Postdoctoral Fellow in Machine Learning for Astrophysics & Cosmology

The Department of Physics is one of the biggest departments within the Faculty of Science at SU and supports a broad range of basic research in experimental and theoretical physics. It has about 250 employees of which 95 are PhD students. Many have been internationally recruited. The Department is part of the AlbaNova University Center, which apart from the Department of Physics houses the Department of Astronomy, the Physics Departments at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), and the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics (Nordita). 

The Department of Physics and Stockholm University are affiliated to Stockholm Dual Career Network (SDCN) that supports expat partners with professional events, career-related advice and by building a social network in their new hometown. https://www.sdcn.se/.

More information about us: Department of Physics.

Project description

We seek outstanding postdoctoral researchers, with background in computational, theoretical and/or observational projects, to develop and deploy cutting-edge machine-learning and AI methods for astrophysics and cosmology, enabling precision tests of fundamental physics with current and next-generation galaxy and time-domain surveys. You will work closely with our teams on the Rubin Observatory ‘s LSST, Euclid, ZTF, and LS4.

Main responsibilities

• Field-level inference and simulation-based inference for cosmology
• Neural emulators / surrogate models for accelerated forward modelin
• Differentiable simulations and probabilistic programming for end-to-end pipelines
• Robust uncertainty quantification, systematics mitigation, and domain adaptation
• ML for time-domain discovery and characterization (e.g., transients, time-delay cosmography)

Environment & collaborations

The position is supported by the Excellence Dark Universe Centre And Technology Enabler (EDUCATE), uniting researchers at Stockholm University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology to advance ML for dark matter and dark energy. You will be a member of the Oskar Klein Centre (OKC), a vibrant hub of 100+ researchers in astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, and particle physics with active programs in dark matter, dark energy, structure formation, transients, and multi-messenger astrophysics.

Postdoctoral researchers at OKC are encouraged and supported to lead visible research projects in major international collaborations and to contribute to the broader scientific community through innovative methodology development, analysis of survey data, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Postdocs are welcome to participate in Nordita scientific programs, and may join the Aquila Consortium (an international collaboration on ML and data science for cosmic structure; see www.aquila-consortium.org). You will also benefit from our involvement in Learning the Universe (www.learning-the-universe.org), with partners including Columbia University, LBNL, Harvard, Flatiron Institute, Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, Université de Montréal, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon, and MPA Garching.

Qualification requirements

In order to qualify for a Postdoctoral position, applicants are required to hold a Swedish doctoral degree or an equivalent relevant degree from another country. The degree must have been completed no later than when the employment decision is made.

Assessment criteria

It is considered an advantage if the doctoral degree or an equivalent degree was completed no more than three years prior to the application deadline. Under special circumstances, an older degree may also be an advantage. Special circumstances refer to sick leave, parental leave, elected positions in trade unions, service in the total defense, or other similar circumstances, as well as clinical attachment or service/assignments relevant to the subject area.

In the appointment process, special attention will be given to research skills in astrophysics and cosmology, programming, and machine learning. The position also requires fluency in spoken and written English.

About the employment

The position involves full-time employment for a maximum of two years, with the possibility of extension under special circumstances. Start date ASAP or as per agreement (funding is available to start immediately).

We offer

With us, you will experience the dynamic interaction between higher education and research that makes Stockholm University an exciting and creative environment. You will work in an international environment and get favourable conditions. The university is located in the National City Park with good transport links to the city.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact

Further information about the position can be obtained from Prof,  Jens Jasche, phone: +46 8 553 780 37, jens.jasche@fysik.su.se and the OKC director and PI of EDUCATE, Prof. Ariel Goobar, phone +46 8 55378659, ariel@fysik.su.se .

Application

Apply for the position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. Attach a personal letter and CV as well as the attachments requested in the application form. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.