Research Fellow

The University of Warwick's Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics (CFSA) is seeking to appoint a Research Fellow for a five-year research programme focused on modelling Earth's magnetosphere and radiation belts.

The successful candidate will develop and apply magnetospheric, ring current, and radiation belt simulations, investigating the dynamics and coupling of these regions during geomagnetic activity. The role offers an exciting opportunity to work at the interface of space plasma physics, computational modelling, and space-weather science, within a collaborative research environment.

This is part of a five-year multi-institution STFC-funded project entitled: 'Why is the response of Earth's outer radiation belt to solar wind driving so hard to predict?' involving close collaboration with Northumbria University and University of Birmingham.

In addition to conducting original research, there will be opportunity to contribute to the mentoring and supervision of PhD students within the research group as well as research grant development and capture.

The successful candidate will be supported in pursuing their future career aspirations, including the potential to apply for promotion to the next level (Assistant Professor - Research Focussed), subject to satisfactory performance and progress and meeting the relevant promotion criteria.

We welcome applicants with experience in either space physics, plasma physics, numerical modelling, or scientific computing. Experience with applying these to magnetospheric or radiation-belts, or similar areas, would be particularly valuable.

If you are near submission of your PhD, or have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made at Research Assistant level, at the highest spinal point of pay grade 5 (£35,302 per annum). Upon receipt of evidence confirming the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow, at the lowest spinal point of grade 6 (£36,320 per annum).

The Centre for Fusion Space and Astrophysics is an interdisciplinary centre embracing plasma physics applied to the grand challenges of magnetic and inertial confined fusion power, space plasma physics, solar physics, and astrophysics. The research spans fundamental theory, observation, and the analysis of experimental data, combined with high performance computing.

CFSA is an established leader in plasma physics modelling, with several production codes with global user bases, such as EPOCH and LARE. Associated space weather research spans the solar corona, heliosphere, magnetosphere, radiation belts and ionosphere as well as downstream space weather risks and impacts.

The project will collaborate with Professor Clare Watt, Dr Sarah Bentley and Prof Jonathan Rae at Northumbria University, and Dr Oliver Allanson at the University of Birmingham. The full consortium team will comprise the researchers above, the advertised five PDRAs across these institutions, and three Research Software Engineers (RSEs), one at each institution.

Space physics and space weather research within CFSA is supported by a diverse range of academic, government and industry stakeholders, including UKRI, UK and European Space Agencies, the Met Office, QinetiQ, EDF, AWE and Dstl. The successful candidate will have opportunities to engage with such partners through meetings, workshops and collaborative research activities.

Benefits include an attractive pension scheme, a generous holiday allowance plus Christmas closure, excellent learning and development opportunities, savings on a wide range of products and services, a generous maternity/paternity/adoption/parental leave policy, onsite childcare facilities, and access to flexible working. The University is a Living Wage employer.