Opening Date**:September 19, 2025**
Closing Date**:Until Filled**
Ref:IFAE2025/31_NEUTRINOS_SO_PhDStudent
**About IFAE**:
The Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE) is a public consortium of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB, a public university) whose main objective is to carry out research and to contribute to the development of high energy physics from a theoretical, experimental and technological point of view. IFAE has the status of a “University Institute" attached to the UAB and its premises are within the campus of the University. IFAE is an internationally recognized center for fundamental research in Particle Physics, Astroparticle Physics, and Cosmology. IFAE offers an international, dynamic, and competitive environment for the training of young researchers. IFAE has been accredited three times with the “Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence” distinction, most recently for the 2025-2029 period.
**About the Neutrino group**:
Long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments provide a unique window into CP violation in the leptonic sector. The current world-leading experiment, T2K in Japan, published the first constraints on the CP violation phase in 2020. Since then, T2K has upgraded both its near detector, ND280, and its neutrino beam, significantly enhancing its physics reach. T2K will continue running until its successor, Hyper-Kamiokande (HK), begins operation in May 2028. ND280 will remain central to this effort, playing a key role in achieving HK’s ambitious physics program, such as measuring the delta CP phase.
The IFAE Neutrino Group has been deeply involved in both T2K and HK, with a strong focus on ND280. The group contributed to the construction of the original ND280 (2005-2009) and its recent upgrade (2020-2024). Over the years, several PhD students and Postdoctoral Researchers from IFAE have contributed to the analysis of T2K ND280 data over the years, and today the group holds major responsibilities in preparing ND280 for HK, as well as ensuring its full physics exploitation in the HK era
**Required skills and evaluation criteria**:
- Proficiency in the English language
- Pro-active attitude and good communication skills
- Research experience in particle physics or related research fields during the Master studies will be considered positively.
- Scientific excellence based on the CV and recommendation letters, 30
- Adequacy and interest for the offered position, 20
- Previous experience in the field of Neutrino Physics, especially T2K/HK, 15
- Software skills (GEANT4, C++, event reconstruction), 20
- Previous exposure to international environment, 15
**What will be your role?**:
**Offered contract**:
- Full-time contract (40 hours/week).
- Predoctoral Contract
- The position will correspond to “Predoctoral Researcher (R1)” within the professional categories of the IFAE.
- Salary will be proportional to experience and qualifications within the corresponding category range.
- Work with interesting experimental science. Travelling to scientific singular infrastructures. Opportunity to gain experience learning first-hand. Personal growth, innovation, and learning every day.
**Application and Selection process**:
Sending CVs to the above addresses implies consent to the IFAE’s legal warning on data privacy.
In compliance with article 121 of the Spanish Public Sector Legal Regime Act, staff with a pre-existing relationship with the Consortium administration (Generalitat de Catalunya and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) will have priority in the awarding of the position.
**Funding Statement**:
Esta plaza está financiada en el marco de la acreditación Severo Ochoa de IFAE CEX2024-001441-S (2025-2028), concedida por el MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.