PhD Student - Scholarship

Jagiellonian University; Poland; On-site; PLN 47,000 - 65,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Interdisciplinary team

Job summary

Jagiellonian University – Marian Smoluchowski Institute of Physics invites applications for First Stage Researcher positions. The project focuses on portable neutron-activation based detection in aquatic environments, aiming at remote identification of hazardous substances with an emphasis on safety and environmental impact.

This multi-disciplinary effort is conducted within the FENG program framework. The successful candidate will have MSc in physics, be a PhD student during the contract, and

Qualifications

• MSc in physics or related field.
• PhD student status required during the contract period.
• Experience in working with radiation detectors.
• Passion for experimental work.
• Knowledge of the ROOT, GEANT4 environment and basic data analysis methods will be an additional advantage

Responsibilities

• Conduct preliminary tests in water and collecting spectra for TNT and war gas simulants.
• Optimization of the sensor geometry and final tests, determination of the minimum detectable amounts of the substance, and optimal scanning time of objects

Skills

MSc in physics or related field

PhD student status

Radiation detectors experience

ROOT and GEANT4 knowledge

Data analysis basics

Education

Master Degree or equivalent

Tools

ROOT

GEANT4

Job description

Organisation/Company Jagiellonian University Department Department of Physics Research Field Physics » Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 1 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Berlin) Country Poland Type of Contract Other Type of Contract Extra Information Scholarship Job Status Not Applicable Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Project is being carried out within First Team FENG programme of the Foundation for Polish Science. Grant agreement no. FENG.02.02-IP.05-0212/23, competition no. 1/2023, PRIORITY 2 OF THE PROGRAMME EUROPEAN FUNDS FOR SMART ECONOMY 2021-2027 (FENG) The aim of the project is to test in close to real conditions a portable device that allows for remote detection and identification of hazardous substances such as war remnants, war gases, etc., in the aquatic environment. The principle of operation of the device is based on the phenomenon of neutron activation of the substance and measurement of characteristic spectra of gamma quanta created after irradiation of the substance with a neutron beam. In contrast to commonly used methods, the solution proposed in the project allows for determining the chemical composition of a suspicious object remotely, without endangering human life and health. Neutrons emitted by the elemental source or generator are absorbed or scattered inelastically on the atomic nuclei of the tested object, which causes their excitation to higher energy states. These nuclei, when passing to the ground state, emit gamma quanta, the energy of which depends on the type of nucleus. These quanta can be registered, for example, using scintillation detectors. Taking into account the probability of neutrons interacting with different nuclei and the detector's efficiency in registering gamma quanta of a given energy, we obtain the numbers of atoms of elements that make up the tested object (stoichiometry). Thanks to the development of this technology, it will be possible to increase the safety of sailors, civilians and public services, especially in the Baltic Sea, where dumped ammunition and heavy fuel from World War II pose a serious threat to navigation, and toxic substances contained in some projectiles, e.g. war gases,are a serious environmental problem.

Requirements

Research Field Physics » Other Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• MSc in physics or related field;
• PhD student status required during the contract period;
• Experience in working with radiation detectors;
• Passion for experimental work;
• Knowledge of the ROOT, GEANT4 environment and basic data analysis methods will be an additional advantage

Specific Requirements

• Conducting preliminary tests in water and collecting spectra for TNT and war gas simulants.

Optimization of the sensor geometry and final tests, determination of the minimum detectable amounts of the substance, and optimal scanning time of objects

Level Excellent

Internal Application form(s) needed

Information on the Processing of Personal Data.pdf

• Opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary research team.

Eligibility criteria

• MSc in physics or related field;
• PhD student status required during the contract period;
• The scholarship may be awarded to a person who does not receive another research scholarship under another program implemented by the Foundation for Polish Science, regardless of the source of their financing, with the exception of the Start program;
• Required application documents:
• Curriculum vitae with a list of publications and a description of previous scientific work and other experiences/achievements;
• Documents confirming experience and education;
• Letter of recommendation written by the candidate's academic supervisor.

Selection process

• The first stage of the competition procedure is formal verification of the submitted documents. Offers that successfully pass formal verification are subject to substantive evaluation, during which a recruitment interview will be conducted (directly or via electronic communication channels), after prior arrangement of the date with the Candidate;
• Candidates will be assessed by the Recruitment Committee appointed at the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science of the Jagiellonian University;
• The Recruitment Committee reserves the right to invite only selected candidates for an interview;
• The Recruitment Committee reserves the right to close the competition without selecting a candidate;
• The competition results will be announced before 9 October 2026.
• The formal project extension process is currently underway. In the event of a delay in completing this process, the commencement of the scholarship may be postponed accordingly.
  
• Position starts on: not earlier than October 2026
• Maximum period of contract/scholarship agreement: until 30 June 2027

Number of offers available 1

Company/Institute Jagiellonian University – Marian Smoluchowski Institute of Physics Jagiellonian University Country Poland City Krakow Postal Code 30-348 Street Łojasiewicza 11 Geofield