Arnold & Landau Junior Fellowships

The London Institute is hiring four superb young physicists and mathematicians from Russia and Ukraine to join us in 2024 for four-year posts. 

Background 

Our Arnold and Landau Junior Fellowships are modelled on the Oxford and Cambridge Junior Fellowships and the Harvard Society of Fellows. Unlike postdocs, they leave researchers free to follow their curiosity and choose their own research. Among the most prestigious opportunities for young scientists, they can be a stepping stone to more senior posts. They are part of our broader Arnold and Landau scheme to recruit theorists affected by the war in Ukraine. The largest programme of its kind, it has been written about in Nature, The Times and Troitsky Variant.

The posts begin at the latest on 1 October 2024, but successful candidates are welcome to join us and start work as soon as possible. The Fellowships last for four years. The annual salary is at least £51,000, depending on experience, with additional support for travel and computing. Candidates are expected to work in our rooms in the Royal Institution—we do not work from home. The posts are open to researchers in all areas of theoretical physics and mathematics, including the foundations of AI and life, statistical physics and emergent phenomena.

Candidates should be outstanding theorists with a background in physics or mathematics. They should have lived in Russia, Ukraine or Belarus, but need not reside there when applying. They will have completed their PhD in the last several years, or be in the final year of it. They should have the drive required to pursue independent research, though collaboration within the Institute is encouraged. Candidate values include ambition, communication, curiosity, enthusiasm, mastery, originality, perfectionism, persistence, simplicity and spontaneity.

Conduct theoretical research in physics, mathematics, or the foundations of AI and life, and publish it in leading journals. ❧ Work with our science writers to publicise our discoveries in the press and on our website. ❧ Work with our staff to help organise events, raise funds, recruit members and boost the Institute’s profile. ❧ Take an interest in the research and goals of other members and help to make the Institute more than the sum of its parts. ❧ Socialise with our scientists, staff and visitors at our weekly drinks and regular events.

The London Institute for Mathematical Sciences is a new kind of research organisation that is dedicated to speeding up discovery. Our full-time focus on research and the level of support we offer our scientists empower them to make the biggest breakthroughs. ❧ The Institute is based inside the Royal Institution in Mayfair, a building that lays claim to 15 Nobel prizes, and the discovery of 10 chemical elements and the principles of electromagnetism. ❧ You can learn more about the London Institute at our About, Values and Opinions pages.

To apply, send a CV, a cover letter and two or three letters of recommendation to Sarah Myers Cornaby, via the 'Apply' button above, with the subject heading “Arnold and Landau Junior Fellowships”. Strong applicants will be invited for an interview. Decisions will be announced in late February, with faster answers possible for those with competing offers. Visas are issued via the UK Global Talent programme, which offers the path to British citizenship after three years.

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