Interested in mathematical and theoretical astrophysics?

Here is some information on how to conduct research in this area at the University of Edinburgh – as a postdoctoral, doctoral, or undergraduate researcher.

• Postdoctoral research: a selection of national and international funding schemes.
• Doctoral research: an overview of funding options and admission requirements for the School of Physics and Astronomy and the School of Mathematics.
• Undergraduate research: some opportunities to engage in research over the Summer or, for local students, also during term time.

For further details about internal regulations and support of your application, please contact me – the earlier, the better.

Current local advisees and their interests

• Dr Pete B. Kuzma – PDRA programme: The outskirts of Galactic globular clusters (with Prof A. M. N. Ferguson; Astronomy; 2020-23; UKRI FLF)
• Frederika Phipps – PhD thesis: Formation of globular clusters in a cosmological context (with Prof S. Khochfar; Astrophysics; 2018-22; STFC, RSE)
• Samuel R. Bonsor – PhD thesis: Kinematic complexity and black holes in dense star clusters (with Prof J. Vanneste; Applied Maths; 2019-23; MAC-MIGS)
• Syaza Izzati Suhairulazrin – PhD thesis: Simulations of Black Hole – Neutron Star Mergers (with Dr M. Ruffert; Applied Maths; 2021-24; MARA)
• Lucy Arditi (Theoretical Physics; 2021-22)
  • MPhys, Summer project: Self-consistent dynamical models for tidally perturbed rotating stellar systems (2022, UKRI FLF)
  • Summer project: Female computers at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh (2021, UKRI FLF)
  • SH project: Truncated isothermal models for globular clusters (2021)
• Mika Kontiainen (Astrophysics; 2022) – Summer project: On the onset of Chaos in the Pythagorean Three-body Problem (with Prof D.C. Heggie, Carnegie)

For a full list of current and previous advisees, please see the PDF document in the CV section.

Facing the postdoctoral academic job market for the first time?

There is no secret sauce, but here is a personal selection of some professional development resources (mostly STEM-oriented) on how to navigate the academic job market, develop your own application strategy, improve your proposal writing, manage your career direction, build grit and resilience.

• Getting a Job (Notes by Profs B. Gaensler and S. Maddison – broad intro for both fixed-term and permanent posts)
• How 2 Apply 4 Stuff (Slides by Prof S. Markoff – EU/US oriented)
• Applying for post-doc jobs in astronomy (Slides by Prof R. Alexander – UK oriented)
• Guide to Fellowship Applications (Booklet by the University of Glasgow)
• How to write a Horizon 2020 proposal that impresses on impact (Notes by Fast Track Impact – EU/ERC oriented)
• Occam’s Typewriter (Blog collective, see especially posts by Prof A. Donald)
• Character Lab’s thoughts of the week (Blog collective by Prof A. Duckworth and Team)

Some thematic guides curated by the Institute for Academic Development, University of Edinburgh

• Academic writing in the Sciences (see also “Further Resources” therein)
• Career Management
• Making the most of your postdoc
• Thriving in your research position (see the case study I contributed on “Working relationships”)