We announce the opening of a postdoctoral position in theoretical cosmology in a IFCPAR/CEFIPRA project. The selected candidate will work with Dr. Dhiraj Hazra at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai, India and Prof. Jérôme Martin at the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (IAP) and Dr. Vincent Vennin at Laboratoire de Physique de l'Ecole Normale (LPENS), Paris, France. The candidate will also have the opportunity to collaborate with the other PIs and Co-PIs of the project. 

The candidate is expected to work largely on the theoretical aspects of the physics of the early Universe as well as comparison of models with the recent and upcoming cosmological data.  The appointment will be for two years, subject to a review of the performance after the first year. The candidate will have the opportunity to work at IMSc during the first year and at IAP or LPENS during the second year. This position is being funded by a joint CEFIPRA project between an Indian and a French team of researchers. The team consists of Prof. L. Sriramkumar (Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai), Dr. Rajeev Kumar Jain (Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru) and Dr. Dhiraj Kumar Hazra (IMSc) on the Indian side, and Prof. Jérôme Martin (IAP), Dr. Julien Grain (Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Orsay)  and Dr. Vincent Vennin (LPENS) on the French side. The salary is fixed by the CEFIPRA guidelines. The ideal starting date for these positions would be between April 1 and May 1, 2024. There is no possibility of extension beyond two years.

Note that IMSc is one of the top research institutes in India and offers a welcoming and vibrant research environment. IMSc is an autonomous national institution for fundamental research supported by the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India and Government of Tamil Nadu. Situated in Paris, IAP is a prestigious research institution in France and is one of five research institutions of the European association for research in astronomy. 

Applicants should send (i) a cover email/letter, (ii) curriculum vitae, (iii) list of publications and (iv) a brief research statement (not more than 3 pages) to <dhiraj@imsc.res.in> and <jmartin@iap.fr> and <vincent.vennin@ens.fr>, with the subject line “CEFIPRA PDF application: Your name”. Candidates should also arrange to send two letters of recommendation to these email addresses by the deadline, with the same subject line.

The deadline for applications is February 29, 2024. However, review of applications will continue until the positions are filled. Note that candidates must have submitted/received their Ph.D. degree by the start date.

Please do not hesitate to write to us at the following email addresses if you have any queries: 

• Dhiraj Kumar Hazra (dhiraj@imsc.res.in)

• Jérôme Martin (jmartin@iap.fr)

• Vincent Vennin (vincent.vennin@ens.fr)

Dhiraj Kumar Hazra, Jérôme Martin and Vincent Vennin

(On behalf of the Indian and French teams)