Research Associate (FTC 36 months)

FTE and working pattern: 35 hours per week (1 FTE), Fixed term contract for 36 months

The Post description: 

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) position, funded through the EPSRC standard grant “The Geometry of the Isomorphism Problem for Artin Groups”, led by Dr. Alexandre Martin. The post will be held at the Department of Mathematics of Heriot Watt university and at the Maxwell Institute, Edinburgh, and will be for a fixed term of up to 36 months (3 years). The successful applicant is expected to start on September 1st, 2025 (or shortly after, upon agreement).

The project leader is happy to be contacted for informal discussions about the position – email at alexandre.martin@hw.ac.uk  

What you would be doing:  

You will carry out and disseminate research in geometric group theory and related fields (write and submit academic articles, give talks at seminars and conferences). You will work on questions related to the proposed project together with the project leader and his collaborators (more detail on the project below). 

You will actively engage with the thriving research community in geometric group theory of Heriot Watt University and the Maxwell Institute by attending seminars, organising research events, as appropriate.  

You will be offered the opportunity to further your professional and personal development skills, and the project leader will support the successful applicant in their academic, scientific and professional growth.  

This position has no teaching load but comes with the possibility of taking on some light teaching duties, should the candidate wish to gain teaching experience.  

What we are looking for: 

Evidence of excellent research in geometric group theory.  

More specifically, expertise in one or more of the following topics related to the project is highly desirable:  

• Geometry/combinatorics of general Artin groups and related groups, 
• Non-positively curved spaces and groups acting on them,  
• Hyperbolic features of groups.  

In addition, evidence of research on topics that complement the existing expertise of the Heriot Watt geometric group theory team is also desirable. 

Excellent oral and written communication skills. 

Ability to work both independently and as part of a group. 

About the team, Heriot Watt University and the Maxwell Institute: 

The PDRA will work closely with the project leader and his network of collaborators. The Geometric Group Theory team at Heriot Watt University consists of four permanent faculty (Laura Ciobanu, Matthew Cordes, Alexandre Martin, Alessandro Sisto), as well as several PhD students. The team is also a member of the North British Geometric Group Theory research network, which organises regular events bringing together mathematicians from several institutions: Aberdeen, Glasgow, St Andrews, Durham, etc.  

The department of mathematics at Heriot Watt is part of the Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, an institute bringing together the mathematical activities of Heriot Watt University and the University of Edinburgh. The Maxwell Institute coordinates a wide spectrum of activities, including a large graduate school, numerous seminar series, Knowledge Exchange and outreach events, and distinguished lecture series.  

Heriot Watt has also a central role in the running of the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS), a world-renowned conference centre. The ICMS further enriches the research environment of the Maxwell Institute by attracting a constant flow of national and international research visitors.  

The successful applicant will greatly benefit from this stimulating environment. 

Description of the project: 

Geometric group theory is a field that studies groups by realising them as symmetries of spaces with a rich geometry, and finds itself at the interface between algebra, geometry, topology, and combinatorics. 

The project focuses on Artin groups, an important class of groups generalising braid groups and for which many questions are still open. They are defined by means of a specific presentation graph, and it is thus natural to ask whether different presentation graphs can yield isomorphic groups. This is known as the Isomorphism Problem for Artin groups. One of the goals of this project is to solve the Isomorphism Problem for new classes of Artin groups, and to construct new isomorphism invariants. This project will investigate connections between the Isomorphism Problem for Artin groups and the geometry of certain proposed “curve graphs” for these groups. Such graphs, named by analogy with the case of mapping class groups of surfaces, are conjectured to be hyperbolic graphs on which the group acts with strong dynamical features. One of the goals of this project is to make progress on this conjecture, and to use these graphs as a stepping stone towards a study of the Isomorphism Problem for Artin groups and other related groups.   

Further Information: 

The position also includes: 

A travel budget to attend conferences and visit collaborators. 

Training opportunities will be made available to sustain the overall growth of the PDRA e.g. to attend leadership programmes, public engagement courses as well getting support from our additional programmes offered by Heriot Watt University. 

Heriot Watt University has a relocation policy to help individuals who will join the institution from a different location, see  www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/docs/hr/policies/UK_Relocation_Policy_and_Procedure.pdf 

The National Health Service surcharge and a significant contribution to the visa fees can be included in the relocation package, should that be applicable. 

Essential Criteria: 

• Applicants should hold (or be about to obtain) a PhD in mathematics. 
• Evidence of excellent research in geometric group theory.  
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. 
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a group. 

Desirable Criteria: 

• Evidence of work in one or more of the following topics related to the project: geometry/combinatorics of general Artin groups and related groups, non-positively curved spaces and groups acting on them, hyperbolic features of groups.  
• Evidence of research on topics that complement the existing expertise of the Heriot Watt geometric group theory team. 

How to Apply: 

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Wednesday, 30^th April 2025.

Applications must contain:  

A CV (max. 5 pages) containing a list of publications. The applicant may add to their CV the contact details (name, institution, email address) of up to two people who may be contacted for recommendation letters. A research statement (max. 5 pages) containing a description of past results as well as future research directions.  

Shortlisting is anticipated w/c 5^th May 2025 and interviews are anticipated to be conducted w/c 12^th May 2025.

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.  Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.

• Locations: Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, GB
• Degree Level: Doctorate