The work will primarily focus on two closely related areas: developing a simulation and cosmological inference framework for the ZTF survey; and measuring and modelling environmental biases, including how these interact with the survey's selection effects. The output of this project will be a low-redshift anchor suitable for use by the Vera Rubin/LSST and 4MOST-TiDES surveys.

Candidates with experience in supernova cosmology are encouraged to apply. The post is available immediately, with an anticipated start date of 1st January 2027 (a later start, up to early Spring 2027, can be accommodated). The appointment is a fixed-term contract until September 2029. 

In addition to joining the ZTF Collaboration, the selected candidate will join the wider Observational Astrophysics group at Lancaster, a friendly and collaborative research environment. The candidate will be welcome to participate in group research activities, which cover diverse topics including transients, high-redshift galaxies, galaxy evolution, gravitational waves and citizen science projects, and will have regular opportunities to exchange ideas across these areas. 

If you have any queries regarding this position, please contact Mathew Smith at mat.smith@lancaster.ac.uk.

Qualifications:
A PhD (or near completion) in astrophysics, physics, cosmology or a related field; strong scientific programming skills (Python); research experience in supernova cosmology, statistical or systematic-uncertainty analysis, or large-scale survey science. Excellent communication and teamwork skills.

Application Requirements: CV, publication list, and a 2-page research statement describing past research experience and its relevance to the project's science goals.

Deadline: Applications received by Friday 30th October 2026, midnight UK time will receive full consideration.

Compensation: Salary commensurate with a standard postdoctoral researcher role at Lancaster.

Application instructions: Applications must be submitted through the Lancaster University online portal. 

Contact info: mat.smith@lancaster.ac.uk

Closing Date: 30 Oct 2026

Department: Research

Salary: £39,906 to £46,049 (Full time, indefinite with end date)

• Simulations and selection effects for SN Ia cosmology and beyond (Lancaster University): lead the forward-modelling of the combined LSST+TiDES sample, and characterise its associated sample selection effects. This project will include building galaxy population catalogues validated against state-of-the-art cosmological simulations (e.g. IllustrisTNG). This simulation effort will be the foundation underpinning every rate, host-galaxy and cosmological result in TRANSCEND.
• SNe Ia cosmology groundwork or rare transient follow-up and characterisation (University of Oxford): use over 30,000 spectroscopically confirmed SNe Ia and 150,000 host-galaxy redshifts to improve SNe Ia standardisation and lay the groundwork for using this sample in future SN cosmological measurements. Alternatively, focus on follow-up and modelling of rare transients.
• Host galaxies of transients (University of Southampton): derive host-galaxy properties from LSST+TiDES photometric and spectroscopic data, and use the unprecedented LSST+TiDES transient sample to study how transients correlate with their environments and measure rates of different classes of transient.
• Transient physical properties and the black hole mass function of tidal disruption events (Queen’s University Belfast): measure key parameters such as luminosity and nickel masses for thousands of transients from TiDES and follow-up data to characterise population demographics, and use hundreds of live TDEs and thousands of host galaxies to derive scaling relations and occupation fractions for SMBHs.

While each position will be associated with a TRANSCEND deliverable, all postdocs will have opportunities to follow up interesting transients and be encouraged to pursue projects that maximise the science from TiDES.

All Postdoctoral Research Associate posts are full-time, funded for 5 years from 1st April 2027. This advertisement is for the post at Lancaster University specifically; separate applications are required to each university for the other three posts. Applicants are encouraged to apply for more than one post and, once appointed, all four researchers will be expected to work closely, through regular collaboration visits, to maximise the overall scientific outcomes of TRANSCEND; please state your order of preference (topic and institution) in your application.

Qualifications: A PhD (or near completion) in astrophysics, physics, cosmology or a related field; strong scientific programming skills (Python); research experience in time-domain astrophysics, supernovae, galaxy evolution, cosmology or survey science. Excellent communication and teamwork skills.

Application Requirements: CV, publication list, and a 2-page research statement describing past research experience and its relevance to the TRANSCEND science goals. If applying to more than one post, state your order preference in the research statement.

Deadline: Applications received by Thursday 5^th November, midnight UK time will receive full consideration.

Compensation: Salary commensurate with a standard postdoctoral researcher role at Lancaster/Oxford/Southampton/Queen's.

Application instructions: Shortlisting and interviews will be carried out via a cross-institutional panel.

 Contact info: mat.smith@lancaster.ac.uk, i.hook@lancaster.ac.uk  

Closing Date: 06 Nov 2026

Department: Research

Salary: £39,906 to £46,049 (Full-Time/Indefinite with End Date)

Working with the RSS Sustainability Strategic Theme Lead and a small team of fellow researchers, the appointee will provide expertise in research methodology and topics relevant to priority research areas including sustainability in health and care (focussed on life cycle assessment/environmental footprinting).

The RSS aim is to provide researchers, especially (but not exclusively) those applying for and in receipt of NIHR funding with free access to support and expertise. Lancaster is host to one of eight RSS Hubs delivering the national service and the NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Social Care, in partnership with the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester, and Manchester Metropolitan University. 

You will have a background in an area of relevance (e.g. environmental impact assessment, buildings / estates decarbonisation, energy efficiency), ideally experience in a variety of research methodologies and experience of working collaboratively with partners within and outside the academic setting. You will also have a track record of high-quality peer reviewed publications/grant income appropriate to your career stage.

Lancaster Medical School provides a friendly environment strongly supporting the individual needs of each employee and actively promotes a healthy work-life balance. The Faculty is committed to family-friendly and flexible working policies and has held a Silver Athena SWAN award since 2014 in recognition of its good employment practice undertaken to address gender equality in higher education and research. 

The position is available for immediate start, and we are open to discussing flexible working arrangements including working week and days/hours worked, flexible start and finish times or condensed hours.

The role is open to being undertaken remotely but there will be certain duties/responsibilities that require in-person presence at Lancaster University. The balance will be agreed with the successful candidate.

You will join us on an indefinite contract however the roles remain contingent on external funding which currently is due to end on 30^th September 2028.

Please note: unless specified otherwise in the advert, all advertised roles are UK based.

Find out what it's like to work at Lancaster University, including information on our wide range of employee benefits, support networks and our policies and facilities for a family-friendly workplace.

The University recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address all inequality in higher education whilst promoting the importance and wellbeing for all our colleagues. 

We warmly welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their age, religion, gender identity or expression, race, disability or sexual orientation, and are committed to promoting diversity, and equality of opportunity. 

Closing Date: 25 Oct 2026

Department: Research

Salary: £39,906 to £46,049 (Full time, indefinite with end date)

Location: Lancaster. Travel for fieldwork and project meetings as required.

Duration: 3 years with possibility of extension

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual to support the delivery of two research fellowships and the associated research teams:

A Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellowship awarded to Prof Nick Graham to establish the Island-Ocean Research Hub. This new project will investigate island-ocean connectivity and the influence of seabird nutrients and island rewilding on island and marine ecology and ecosystem services. The project has collaborating parters at 4 other universities, fieldwork planned in 5 countries, and will employ a large team of researchers. Your role would support this fellowship for 0.5 FTE of your time (i.e. 2.5 days per week)

A UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship awarded to Dr Tim Lamont. This project will investigate mechanisms for scaling up tropical marine restoration (coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass), and the role of business sustainability initiatives in delivering large-scale ecosystem restoration. The project has collaborations with the world’s largest coral restoration programme (www.buildingcoral.com), and the private sector’s most widely used sustainability reporting standards (www.globalreporting.org). Your role would support this fellowship for 0.3 FTE of your time (i.e. 1.5 days per week)

 The role will include elements of the following, along with general support for the two projects: Fieldwork planning to include risk assessments, diving safety, ethics and research permits; fieldwork support and possible involvement as research assistant; lab work and organisation; website and logo development and maintenance; social media and public engagement support; team cohesion and coordination including organising socials and retreats; team visas and other needs; workshop and meeting organisation; budget oversight and spending; help with reporting; data management and requests for data sharing; maintaining contact with project partners and collaborators; welcoming and inducting visitors and new group members. 

You will work closely with Nick Graham and Tim Lamont, collaborate with other members of the research team, and coordinate with project partners.

Preferred candidates will have experience in marine / biological science and/or project management. A proactive and enthusiastic approach and good interpersonal skills are essential. 

Lancaster University is a research-intensive university, ranked in the top 10 of UK universities. The Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) is a large and multidisciplinary department, tackling environmental challenges across the natural and social sciences. Within LEC, there is particular strength in high diversity tropical systems, including coral reefs and tropical rainforests. LEC offers a highly collegial and stimulating environment for career development  based on departmental values and embedded Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) considerations and actions. We are committed to family-friendly and flexible working policies on an individual basis as well as the Athena SWAN Charter, which recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address gender equality in higher education and research. Furthermore, we are active and progressive around sustainability, wellbeing and decolonising agendas.

Applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. 

 What to include in each document of your application:

Cover Letter Please discuss why you are interested specifically in this position, and how it fits with your career goals. Please also describe any skills and related experience you have developed that are relevant to this post. Word limit 500 words. 

CV Please include a 2-page CV.

Supporting Statements: Please provide a supporting statement for each Personal Specification point that is listed as being scored via “Supporting Statements”. This should include examples that provide evidence of your experience and expertise. Aim for one paragraph per criteria (~50-200 words).

Referees: Contact information for at least two referees. At this stage, only contact details are required for referees, not letters of support.

For more information, see the Further Information link below.

Informal enquiries for issues not covered in the further information to Nick Graham nick.graham@lancaster.ac.uk or Tim Lamont tim.lamont@lancaster.ac.uk. Such enquiries are not necessary as part of the application and will not inform any decision. Applications without prior enquiry are welcome and will not be disadvantaged.

Closing Date: 30 Oct 2026

Department: Research

Salary: £33,002 to £37,694 part time indefinite with end date

Location: Lancaster. Travel for fieldwork and collaborations as required.

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic temperate or warm-water marine scientist and/or community ecologist to join the Island-Ocean Research Hub. This new research hub will investigate island-ocean connectivity and the influence of seabirds and island rewilding on ecosystem structure, function, and benefits to people. This specific position will focus on how biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships and ecosystem recovery potential are influenced by seabird nutrient inputs. Potential study sites will include the inner and southern Seychelles, the Mediterranean Sea and island archipelagos around the UK, and ecosystems to explore include Mangroves, seagrass, coral reefs and kelp. This project is led out of Lancaster University, with a number of collaborating universities and NGOs. Fieldwork for the project will include periods in remote locations, working in small teams, and scuba and snorkel-based work, and experience of such working will be essential. The successful applicant will work closely with Prof Nick Graham on this project, and collaborate with other members of the research team, both in Lancaster and at collaborating institutions.

Preferred candidates will have a PhD in marine science/disturbance ecology, experience of fieldwork, skills in statistical modelling, and a proven ability to publish scientific papers. A proactive and enthusiastic approach and good interpersonal skills are essential. 

The Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) is a large and multidisciplinary department, tackling environmental challenges across the natural and social sciences. Within LEC, there is particular strength in high diversity tropical systems, including coral reefs and tropical rainforests. LEC offers a highly collegial and stimulating environment for career development  based on departmental values and embedded Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) considerations and actions. 

Please include:

Cover Letter Please discuss why you are interested specifically in this position, and how it fits with your career goals. Please also describe any skills you have developed that are relevant to this post, and how you may seek to develop this area of research. 500 word limit.

CV Please include a 2-page CV.

Publication record: Please upload a list of your publications, clearly distinguishing those that are published and those that are under review. Please do not include those in preparation.

Supporting Statements: Please provide a supporting statement for each Personal Specification point that is listed as being scored via “Supporting Statements”. This should include examples that provide evidence of your experience and expertise. Aim for one paragraph per criteria (~50-200 words).

Referees: Contact information for at least two referees. At this stage, only contact details are required for referees, not letters of support.

Informal enquiries for issues not covered to Prof Nick Graham nick.graham@lancaster.ac.uk. Such enquiries are not necessary as part of the application and will not inform any decision. Applications without prior enquiry are welcome and will not be disadvantaged.

Closing Date: 30 Oct 2026

Department: Research

Salary: £39,906 to £46,049 (Full-Time/Indefinite with End Date)

Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, UK

An exciting opportunity exists for a marine scientist or community ecologist to contribute to a Royal Society funded project: Harnessing island-ocean connections to support ecosystems and people.

Salary: Grade 7

Hours: Full time

Location: Lancaster. Travel for fieldwork and collaborations as required.

Duration: 4 years

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic temperate or warm-water marine scientist and/or community ecologist to join the Island-Ocean Research Hub. This new research hub will investigate island-ocean connectivity and the influence of seabirds and island rewilding on ecosystem structure, function, and benefits to people. This specific position will focus on the role of seabird nutrient run-off, the extent to which those nutrients are integrated into foundation species, and how food web structures are influenced by the nutrient subsidies. Potential study sites will include the inner and southern Seychelles, the Mediterranean Sea and island archipelagos around the UK, and ecosystems to explore include Mangroves, seagrass, coral reefs and kelp. This project is led out of Lancaster University, with a number of collaborating universities and NGOs. Fieldwork for the project will include periods in remote locations, working in small teams, and scuba and snorkel-based work, and experience of such working will be essential. The successful applicant will work closely with Prof Nick Graham on this project, and collaborate with other members of the research team, both in Lancaster and at collaborating institutions.

Preferred candidates will have a PhD in marine science/community ecology, experience of fieldwork, skills in statistical modelling, and a proven ability to publish scientific papers. A proactive and enthusiastic approach and good interpersonal skills are essential. 

Lancaster University is a research-intensive university, ranked in the top 10 of UK universities. The Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) is a large and multidisciplinary department, tackling environmental challenges across the natural and social sciences. Within LEC, there is particular strength in high diversity tropical systems, including coral reefs and tropical rainforests. LEC offers a highly collegial and stimulating environment for career development  based on departmental values and embedded Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) considerations and actions. 

Applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. 

We anticipate interviews will be held in November 2026. 

What to include in each document of your application:

Cover Letter Please discuss why you are interested specifically in this position, how it fits with your career goals, describe any relevant skills, and how you may seek to develop this area of research. 500 word limit.

CV Please include a 2-page CV.

Publication record: Please upload a list of your publications, clearly distinguishing those that are published and those that are under review. Please do not include those in preparation.

Supporting Statements: Please provide a supporting statement for each Personal Specification point that is listed as being scored via “Supporting Statements”. Aim for one paragraph per criteria (~50-200 words).

Referees: Contact information for at least two referees. At this stage, only contact details are required for referees, not letters of support.

For more information, see the Further Information link below.

Informal enquiries for issues not covered in the further information to Prof Nick Graham nick.graham@lancaster.ac.uk. Such enquiries are not necessary as part of the application and will not inform any decision. 

Closing Date: 30 Oct 2026

Department: Research

Salary: £39,906 to £46,049 (Full time, indefinite with end date)

We seek to appoint 1 full-time post-doctoral research associate (starting Spring 2027) to complete a team of 4 researchers who are exploring novel concepts for security controls and assurance in converged and ultra-large scale infrastructures.

The successful candidate for this role will develop new techniques for orchestrating security controls in dynamic and complex systems undergoing frequent changes to their function and security requirements. This work will involve researching how to introduce interactions between security controls to achieve security goals and exploring the trade-offs of doing so. We seek to appoint a researcher who has either experience in abstract modelling of distributed systems or practical experience deploying and experimenting with security controls.

As a Programme Grant there is considerable flexibility in this research agenda. This allows the right candidate to have a significant ability to direct their research activities. This is a great opportunity for an individual to build their research career.

Key duties of this post include:

• Conducting original research to orchestrate security in future complex distributed systems.
• Developing high quality and impactful publications.
• Collaborating with academic, industry partners and other EPSRC projects.

 The successful candidate will have a PhD in Computer Science or equivalent with experience in cyber security or distributed systems.

The School of Computing and Communications at Lancaster University offers a highly inclusive and stimulating environment for career development, and you will be exposed to a range of further opportunities over the course of this post. We are committed to family-friendly and flexible working policies, as well as the Athena SWAN Charter, which recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address gender equality in higher education and research.

You will join us on an indefinite contract; however, the role remains contingent on external funding, which for these roles initially ends after 24 months (with the possibility to extend further).

The candidates will be working under the direct supervision of Prof. Neeraj Suri (neeraj.suri@lancaster.ac.uk)  and Dr. Matthew Bradbury (m.s.bradbury@lancaster.ac.uk). We welcome enquires prior to the submission of an application!

Closing Date: 19 Oct 2026

Department: Research

Salary: £39,355 to £45,413 (Full time, indefinite with end date)