Grade and Salary: Grade 7 (£36,924-£46,485)
FTE and working pattern:35 hours per week (1 FTE), Fixed term contract for 36 months
The Post description:
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) position, funded through the EPSRC standard grant “The Geometry of the Isomorphism Problem for Artin Groups”, led by Dr. Alexandre Martin. The post will be held at the Department of Mathematics of Heriot Watt University and at the Maxwell Institute, Edinburgh, and will be for a fixed term of up to 36 months (3 years). The successful applicant is expected to start on September 1st, 2025 (or shortly after, upon agreement).
The project leader is happy to be contacted for informal discussions about the position – email at alexandre.martin@hw.ac.uk
What you would be doing:
You will carry out and disseminate research in geometric group theory and related fields (write and submit academic articles, give talks at seminars and conferences). You will work on questions related to the proposed project together with the project leader and his collaborators.
You will actively engage with the thriving research community in geometric group theory of Heriot Watt University and the Maxwell Institute by attending seminars, organising research events, as appropriate.
You will be offered the opportunity to further your professional and personal development skills, and the project leader will support the successful applicant in their academic, scientific and professional growth.
This position has no teaching load but comes with the possibility of taking on some light teaching duties, should the candidate wish to gain teaching experience.
What we are looking for:
Evidence of excellent research in geometric group theory.
More specifically, expertise in one or more of the following topics related to the project is highly desirable:
1. geometry/combinatorics of general Artin groups and related groups,
2. non-positively curved spaces and groups acting on them,
3. hyperbolic features of groups.
In addition, evidence of research on topics that complement the existing expertise of the Heriot Watt geometric group theory team is also desirable.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Ability to work both independently and as part of a group.
About the team, Heriot Watt University and the Maxwell Institute:
The PDRA will work closely with the project leader and his network of collaborators. The Geometric Group Theory team at Heriot Watt University consists of four permanent faculty (Laura Ciobanu, Matthew Cordes, Alexandre Martin, Alessandro Sisto), as well as several PhD students. The team is also a member of the North British Geometric Group Theory research network, which organises regular events bringing together mathematicians from several institutions: Aberdeen, Glasgow, St Andrews, Durham, etc.
The department of mathematics at Heriot Watt is part of the Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, an institute bringing together the mathematical activities of Heriot Watt University and the University of Edinburgh. The Maxwell Institute coordinates a wide spectrum of activities, including a large graduate school, numerous seminar series, Knowledge Exchange and outreach events, and distinguished lecture series.
The successful applicant will greatly benefit from this stimulating environment.
Description of the project:
Geometric group theory is a field that studies groups by realising them as symmetries of spaces with a rich geometry, and finds itself at the interface between algebra, geometry, topology, and combinatorics.
The project focuses on Artin groups, an important class of groups generalising braid groups and for which many questions are still open. They are defined by means of a specific presentation graph, and it is thus natural to ask whether different presentation graphs can yield isomorphic groups. This is known as the Isomorphism Problem for Artin groups. One of the goals of this project is to solve the Isomorphism Problem for new classes of Artin groups, and to construct new isomorphism invariants.
Further Information:
The position also includes:
A travel budget to attend conferences and visit collaborators.
Training opportunities will be made available to sustain the overall growth of the PDRA e.g. to attend leadership programmes, public engagement courses as well getting support from our additional programmes offered by Heriot Watt University.
The National Health Service surcharge and a significant contribution to the visa fees can be included in the relocation package, should that be applicable.
Essential Criteria:
Applicants should hold (or be about to obtain) a PhD in mathematics.
Evidence of excellent research in geometric group theory.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Ability to work both independently and as part of a group.
Desirable Criteria:
Evidence of work in one or more of the following topics related to the project: geometry/combinatorics of general Artin groups and related groups, non-positively curved spaces and groups acting on them, hyperbolic features of groups.
Evidence of research on topics that complement the existing expertise of the Heriot Watt geometric group theory team.
How to Apply:
Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Wednesday, 30th April 2025.
Applications must contain:
A CV (max. 5 pages) containing a list of publications. The applicant may add to their CV the contact details (name, institution, email address) of up to two people who may be contacted for recommendation letters. A research statement (max. 5 pages) containing a description of past results as well as future research directions.
Shortlisting is anticipated w/c 5th May 2025 and interviews are anticipated to be conducted w/c 12th May 2025.
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