Research Associate in Topology (Fixed Term)

A position exists for a Post Doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics to work on projects related to moduli spaces of manifolds, supervised by Oscar Randal-Williams.

Duties include developing and conducting individual and collaborative research objectives, proposals and projects. Candidates will be expected to plan and manage their own research and administration, with guidance if required. They must be able to communicate material of a technical nature and be able to build internal and external contacts.

The successful candidate may be asked to lecture one course (24 lectures and associated examples classes) per year at Part III (Masters or graduate) level, or to provide a comparable level of teaching support to other members within the Topology group (e.g. examples classes). Duties and their timing are flexible. The post holder may be asked to assist in the supervision of student projects, the development of student research skills, provide instruction or plan/deliver seminars relating to the research area.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in Pure Mathematics, a strong research track record, and experience working in Algebraic and Geometric Topology, particularly with moduli spaces of manifolds, surgery, cobordism categories, and Grothendieck-Witt theory.

Limit of tenure: 36 months.

The position is expected to be available from 1 September 2026.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above. 

Please indicate the contact details of two academic referees on the online application form and upload a full curriculum vitae and a description of your recent research (not to exceed three pages). Please ensure that at least one of your referees is contactable at any time during the selection process, and is made aware that they will be contacted by the Mathematics HR Office Administrator to request that they upload a reference for you to our Web Recruitment System; and please encourage them to do so promptly.

Informal inquiries can be made by contacting Oscar Randal-Williams at or257@cam.ac.uk.

If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact LF49863@maths.cam.ac.uk.

Please quote reference LF49863 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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