Summary
The national institute for subatomic physics in the Netherlands, Nikhef, is offering PhD and postdoctoral positions funded by the ERC Advanced Grant UNICORN project (“Unlocking the Strong Interactions with Collider Neutrinos”). The project aims to build the theoretical framework to model the production and scattering of high-energy neutrinos produced at the LHC, transforming experiments like FASER and SND@LHC into precision microscopes of proton structure. Successful candidates will be employed by the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the VU Amsterdam, joining a vibrant, supportive, and international scientific environment.
PhD and Postdoc Positions on QCD and Proton Structure with LHC Neutrinos, Nikhef Theory Group, Netherlands
Designation
- PhD Candidate
- Postdoctoral Researcher
Position Overview & Compensation
| Position | Contract Duration | Gross Monthly Salary | Fringe Benefits |
| PhD Position | 4 years (initially 1 year, extended upon successful evaluation) | €3,059.00 (1st year) rising to €3,881.00 (4th year) | 8% holiday allowance, 8.3% end-of-year bonus, ABP pension scheme, commuting contribution, up to 232–328 holiday hours/year (depending on working hours). |
| Postdoctoral Position | 2 years (with a possibility of extension to a 3rd year) | Scale 10 (UNL collective agreement): €3,546.00 to €4,075.00 | 8% holiday allowance, 8.3% end-of-year bonus, ABP pension scheme, commuting contribution, up to 232–328 holiday hours/year (depending on working hours). |
Research Area
Theoretical particle physics, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), proton structure determinations (NNPDF global analysis), high-energy neutrino scattering, Monte Carlo event generators, and Neural Simulation-Based Inference machine learning techniques.
Location
Nikhef Theory Group, Amsterdam, Netherlands (with working visits to CERN in Geneva, Switzerland).
Eligibility / Qualification
- For PhD Position: Must hold (or expect to obtain shortly) an MSc degree in theoretical physics, particle physics, or a closely related topic.
- For Postdoctoral Position: Must hold (or expect to obtain before the start date) a PhD in theoretical physics, particle physics, or a closely related topic.
- Key Skills: Excellent software and programming skills (particularly in Python) and prior expertise in topics relevant to the research areas are highly encouraged.
Job Description
Embedded within the Nikhef Theory group and supervised by Prof. Dr. Juan Rojo, the successful candidates will focus on interconnected directions:
- Data-driven extraction of LHC forward neutrino fluxes.
- Studying charm production at the LHC as high-resolution probes of small-x QCD.
- Exploring neutrino and muon deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) structure functions at TeV energies.
- Integrating these functions into the NNPDF global analysis of proton structure.
- Developing state-of-the-art event generators for neutrino/muon DIS with data-driven tunes.
- Integrating generators with Neural Simulation-Based Inference techniques to extract unbinned observables from FASER data.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online directly through the official job portal.
- Navigate to the application form at the bottom of the Nikhef Job Page.
- Fill out your personal details.
- Upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Motivation Letter.
- Provide contact details for referents willing to send recommendation letters on your behalf (2 references for PhD, 3 references for Postdoc). Note: Letters will only be requested for short-listed candidates.
Last Date for Apply
There is no fixed application deadline. The review of applications begins on July 15, 2026, and will continue until the positions are filled.
Intended Starting Date: January 1, 2027 (or shortly thereafter, by mutual agreement).
