Post-Doc Research Associate

About the job

Be a Tar Heel!

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.

Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.

UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

Our primary mission is providing instruction of the highest quality in physics and astronomy to undergraduate and graduate students at UNC-CH. Training in physics is fundamental among the natural sciences because it provides understanding of the forces governing the structure of matter, from subatomic particles to the large-scale structure of the universe.

Our departmental instructional mission spans all segments of the student community. Over 60% of all college graduates from UNC-CH have taken a course in our department. Among them: undergraduate liberal arts majors who should master the power of quantitative reasoning; undergraduates seeking a degree in another of the natural sciences, who need physics as a foundation for their advanced scientific training; the small number of undergraduates who major in physics, to whom we provide broad and rigorous training. Our graduate education and research advances frontiers of knowledge at the two extremes of space and time, from the very small) the realm of particle physics) to the very large (the realm of astronomy, while expanding the boundaries of knowledge in the many subfields spanning length scales between. Forefront physics and astronomy research requires access to well-equipped laboratories and extensive computing capabilities; it also must be supported by comprehensive and accessible library collections. Again, in research at this advanced level, the bridging aspect of physics provides basic interdisciplinary insight for many other sciences.

This instructional mission is supported by a strong managerial, administrative, and technical staff. Duties of these employees range from budget planning and management for the numerous research grants held by faculty in the department to maintaining course and student records. These activities are usually accomplished in a standard 40- hour week schedule.

Position Summary

In 2024, the National Science Foundation inaugurated a Focused Research Hub in Theoretical Physics, ‘Advancing the Theory of Nuclear Double Beta-decay (@NDB)’. The @NDB Hub involves theoretical physicists and statisticians at the University of North Carolina, Colorado State University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of Maryland, Miami University, Michigan State University, the University of Notre Dame, Ohio University, the University of Tennessee, the University of Washington, and Washington University in St. Louis.

The @NDB Hub anticipates hiring a post-doctoral research fellow who will join the project in September 2027 and be located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Research will be supervised by Prof. Amy Nicholson, and will involve the use of lattice QCD for computing observables relevant to nuclear double beta-decay. Applicants should have a strong research record, preferably in lattice QCD and Nuclear Theory. @NDB fellows will have many opportunities to interact with theorists at the other institutions, including with statisticians to improve uncertainty quantification in theoretical research on double-beta decay.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

Applicants should have a strong research record, preferably in lattice QCD and Nuclear Theory.

Special Instructions

The appointment will be for two years. Interested candidates should submit a curriculum vitae, including a complete list of publications, a statement of research interests of no more than two pages, and the names of three references willing to provide letters of recommendation.

For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here

Postdoctoral Affairs Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University’s Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at (919) 962-9982 or send an email to opahr@unc.edu.

Please note: The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.