Els Koffeman Postdoctoral Fellowship

Join Us!

The Els Koffeman Postdoctoral Fellowship is designed to launch excellent researchers from underrepresented groups into faculty positions in the Netherlands or abroad. The fellowship is open to researchers in all fields of experimental and theoretical physics.

At the Institute of Physics (IoP) at the University of Amsterdam, we recognize diversity fosters creativity and innovation, both of which are essential to excellent physics research. We are committed to equality of opportunity, fairness, inclusion, and creating an environment where everyone feels they belong. The IoP Els Koffeman Postdoctoral Fellowship is intended for candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in our workforce at the faculty level.

We are looking for applicants from all subfields of experimental and theoretical physics. The research profile of the IoP is very broad, and covers almost all areas of physics and astronomy. In your application, please list the names of up to three IoP faculty members you would be interested in working with.

This is what you will do

The Els Koffeman Postdoctoral Fellowship is a prestigious personal grant aimed at supporting independent postdocs to conduct their own high-quality research at the Institute of Physics (IoP). As an Els Koffeman fellow, you will conduct independent and impactful research in a physics topic of your choice. You will be embedded in one of the subgroups of IoP but you are encouraged to have your own research priorities and seek connections throughout IoP. We highly value mentorship and collaboration, and you will also have the opportunity to contribute to the guidance and supervision of Ph.D., Master's, and/or Bachelor's students.

What we ask of you

Your experience and profile:

• PhD in Physics or closely related field;
• Committed researcher, demonstrated by publications in international peer-reviewed academic journals, conference proceedings, and academic books;
• The IoP Els Koffeman Postdoctoral Fellowships are intended for candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in our workforce at the faculty level. These include people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ people, and women.

This is what we offer you

We offer a temporary employment contract for 38 hours per week for a period of 36 months. The preferred starting date is to be discussed.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,706 to € 5,760 (Scale 10).This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile Researcher is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants.

The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

You will work in this team

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Institute of Physics (IoP) of the University of Amsterdam is located in the center of the Amsterdam Science Park. The IoP – as part of the Faculty of Science –is housed in a modern building with excellent labs and technical facilities. Surrounded by several national research institutes and with our partners at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, the institute is part of a strong physics center of international standing.

Do you want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Are you an excellent researcher from an underrepresented group in all fields of experimental and theoretical physics? Do you enjoy working in an interdisciplinary research setting? The Institute of Physics is looking for an ambitious Researcher.

You will work in this team

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Institute of Physics (IoP) of the University of Amsterdam is located in the center of the Amsterdam Science Park. The IoP – as part of the Faculty of Science –is housed in a modern building with excellent labs and technical facilities. Surrounded by several national research institutes and with our partners at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, the institute is part of a strong physics center of international standing.

Do you want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the button below. We accept applications until and including enter date. Applications will be accepted until 23:59 CEST on18 October 2026.

The first round of selections will be based on the submitted documents. In a second stage, letters of recommendation will be requested, and online interviews with short-listed candidates will be conducted between November 16 and 27.

If you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:

• Arghavan Safavi Naini (a.safavinaini@uva.nl), chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council, for scientific questions;
• Joost van Mameren (j.vanmameren@uva.nl), institute manager, for other questions.

You can apply via the red button on top of the page. Applications should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted in one single pdf file):

• a detailed CV including the start and finish months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
• a letter of motivation;
• a list of publications;
• A research statement (max 2 pages) including the names of up to three IoP faculty members who you would be interesting in working with. A list of all faculty members can be found at Staff
• A diversity statement (max 2 pages). You can for example write about how your (diverse) background has impacted your career so far, how you initiated or participated in diversity and inclusion activities in the past, or how you see yourself contributing to diversity activities in IoP.
• The names and email addresses of three references who can provide letters of recommendation in a later stage of the procedure.

The UvA attaches great importance to the contribution of female scientists in research and education/ We particularly encourage women and candidates from other under-represented groups to apply/ We value diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply, even if you don't meet every requirement.

A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure (for details: national knowledge security guidelines). Only complete applications received within the response period via the application button will be considered.