Perimeter-SAIFR Postdoctoral Fellowship

The ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research (ICTP-SAIFR) announces the opening of up to two special four-year joint postdoctoral positions to begin in 2019. These positions will be funded by FAPESP and by the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada and will be filled in areas including astrophysics, complex systems including applications to biology, condensed matter theory, cosmology and general relativity, gravitational waves, mathematical physics, theoretical and experimental particle physics, physics of cold atoms, QCD and hadronic physics, and string theory. Perimeter and SAIFR already share several activities including a joint faculty position, and the joint postdoctoral fellow will have the unique opportunity to closely interact with physicists in both hemispheres.

Selected fellows will be funded for the first two years through a FAPESP postdoctoral fellowships and receive an annual tax-free salary of 88,500 Brazilian reais as well as moving costs and 13,275 Brazilian reais/year for travel and research expenses. Postdocs will also receive ICTP-SAIFR funds to invite visitors and organize activities. The third and fourth years would be spent at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics with the same funding as a regular Perimeter Institute postdoc. The existing partnership between Perimeter and SAIFR can be used to support the fellow to easily travel back and forth between both institutions during his/her stay at the other institution so that the opportunity for producing strong research bonds is maximized. A possible extension of up to two extra years (at either ICTP-SAIFR or Perimeter or a combination of both) might be available.

Review of applications will begin in December 2018 and will continue until all positions have been filled. Although there is no strict deadline, applications before December 1, 2018 are strongly recommended for positions to begin in 2019. Candidates can apply by filling out the online SAIFR postdoctoral application form here and checking the box expressing interest in the joint SAIFR/Perimeter fellowship. To simplify the analysis of the various applications, we ask candidates to also submit an application to Perimeter here.

Given the nature of this joint appointment, we are mostly looking for candidates whose research area is represented in both institutes and/or candidates with a strong demonstrated independence. In your research project, please make the case of why you feel this kind of joint position – as opposed to a regular standard appointment – would suit you best.

ICTP-SAIFR is a South American regional center for theoretical physics created through a collaboration of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste (ICTP) with the São Paulo Research Funding Agency (FAPESP) and São Paulo State University (UNESP), and is located at the Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT-UNESP) campus in the center of São Paulo. ICTP-SAIFR has visitor exchange agreements with CEA-Saclay, CERN, Fermilab, IFT-Madrid, Mainz ITP, Nordita, Perimeter and the ICTP in Trieste, and has a well-funded visitor program with frequent seminars, schools and workshops in all areas of theoretical physics.

ICTP-SAIFR associated researchers located at IFT-UNESP and nearby universities in these research areas include:

Astrophysics/Cosmology/Gravitational Waves – Raul Abramo (IFUSP), Fabio Iocco (ICTP-SAIFR/IFT-UNESP), Marcos Lima (IFUSP), Rodrigo Nemmen (IAG-USP), Elisabete de Gouveia Dal Pino (IAG-USP), Rafael Porto (ICTP-SAIFR/IFT-UNESP), Farinaldo Queiroz (ICTP-SAIFR/IIP-Natal), Rogério Rosenfeld (ICTP-SAIFR/IFT-UNESP), Riccardo Sturani (ICTP-SAIFR/IIP-Natal);

Complex Systems including applications to biology – Marcus Aguiar (Unicamp), Hilda Cerdeira (IFT-UNESP), Roberto Kraenkel (IFT-UNESP), Paulo Prado (IB-USP);

Condensed Matter/Cold Atom Physics/Quantum Information – Sadhan Adhikari (IFT-UNESP), Leandro Aolita (ICTP-SAIFR/UFRJ), Aline Ramires (ICTP-SAIFR), Alexandre Rocha (IFT-UNESP);

String Theory/Field Theory/Mathematical Physics – Nathan Berkovits (ICTP-SAIFR/IFT-UNESP), Andrei Mikhailov (IFT-UNESP), Horatiu Nastase (IFT-UNESP), Victor Rivelles (IFUSP), Diego Trancanelli (IFUSP), Pedro Vieira (ICTP-SAIFR/Perimeter);

Theoretical and Experimental Particle Physics – Gustavo Burdman (IFUSP), Oscar Éboli (IFUSP), Gastão Krein (IFT-UNESP), Ricardo Matheus (IFT-UNESP), Sergio Novaes (NCC-UNESP/IFT-UNESP), Eduardo Pontón (ICTP-SAIFR/IFT-UNESP), Rogério Rosenfeld (ICTP-SAIFR/IFT-UNESP).

Perimeter Institute is located west of Toronto, in Waterloo, Canada, and was founded in September 1999 as an independent institute supporting research in foundational areas of theoretical physics such as classical gravity, condensed matter theory, cosmology, particle physics, quantum fields and strings, quantum foundations, quantum information, and quantum gravity. The Institute offers an exceptional research environment and is currently staffed with 40 full-time and part-time faculty members, 54 Distinguished Visiting Research Chairs, 55 Postdoctoral Researchers, 61 Graduate Students, and 31 exceptional master’s-level students participating in Perimeter Scholars International. Perimeter also hosts hundreds of visitors and conference participants throughout the academic year. For more information please visit the website here.