The Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing (IAASARS) of the National Observatory of Athens (NOA) is seeking a PhD candidate to join a research project in Planetary Defence and Space Safety, expected to be co-funded by the European Space Agency (ESA). If the project is approved, a paid PhD position will be available, with an expected start in Spring 2027. The research will focus on the development of 3D shape models of potentially hazardous asteroids through a dynamic scheduling algorithm for a network of telescopes.

Candidates with a bachelor and masters degree in Physics, Astrophysics, Applied Mathematics & Physical Sciences, Electrical Engineering, and/or Computer Science are encouraged to apply. The exact focus of the PhD will be tailored to the candidate’s expertise, ranging from asteroid modeling, light-curve analysis and scheduling algorithms to telescope-network automation and real-time data management. The position will also involve ~5 nights of observations per month with the 1.2m Kryoneri telescope. The PhD student will be supervised by NOA researchers (D. Athanasopoulos, A. Liakos, A. Bonanos) in collaboration with a University faculty member. Interested candidates should submit a short expression of interest, including their detailed academic transcript and CV to dimathanaso@noa.gr by 20 October 2026. For more information, see here.