The Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) project has announced funding for up to 12 post-doctoral fellowship positions at universities and institutions in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) African Partner Countries (APCs). These countries include Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zambia.
Thematic Areas
- Research programmes in astrophysics relevant to radio astronomy, although complementary multi-wavelength areas will also be considered.
- Projects that incorporate machine learning (ML) or artificial intelligence (AI) approaches
- Researchers in the Earth Observation (EO) and Space Science fields can apply if they propose to use ML/AI techniques with synergies beneficial to astrophysics.
Furthermore, fellows will receive support from collaborators and mentors within the DARA team, comprising academics and space sector industrial partners from the United Kingdom and South Africa. They will join the emerging community of African researchers, positioning them to effectively utilise facilities like the Square Kilometre Array on the African continent.
Fellows are urged to participate in the creation and implementation of training programmes across Africa linked to initiatives led by DARA, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), and other organisations. As part of SARAO’s Africa Programme, two-element training interferometer dishes measuring 3-4 meters in diameter will be installed in each APC, alongside Transient Array Radio Telescopes (TARTs). These 3-4 meter dishes also have potential use for satellite Earth Observation (EO) data downlink. The goal is to establish hubs within the space sector where radio astronomy, remote sensing, space AI applications, and entrepreneurship can flourish.
Benefits
The position comes with dedicated funds of up to £11,000 per year to cover the cost of travel for the postdoctoral fellow. This covers travel to conferences and visits to collaborators in the UK, South Africa, or other African countries. An additional £5,000 is allocated for a research workstation computer. If needed for the proposed research, up to £10,000 is also available for a research-grade GPU chip.
Additional Notes
- Performance will be monitored by the DARA project every 6 months with continued funding to the project end dependent on satisfactory progress.
- Applicants must have already obtained a PhD in Astrophysics, Space Science or Earth Observation, or be in a position to obtain one before their proposed start date.
- The applicant needs to get the agreement of an institution based in an APC to host their Fellowship. Teaching and/or administrative duties must not take up more than 6 hours per week of the Fellow’s time. Both the applicant and the host institution need to fill out their respective applications forms available from the link below.
How to Apply
The completed forms, together with a CV and a science case (maximum of three pages in 11pt font) from the applicant, need to be emailed as PDFs to the DARA Principal Investigator, Prof Melvin Hoare by 21 July 2024. Interested candidates must fill out the application here
Furthermore, the applicant should name two referees and request that they send letters of recommendation to the same address by the deadline. The positions can start as soon as possible and are funded up to 31 March 2027. Later start dates will also be considered.
For enquiries, email Professor Melvin Hoare
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