the contacts given below. At the time of appointment, applicants must hold a PhD in solar MHD or plasma physics. The position is open to nationals of any EU or associated country other than the UK (although UK nationals may apply if they have spent at least 4 of the last 5 years in a country which is not an EU Member or associated country). Additionally, at the start of their appointment, the candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activity in the UK for more than 12 months in the previous 3 years. The deadline for applications is 23rd January 2009. Application forms and further particulars are available from: The advertisement and further particulars and a downloadable application form can be found at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/employment/. The University of St Andrews and the Solaire Network are committed to equality of opportunity. Informal enquiries about the position are welcome and should be made to For general information about the Solaire Network please contact The Solar & Magnetospheric Groups website address is http://www-solar.mcs.st-and.ac.uk. |
