Precision pulsar timing and ionised ISM studies with the ORT and the uGMRT

The National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR), at Pune, India, is seeking a post-doctoral fellow to work on high precision pulsar timing and ionised interstellar medium (IISM) studies with the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) and the upgraded GMRT (uGMRT). The fellow will work with Dr. Krishnakumar, a principal investigator of the Indian Pulsar Timing Array (InPTA) and his collaborators.

NCRA-TIFR operates two very sensitive radio telescopes, the uGMRT and the ORT. The uGMRT has been used for sensitive pulsar observations that helped InPTA detect signatures of a gravitational wave background (GWB) in the nano-Hz regime in the recent past. Both these telescopes are well-suited for high-precision pulsar timing and IISM studies.

The successful candidate is expected to work on setting up different aspects of the high-precision pulsar timing program at ORT with millisecond pulsars (MSPs), and also participate in the ongoing InPTA program at uGMRT. In addition, the candidate will also be able to work on different aspects of IISM propagation effects of pulsars, including pulsars in the MSP campaign at ORT. The broad aspects of the work include designing and executing observations with the ORT, developing analysis pipelines to perform high-precision timing and modelling of IISM propagation effects, and data archival. The candidate is expected to contribute 50% of their time to ORT-specific projects. The high cadence data coming from the MSP monitoring at ORT will complement the uGMRT data obtained by InPTA. As a consequence, the candidate will also have the opportunity to work on some of the InPTA projects in a lead/contributor role. The selected candidate will be hosted at the Radio Astronomy Centre, Ooty campus of NCRA-TIFR.

Candidates with experience in pulsar science, especially pulsar timing, IISM studies, or advanced data analysis techniques are strongly encouraged to apply.

Research activities at NCRA-TIFR  are centred on low-frequency radio astronomy, with faculty members pursuing research in diverse areas of astrophysics (see http://www.ncra.tifr.res.in). NCRA-TIFR operates two large observational facilities, the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and the Ooty Radio Telescope.

Applications containing a curriculum vitae, a research plan, and the names and e-mail addresses of three or more referees should be sent to the Dean, NCRA-TIFR Faculty, at the e-mail address dean_nf@ncra.tifr.res.in, by October 31, 2025. Applicants should also request their referees to send in recommendation letters by the same deadline. All enquiries should also be made to this e-mail address. All applicants will automatically be considered for all available Post-Doctoral Fellowships at NCRA-TIFR.

The monthly salary of Post-Doctoral Fellows at NCRA-TIFR depends on experience after the doctoral degree. Candidates are required to have at least a provisional Ph.D. degree when taking up the position. For candidates who have received their doctoral degrees, the monthly salary ranges from INR 58,000 to INR 67,000, depending on experience. Post-doctoral fellows are also entitled to a contingency grant of INR 60,000 per year. All project post-doctoral positions are tenable for a maximum of 3 years, with continuations subject to a yearly review.

Post-doctoral Fellows at NCRA-TIFR are provided a travel grant of INR 3,00,000 over the course of the fellowship to enable them to travel for international conferences or for research collaborations. They are also entitled to a house rent allowance, and medical coverage under NCRA-TIFR's medical scheme.