Undertake research with the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG)

We're a thriving and welcoming resarch environment. If you'd like to join us as a researcher, at PhD level or as a post-doctoral fellow, please explore the opportunities below. 

You can find opportunities on our recruitment portal by visiting https://port.engageats.co.uk/ and filtering the Department field to "ICG"

Research fellowships 

The ICG welcomes candidates interested in applying for research fellowships to be held in Portsmouth. A variety of potential fellowships are available, including Royal Society University Research Fellowships, Ernest Rutherford Fellowships (STFC), Marie Curie (EU) fellowships, and possibly national fellowships from the candidate’s country of origin. Expressions of interest for fellowships should be addressed to an ICG staff member with a connection to the proposed research.

We welcome applications from all qualified applicants, but applications are particularly encouraged from traditionally under-represented groups in science. The University of Portsmouth is member of the Athena SWAN charter and an Institute of Physics Project Juno Supporter; these projects show a commitment to introduce organisational and cultural practices that promote gender equality in science and create a better working environment for men and women.

Ernest Rutherford Fellowships are five year fellowships funded by the STFC (formerly STFC Advanced Fellowships). The 2023 Ernest Rutherford Fellowships will soon be announced, but we expect the final submission deadline to be 21 September 2023. They will be open to candidates of any nationality, but each institution is limited in the total number of applications it can support, at the ICG we are only able to support 3 proposals. The ICG will review potential applicants’ CVs and research proposals to determine which candidates it will support. We require candidates to send a statement of interest, which should include their CV and a draft research proposal, to icg-recruitment@port.ac.uk by the end of July 2023 for full consideration. We will then decide on candidates in the first weeks of August to give us time to work with you on your application before the final deadline of 21 September. Please contact an ICG staff member if you are interested in applying for an Ernest Rutherford Fellowship with us.

STFC encourages applications from those returning after a career break. They may submit applications in excess of the quota allocated to each department.

For further information see http://www.stfc.ac.uk/funding/fellowships/ernest-rutherford-fellowship

Royal Society University Research Fellowships are eight year fellowships open to researchers of all nationalities. The 2023 Royal Society University Research Fellowships will open in July 2023 with a deadline of 7 September 2023.  Please do contact an ICG staff member before the end of July 2023 if you are interested in applying in the 2023 round. There is no limit on how many applicants we can support in making an application to this scheme but it does take some time to put together an application.

For full details on the University Research Fellowships scheme please see https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/university-research/

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie scheme includes Individual Fellowships intended to add significantly to the development of the best and most-promising researchers active in Europe. These are for trans-national researchers, including researchers coming to Europe and those moving within Europe. There is not currently an open call for Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships. We will update this page when their is, the following are details of the 2022 call.

Brexit does not affect the eligibility of UK nationals and/or UK institutes to apply for, or to act as a host for Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions in the 2022 round of applications.

For more information on the current round of Individual Fellowships, please see here https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/calls/msca-postdoctoral-fellowships-2022

For more details on other Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions please see here
http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/

The Stephen Hawking Fellowships will support and develop the next generation of visionary scientists in theoretical physics at the beginning of their career. A fellowship will enable you to undertake high-quality research and learn skills that will allow you to communicate complex scientific ideas through a programme of public engagement. There is currently an open call for these fellowships with a deadline for applying of March 30 2023. Please contact an ICG staff member if you are interested in applying. 

Please follow the link for further information – https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/stephen-hawking-postdoctoral-fellowship/

Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships offer a recognised first step into an independent research career for outstanding scientists and engineers at an early stage of their research career who require a flexible working pattern due to personal circumstances, such as parenting or caring responsibilities or health issues. We await the announcement of the next round of Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships (normally with a deadline in November). If interested in applying, please contact an ICG staff member with a connection to the proposed research.

For further information see https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/dorothy-hodgkin-fellowship/

Daphne Jackson Fellowships offer STEM professionals the opportunity to return to a research career after a break of two or more years for a family, health or caring reason. It is the opportunity to balance a personalised retraining programme with a challenging research project, held in a supportive UK university or research establishment. It is possible to apply for a Daphne Jackson Fellowship at any time. If interested in applying, please contact an ICG staff member with a connection to the proposed research.

For more information, please see here https://daphnejackson.org/about-fellowships/

Royal Society Newton International Fellowships are for non-UK scientists who are at an early stage of their research career and wish to conduct research in the UK. This scheme is currently accepting applicants with a deadline of 28 March 2023. If interested in applying, please contact an ICG staff member with a connection to the proposed research.

    For further information see https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/newton-international/. Please note the changes for the 2023 round to fully support the costs of hosting an applicant, moving this scheme inline with other opportunities.

    Royal Astronomical Society Research Fellowships and the Norman Lockyer Fellowship provide support for up to 3 years for early career research astronomers and geophysicists. Applications are restricted to candidates who have a recognized PhD (or equivalent) obtained no more than 5 years before the start of their position or who have taken their viva before the application deadline and expect to be awarded the PhD by the time of appointment. These are offered on a 3-year cycle, and the next opportunity is expected to be in 2024.

    For further information see https://www.ras.org.uk/awards-and-grants/fellowships

    Future Leaders Fellowships will grow the strong supply of talented individuals needed to ensure a vibrant environment for research and innovation in the UK. The scheme is open to researchers and innovators from across business, universities, and other organisations.

     

    The 8th Future Leaders Fellowship scheme will open on the 27th March with a deadline of 4th July 2023. University of Portsmouth is able to submit 3 proposals and so an internal selection process is needed to select these from across the University. If you are interested in submitting a Future Leaders Fellowship application with the ICG, please contact one of our faculty as soon as possible who can guide you in the process. All potential candidates will need to register their interest in applying to this scheme by 28th March.

     

     

    PhD Studentships

    Funded PhD studentships at the ICG, University of Portsmouth

    • Applications for funding should be received by January 31, 2023 for full consideration; This deadline has now passed, but (as of late February) we haven't yet filled all PhD positions. Please email us at the address below if you are still interested in applying for funded positions for 2023. 
    • Final deadline for self-funded study: July 1, 2023

    The Institute of Cosmology & Gravitation at the University of Portsmouth invites applicants for PhD studentships beginning in October 2023.  The ICG is one of the leading groups in research on cosmology and astrophysics in the UK. We are active participants in a wide range of international collaborations, including the Dark Energy Survey (DES), the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) and the Euclid satellite.

    Multiple funded PhD studentships will be available for research projects in:

    • Astrophysics  
    • Observational cosmology 
    • Theoretical cosmology 
    • Gravitational waves 

    Read more about our research

    There is no formal closing date, but applicants are advised to submit an application as early as possible. If you are seeking a funded studentship, you should aim to submit by the end of January.  

    Interviews for these studentships take place in February / March for entry in October. Applications will be considered until the positions are filled.  PhD applicants should have or expect to obtain a good honours degree or equivalent in Physics, Maths or Astronomy. 

    Informal enquiries about the studentships can be directed to icg-recruitment@port.ac.uk. Formal applications should be made through the online application form, quoting project code ICG07290123.

    We welcome applications from all qualified applicants, but applications are particularly encouraged from traditionally under-represented groups in science. The University of Portsmouth holds an Athena SWAN bronze award and is an Institute of Physics Project Juno Supporter; these projects show a commitment to introduce organisational and cultural practices that promote gender equality in science and create a better working environment for men and women.

    The ICG is a member of the SouthEast Physics Network (SEPNet), a consortium of nine world-class universities in the southeast of England. Our post-graduate students have the opportunity to engage with the SEPNet Graduate Network (GRADNet). By channelling this broad research expertise into one central, combined resource, GRADNet provides a wide range of postgraduate training opportunities, including specialised schools and student-led workshops and conferences.