Northumbria University
Postdoctoral Research Associate
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Job Description
About the Project and Roles
We are excited to offer 3 post-doctoral research associate positions PDRA1, PDRA2, and PDRA3 that are each funded for five years commencing in April 2027.
Please indicate in your application which post/posts you are interested in.
Why is the response of Earth’s outer radiation belt to solar wind driving so hard to predict? is a five-year multi-institution STFC-funded project. Our aim is to determine why the terrestrial outer radiation belt environment is currently difficult to predict. Improving this predictive capability matters well beyond our field: space weather events driven by solar activity can damage or disable satellites, disrupt GPS and communications systems, and pose radiation risks to astronauts and high-altitude flights. Better models of the outer radiation belt will directly support satellite operators, space mission planners, and national space weather forecasting services such as the UK Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre. We plan six workstreams to be undertaken as part of the project, three of which will be conducted at Northumbria University:
- PDRA1 will work with Prof Jonathan Rae to conduct investigations into the connections between solar wind driving and the energy stored in Earth’s plasma sheet.
- PDRA2 will work with Prof Clare Watt to conduct investigations into the connection between Earth’s plasma sheet and the inner magnetosphere.
- PDRA3 will work with Dr Sarah Bentley to conduct numerical experiments on physical processes that act in the outer radiation belts.
Although each workstream will be conducted by different researchers in the team, success of the project will depend upon close collaboration between researchers. You will therefore lead the work on your own workstream in addition to collaborating with the wider consortium. You will be encouraged to contribute your own ideas to further the objectives of the project. We will support you to attend regular consortium meetings virtually and in-person, as far as your personal circumstances allow. Travel to conferences and workshops to present results and engage with the international research community is supported by the project and will be encouraged where practicable.
For an informal discussion about any of these posts please contact Professor Clare Watt at clare.watt@northumbria.ac.uk. For further information about other positions in this project, please see the vacancy pages at Warwick University and the University of Birmingham.
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About the Team
The Project Lead is Professor Clare Watt of the School of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics in Northumbria University, with co-Leads Dr Sarah Bentley and Prof Jonathan Rae at Northumbria, together with Dr Ravindra Desai at Warwick University and Dr Oliver Allanson at the University of Birmingham. The full consortium team will comprise the researchers above, the advertised three PDRAs and a Research Software Engineer (RSE) at Northumbria University, a PDRA and RSE at Warwick University and a PDRA and RSE at the University of Birmingham. We expect a number of PhD students to be added to the team as the project progresses.
At Northumbria University, your work will be undertaken in the Solar and Space Physics research group. Our group researches the fundamental plasma physics of the solar system, including the Sun, the solar wind, and the plasma environments of Earth, other planets and comets. We support a thriving PhD and postdoctoral community with multiple opportunities to develop new skills and expertise. The project will be undertaken in the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST). This £50million state-of-the-art building is a UK-wide space asset, training the next generation of space-related engineers and housing multiple space-related research projects.
About You
We seek applicants with a background in space plasma physics and/or related field to the project that you are applying to, with demonstrable specialist expert knowledge in magnetospheric physics. You will have expertise in data analysis (especially PDRA1 and PDRA2) and/or numerical modelling (especially PDRA3). In addition to the expertise you bring to the role, you will be encouraged to explore new methods beyond your current experience and develop your expertise in new techniques in space physics research. We expect applicants to be strongly motivated to work with other researchers on a consortium project.
We recognise that excellent researchers come from a wide range of backgrounds, and we are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of our field and beyond. We warmly welcome applications from researchers who are under-represented in space physics, including those from minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled researchers, and those returning from career breaks. We understand that career paths are rarely linear, and we value the breadth of experience and perspective that different backgrounds bring to research. If you would like to discuss flexible working arrangements, reasonable adjustments, or any other aspect of the role before applying, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Professor Clare Watt at clare.watt@northumbria.ac.uk.
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Please see role and person specification for more details of the skills, knowledge and experience required and desired for these posts:
- PDRA 1
- PDRA 2
- PDRA 3
To apply for this vacancy please click 'Apply Now'. Your application should include a covering letter and a CV.
We welcome applications from the UK and across the world. Visit our web pages for details about Relocation Assistance.
About Us
Join Northumbria University, a research-intensive institution unlocking potential and changing lives locally and globally. Named Times Higher Education's University of the Year in 2022 and Modern University of the Year in 2025, we rank top 25 in the UK for research power. Discover more about us.
With over 37,000 students from 140+ countries, we offer world-leading research, award-winning partnerships, and an outstanding student experience. We empower our exceptional staff, promoting a positive work-life balance and offering great benefits, including excellent pension schemes, flexible working, generous holiday entitlement and more.
Our Northumbria Values, co-created by our team, define who we are: Academic Excellence, Innovation, Inclusivity, Collaboration, and Ambition. Our Behaviours shape our work culture: We listen and learn, support one another, respect everyone, trust each other, and are bold.
Based in Newcastle upon Tyne and London, we are an on-campus organisation and offer flexible hours and location where the role allows. We pride ourselves on diversity and inclusivity, holding a Silver Athena Swan in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality, a bronze Race Equality Charter Award and we are a Disability Confident Leader. We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers and are members of the Euraxess initiative to deliver information and support to professional researchers. The University has implemented a range of flexible working arrangements, and we are happy to explore candidate requirements as part of the recruitment process.
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