Research Assistant (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Candidate)

Job description

About the role

Do you want to understand metamaterials that vary in time?

Imperial College London is recruiting two Doctoral Candidates (DCs) to work in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network (DN) "SPARK" (HORIZON-MSCA-2025-DN-01-01), devoted to spatiotemporal metamaterials and structured light fields. The DN will provide multidisciplinary training culminating in PhDs awarded by Imperial College London.

What you would be doing

The goal of SPARK is to train a top-class cohort of 15 DCs, that will become the future R&D staff within the area of spatiotemporal metamaterials and light fields. We will create and consolidate links between strategic industry partners and leading academic partners including Eindhoven University of Technology (coordinator), Umeå University, INESC MN (Lisbon), Université de Namur, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Imperial College London by means of common engagement in research and training courses. This will result in the new understanding of nature and creation of new photonic technologies based on spatiotemporal metamaterials and structured light.

A crucial feature of the programme will be the close interaction with partners in both industry and academia and projects will involve a high degree of teamwork and interdisciplinary research, including secondments at a partner organisation.

The two DCs at Imperial will each work on an experimental project while they are expected to work closely within Imperial and the whole network. The titles of the two projects are:

• Project DC4: Time-Varying Metamaterials for Light - Professor Riccardo Sapienza ( [email protected] ), with a 6 months stay at TU/e (Prof. H. Caglayan) and a 3 months internship with AMAT
• Project DC9: Space-Time Beams for and from Space-Time Metamaterials - Professor Riccardo Sapienza ( [email protected] ), with a 6 months stay at UPNA (Prof. I. Liberal) and a 3 months internship with Nireos

What we are looking for

It is essential to the project that you have the following

• Masters degree in Physics, Engineering or equivalent
• An interest in one of the topics listed above (nanophotonics, ultrafast optics, metamaterials)
• Experience of undertaking a Masters research project (or equivalent) in a relevant experimental field
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to develop new concepts.

In accordance with the criteria set out by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks, the researchers must not have resided or carried out main activity (work, study, etc) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to taking up the fellowship. Also, in accordance with the criteria the researcher at the time of recruitment must not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree.

What we can offer you

• Very competitive salary with potential for additional funding depending on your family status.
• 36 months funded through the SPARK MSCA network, with the additional benefits for employees.
• 6-month research stay at our academic partners, and 3-month industrial internship.
• Training program including research-specific and transferable skills courses.
• Active participation in workshops, conferences, and network-wide events to build professional and scientific connections.
• Stimulating, multidisciplinary, and international research environment within a prestigious European training network.
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing .

Further information

In accordance with the criteria set out by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks, the researchers must not have resided or carried out main activity (work, study, etc) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to taking up the fellowship. Also, in accordance with the criteria the researcher at the time of recruitment must not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree.

This is a full-time (35 hours per week), fixed-term role for 36 months, based at our South Kensington Campus.

A competitive salary of £44,284 (£48,796 if family allowance applies) in accordance with the MSCA regulations for Doctoral Researchers will be offered, including a living allowance, a mobility allowance, and a family allowance (if applicable).

Queries relating to the application process should be directed to Light Community Administrator , Sunita Aubeeluck - [email protected]

Queries relating to the research project should be directed to Professor Riccardo Sapienza - [email protected]

The Department of Physics is proud to hold an Athena SWAN Silver Award, recognising our commitment to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and thriving community. We value the strength that comes from diverse perspectives, and we warmly welcome applications from talented people of all backgrounds, and particularly those underrepresented in physics, to join our vibrant community supported by initiatives that promote collaboration, inclusivity and professional development.

Find out more about our inclusive environment.