Simons Postdoctoral Fellowship on Black Holes and Strong Gravity

Physics World; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading academic institution in the UK is inviting applications for a Simons Postdoctoral Fellowship in Strong Gravity and Black Holes, lasting three years starting in Autumn 2026. The successful candidate will engage in numerical studies and collaborate within a global network of researchers. Essential qualifications include expertise in numerical relativity and a relevant PhD. The salary ranges from £38,419 to £49,130 per annum, along with various benefits including generous leave and a pension scheme.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

30 days leave per annum

Flexible working arrangements

Access to training and development opportunities

Generous travel allowance

Qualifications

• Demonstrated research experience and creativity.
• Ability to supervise students effectively.
• Mastery of written and oral English communication.

Responsibilities

• Conduct numerical studies in strong gravity and black holes.
• Collaborate with other members of the SimonsC-BHSG.
• Travel to visit collaborators and undertake projects.

Skills

Numerical relativity

Gravitational wave modelling

Data analysis

Mathematical relativity

Well-posed formulations of alternative theories of gravity

Education

PhD degree in mathematics or physics

Job description

About the role

We invite applications for a Simons Postdoctoral Fellowship position in Strong Gravity and Black Holes in the Geometry, Analysis and Gravitation group in the School of Mathematical Sciences. The appointment is planned to start in Autumn 2026 and last for a three‑year term. The fellows will be provided with substantial support for travel across the nodes of the Simons Collaboration on Black holes and Strong Gravity (SimonsC‑BHSG).

The postdoctoral fellowship is intended for work on numerical studies of non‑linearities with SimonsC‑BHSG Co‑PI Katy Clough. The successful applicant should have existing expertise in one or more of numerical relativity, gravitational wave modelling and data analysis, mathematical relativity, well‑posed formulations of alternative theories of gravity, and be motivated to contribute to new developments in these areas. Moreover, they must demonstrate research experience and creativity, breadth and depth of knowledge, high productivity and high‑quality publications, the ability to supervise students and mastery of written and oral English communication.

The successful applicant will have, or be about to obtain, a relevant PhD degree in mathematics or physics, or equivalent level of professional qualifications and experience. In addition, although based in London, the successful applicants will be expected to travel to collaborate with other members of the network, and thus, they should indicate the collaborators they would like to visit and the projects they would undertake with members of the network.

Applications

Applications should be made via the QMUL website https://qmul-jobs.tal.net/vx/mobile-0/appcentre-ext/brand-4/spa-1/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/3/opp/8279-Postdoctoral-Fellowship-in-Strong-Gravity-and-Black-Holes/en-GB. Please submit a CV, a list of publications and a 3‑page statement of research interests and plans, plus the details of three people who can provide letters of recommendation. Please follow the guidelines at https://aas.org/jobregister/postdoc-application-guidelines.

Informal enquiries may be made to Dr Katy Clough at [e-mail].

The closing date for applications is 15 December. Interviews are expected to be held early in January 2026.

About the Simons Collaboration

The successful candidate will join a global network of Simons Postdoctoral Fellows in Strong Gravity and Black Holes that are part of the SimonsC‑BHSG. This new, multidisciplinary and multinational collaboration explores the non‑linear and dynamical nature of strong gravity and black holes in and beyond Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity through gravitational observations. The collaboration brings together mathematicians, physicists, numerical experts and data analysts to work on the following themes:

• The mathematical study of singularities and the stability of rapidly rotating black holes in general relativity;
• The analytical and numerical study of the potential breakdown of effective field theory methods outside black holes;
• The analytical and numerical modelling of the dynamics of (and gravitational waves emitted in) binary black hole coalescence (including the inspiral, merger and ringdown phases) through perturbative (post‑Newtonian and black hole perturbation theory) and non‑perturbative (numerical) methods;
• The connection of light‑ring physics and ringdown physics in and outside of general relativity in light of current and future gravitational observations;
• The creation of new methods and tests to extract features about strong gravity predicted in Einstein’s theory and in beyond‑Einstein theories from gravitational‑wave observations;
• The amelioration of systematics induced by the mismodeling of gravitational waves, of astrophysical environments, or of noise artefacts in gravitational‑wave inference;
• The development of Bayesian data analysis techniques to carry out parameter estimation and model selection in non‑stationary and non‑Gaussian noise through traditional and AI‑techniques.

The collaboration’s major goal is to reveal deep insights about our cosmos at the intersection of strong gravity in general relativity, strong gravity beyond Einstein and gravitational observations.

About Queen Mary School of Mathematical Sciences

The School of Mathematical Science has an exceptionally strong research presence across the spectrum of areas within Pure/Applied Mathematics and Statistics. It is currently organised into seven research groups: Algebra and Number Theory; Combinatorics; Complex Systems and Networks; Dynamical Systems and Statistical Physics; Geometry, Analysis and Gravitation; Probability and Applications; and Statistics and Data Science.

Following a period of significant growth, the School comprises of around 80 academic staff, 15 research assistants and fellows, and 15 members of professional services staff. The School is home to around 80 PhD students, and approximately 1,000 undergraduates.

Pay & Benefits

The post is full‑time and fixed‑term starting after September 2026 and running for three years until August 2029 (exact dates negotiable). Salary will be in the range of £38,419 – £49,130 p/a inclusive of London Allowance, depending on experience. Benefits include access to a generous pension scheme, 30 days’ leave p/a, season ticket loan scheme, staff networks and access to a comprehensive range of personal and professional development opportunities. A generous travel allowance is also available for the successful candidate. Additionally, we offer a range of work‑life balance and family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, and campus facilities including an on‑site nursery at the Mile End campus.

Diversity & Inclusion

Queen Mary’s commitment to our diverse and inclusive community is embedded in our appointments processes. Reasonable adjustments will be made at each stage of the recruitment process for any candidate with a disability. We are open to considering applications from candidates wishing to work flexibly.