Faculty position for ERC grant holder in the field of data-driven simulations for understanding[...]

Karlstad University; Louvain; Sur place; EUR 50 000 - 60 000; Temps partiel

Résumé du poste

A prestigious European university in Leuven seeks a Faculty position for an ERC grant holder specializing in data-driven simulations for reconnection and geomagnetism. The role involves leading research, contributing to education in plasma-astrophysics, and engaging in outreach. A PhD and significant research experience are essential. This part-time position offers a five-year contract starting alongside an ERC grant.

Prestations

Starting grant of €110,000

Intellectually challenging environment

Language training for Dutch

Qualifications

• Experience with plasma simulations in astrophysics.
• Strong publication record in prominent journals.
• Ability to pursue competitive research funding.
• Teaching experience is an advantage.
• Organizational skills and cooperative attitude.

Responsabilités

• Lead international research in solar physics and plasmas.
• Conduct applied mathematics research involving AI.
• Ensure high-quality education in plasma-astrophysics.
• Develop outreach activities benefiting societal interests.
• Contribute to the pedagogic projects at the university.

Connaissances

Research in plasma physics

Machine learning for space weather

Numerical modeling

Leadership in academic context

Proficiency in English

Formation

PhD in Mathematics, Physics, or Astronomy

Outils

Artificial intelligence tools

Description du poste

Faculty position for ERC grant holder in the field of data-driven simulations for understanding reconnection and geomagnetism

KU Leuven is an autonomous university. It was founded in 1425. It was born of and has grown within the Catholic tradition.

In the Science, Engineering and Technology Group of KU Leuven, Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics, Division of Plasma-astrophysics, there is a temporary (5 years) part-time (95 %) academic vacancy in the field of data-driven simulations for understanding reconnection and geomagnetism, in Leuven (campus Arenberg).

We are looking for internationally oriented candidates with an excellent research record. Candidates have recently been awarded an ERC grant in this area and are willing to perform their research at KU Leuven. Candidates also have educational competence in the field of data-driven simulations for understanding reconnection and geomagnetism.
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Duties

Research

• You take a leading role internationally in research of plasmas in the solar corona, solar wind, magnetosphere or astrophysical plasmas.
• You perform research in applied mathematics, especially considering the role of artificial intelligence in modelling aspects of plasmas.
• You are able to acquire competitive research funding. You aim at excellence in your research, you publish in outstanding journals and you give presentations at the main conferences in your field.
• You interact with, complement, and extend existing research activities at the Mathematics Department of KU Leuven.
• You demonstrate academic leadership at both the national and international level.

Teaching

You ensure high-quality education within the area of plasma-astrophysics, with a clear commitment to the quality of the programme as a whole. You also contribute to the pedagogic project of the faculty/university through the supervision of master theses and as a promoter of PhD students.

You develop your teaching in accordance with KU Leuven’s vision on activating and researched-based education and make use of the possibilities for educational professionalization offered by the faculty and the university.

Service

You will take part and lead outreach activities in the CmPA, aimed at society in general and the general public.

You seek to apply your expertise to the benefit of societal actors, including for space weather prediction.

Profile

For this vacancy, we are seeking a candidate with research interests in machine learning for space weather and space plasmas, as well as in physics-informed machine learning. Research experience on the interface between plasma physics and scientific machine learning is a clear advantage, especially regarding the presentation of particle effects in plasma fluid and hybrid models, which utilise neural networks and symbolic regression trained on high-fidelity particle simulations.

• You have a PhD in Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy or a closely related field.
• You have extensive experience in (numerical) modelling of plasmas in the solar corona, solar wind, magnetosphere or astrophysical applications.
• You have a strong research profile. The quality of your research is proven by publications in prominent journals and through international research experience.
• You have demonstrable qualities related to academic education. Teaching experience is an advantage.
• You possess organisational skills and have a cooperative attitude. You also possess leadership capacities within a university context.
• Proficiency in English is required. KU Leuven provides courses in academic English.
• The official administrative language used at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or do not speak it well) at the start of employment, KU Leuven will provide language training to enable you to take part in administrative meetings. Before teaching courses in Dutch, you will be given the opportunity to learn Dutch to the required standard.

Offer

We are offering a temporary (5 year) part-time (95 %) employment in an intellectually challenging environment.

KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied scientific research. Our university is highly inter- and multidisciplinarily focused and strives for international excellence. In this regard we actively work together with research partners in Belgium and abroad and provide our students with an academic education that is based on high-quality scientific research.

You will work in Leuven, a historic, dynamic and lively city located in the heart of Belgium, within 20 minutes from Brussels, the capital of the European Union, and less than two hours from Paris, London and Amsterdam.

Depending on your record and qualifications, you will be appointed to one of the grades of the senior academic stafffor a period of 5 years. The part-time, temporary appointment will start at the same time as the ERC grant and will start no earlier than 01/02/2026.

To facilitate scientific onboarding and accelerate research in the first phase, a starting grant of € 110,000 is offered to new professors.

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Tom Van Doorsselaere, tel.: [phone], mail: [e-mail]. For problems with online applying, please contact [e-mail].

Add to your application the following documents (more information is available on the KU Leuven job site):

- Your ERC grant proposal. The evaluation of your successful ERC grant application will be used to evaluate your application for this position.

- your vision on academic education and its organization (maximum 2 pages);

- your contribution to society by outreach and public communication on science and technology, internal representation in boards and councils and service activities directly in relation to your developed expertise (maximum 1 page);

- your vision on leadership (maximum 1 page).

KU Leuven places great importance on research integrity and ethical conduct and will therefore ask you to sign a research integrity statement upon appointment.

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.

Job details

Title

Faculty position for ERC grant holder in the field of data-driven simulations for understanding reconnection and geomagnetism

2025-10-20 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)
2025-10-20 23:59 (CET)

Closing on: 2025-11-04 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2025-11-30 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2025-11-30 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2025-10-16 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2026-01-05 (Europe/Brussels)

Closing on: 2025-10-16 (Europe/Brussels)