The IAC (Tenerife) announces ONE FC2 postdoctoral contract to work on the project linked to the line of research “The Whole Sun: theoretical study and/or numerical modeling of dynamical or radiative processes in the Sun”. This contract will be funded by the Synergy Grant ”The Whole Sun: Untangling the complex physical mechanisms behind our eruptive star and its twins” (ERC-2018-SyG: ERC Synergy Grant 810218), awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) and led at the IAC by Prof F. Moreno-Insertis.

The appointed candidate will participate in the collaborative work with other institutions of the Whole Sun project consortium. They will benefit from the research environment at the IAC, which hosts one of the largest and most active solar physics groups in Europe. The group covers theory, numerical modelling, observations and instrumental development, and is involved in the development of the European Solar Telescope (EST). The IAC is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence with research topics ranging from solar physics and the solar system, exoplanets, stellar and interstellar physics, the Milky Way and the local group, formation and evolution of galaxies, cosmology and astroparticles.

Required expertise and field of work: the work to carry out within this position has to be related to the actual theoretical understanding and modeling of physical processes of interest for the Whole Sun project. Topics of particular interest for this contract are: solar jets and eruptions (such as spicules, surges, coronal jets); magnetic flux emergence; generalized Ohm’s law; heating and coupling of the different layers in the solar atmosphere, small-scale coronal loops. Experience in the combination of theoretical models and observations, including application of forward-modeling techniques, will be particularly appreciated.

Tasks: The selected candidate will have the following duties:

• Active involvement in the research activities of the IAC’s Whole Sun team, including participation in the project’s global meetings as well as those of the work packages in which the IAC participates
• Active participation in the networking associated with the Synergy Grant including scientific collaboration with members of other teams.
• Contribution to the development of modules for numerical codes in use or under development in the project.
• Co-organizer of the planned meetings of the Whole Sun project in Tenerife.
• Contribution to the public outreach activities of the Whole Sun project
• Maintenance of the contents of the IAC’s web page devoted to the IAC’s participation in the Whole Sun project.

Requirements: The selected candidate must have an excellent track record of research, commensurate with the duration of their research career. The candidates must be in possession of the PhD title in physics, astrophysics or computational sciences by the deadline of submission of the application. The IAC strives to guarantee equal opportunities to all candidates irrespective of their sex, race or religion.  

Selection process: The selection process consists of two phases: merit assessment and interview.

1. First phase: merit assessment. The Selection Panel will verify and rate the merits documented by the applicants. The maximum score in this phase is 80 points, calculated as the sum of the scores obtained in the following two aspects.

a)  CV (maximum score: 60 points).

• Scientific and technical contributions to the field of research, especially those listed in the Science Citation Index, in relation to the duration of the candidate’s scientific career. Of special importance are the first-authored papers by the candidate.
• Appointments and stays (at the PhD or postdoctoral level) in prestigious research institutions.
• Conference contributions, especially those leading to publications.
• Other indicators of research activity and motivation (like invitations to lectures, organization of conferences, and teaching at University level).
• Any periods of inactivity for medical reasons, maternity/paternity leaves, elderly care, or due to training or professional experience in other fields will be taken into account.

b)  Adequacy to the objectives of the contract (maximum score: 20 points)

• Suitability of the prior training and experience of the candidate to the position. In particular: research experience matching the objectives of this contract, as indicated in the previous paragraphs in this document.  

The scores granted by the committee will be based on the report of the candidate's technical and research activity, and on the corresponding documents, as submitted with the application.

2) Second phase: interview. (maximum score 20 points)

• Candidates who have obtained at least 50 points in the first phase will be invited to an interview. The interview may be held in either Spanish or English (as chosen by the candidate) and will take place using internet communication software (Zoom or skype) that allows voice and image transmission.

• The interviews will be individual. The candidates will present, for a maximum of 10 minutes, their vision about the suitability of their professional profile to the position and the planned research activity if awarded the contract. The presentation may be followed by questions by the Selection Committee.

Of the maximum 20 points:

• Up to 10 points correspond to the suitability of the candidate’s profile to the position
• Up to 10 points correspond to the candidate's vision for their future research activity.

To pass the second phase a minimum score of 15 points will be necessary.

To pass the selective process, a minimum of 65 points must be reached. If there is a draw in the score of two or more candidates, priorities will be set according to the Equality Plan of the IAC.

Training: Candidates who have obtained their doctorate at the IAC must provide accreditation of a period of complementary training at other research centres. The required period is a full continuous year or 18 accumulated months (including periods of training during the doctoral studies stage and after obtaining the Ph.D. degree, but not periods prior to the predoctoral contract at the IAC).

Duration: Following the Spanish legislation, this contract will have no specific end date, but will not be funded beyond April 30, 2026, which is the end date of the Whole Sun ERC Project. The starting date for the contract must be before December 31, 2024.

Remuneration: The gross annual salary will be 47,955 Euros, with deductions of up to 20% for income tax (IRPF) and social security (depending on the candidate's personal situation). The contract provides social security cover for spouse or de facto partner and children.

Extra financial support to start the contract: The present job offer includes financial support for expenses incurred to begin the contract at the IAC. These expenses must belong to the following categories, and have been incurred within the 14 days immediately before the start date of the contract: 1) Air or boat ticket from the place of residence to Tenerife (arranged by the IAC) at the lowest available fare. 2) Accommodation expenses for two weeks (13 nights), also arranged by the IAC, and 3) a per diem of 37,40 euros x 14 days.

Applicants from outside the EU: If the successful applicant is not a citizen of a member country of the European Union, (s)he will have to obtain a residence and work permit (NIE card) from the Spanish immigration authorities prior to signing the contract.

Submission of applications: Applications must be sent via the web-based application system

https://iac.sede.gob.es/procedimientos/portada/idp/390/language/en before the deadline set out in this advertisement. Alternatively, you may follow the instructions given in the corresponding official advertisement on the IAC’s website. The following documentation must be sent:

• Application including the name and position code (PS-2024-020)
• Copy of a valid passport or national identity card
• Cover Letter
• CV, containing a list of publications (no amendment allowed after submission)
• Report on research activity and justification of suitability for the job -not exceeding 2 pages- (no amendment allowed after submission).
• Copy of your degree or corresponding stamped certificate, issued on behalf of the University where you have obtained the degree (in Spanish or English) (no amendment allowed after submission)
• Certificate of training in other centers (only for applicants who have completed their doctorate at the IAC).

The names and email addresses of two scientists familiar with the candidate’s work must also be included. Applications submitted after the deadline will be automatically rejected, as will be those not accompanied by a Curriculum Vitae, Research Activity Report, or copy of the Degree, documents that cannot be corrected or added after submission. Applications not accompanied by these documents will therefore be definitely excluded from the selection process.

The IAC supports and adheres to the Recommendation of the European Commission 2005/251/EC of March 11th 2005 on “The European Charter for Researchers” and “The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers” adopted by the European Commission. Additionally, the IAC is aligned with the "Human Resources Strategy for Researchers" (HRS4R) fostered by the European Commission to support the implementation of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (C&C), having received recognition from the European Commission, with the award of the distinction "Excellence in Human Resources in Research".

Application deadline: MAY 31, 2024

Contact: For further information about the scientific aspects of this opening, please contact the head of the project at the IAC, Prof. F. Moreno-Insertis (fmi [at] iac.es (fmi at iac.es)).