With the COFUND project "KSETA Europe" we will fund and train 24 international doctoral researchers for research in the fields of particle and astroparticle physics as well as related engineering disciplines to devise enabling advanced technologies. The on-site training activities and the research infrastructure are provided by our established Doctoral School KSETA. 

Our academic Associate Partners in five foreign countries will host seconded researchers in their laboratories. COFUND will add an intersectoral element to KSETA, as our Associate partners from the private sector will train seconded KSETA Europe doctoral researchers on commercial applications of scientific technologies and methods.

KSETA Europe is open to candidates with Master's degree in physics, engineering, or informatics/computer science. KSETA Europe doctoral researchers will be hired in three cohorts with one call per year. They will profit from a training programme with semi-annual block courses, two workshops held in the nearby Black Forest, guest lectures, a programme for hosting interns, and secondments to our Associate Partners.

Eligibility criteria and application requirements:

There will be three rounds of recruitment, each for eight positions, with 36-month employment co
tracts. Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Educational background: Applicants must possess a Master's degree or be enrolled in the final year of Master's studies in subjects such as physics, engineering or computer science.
2. Doctoral degree: Applicants must not already hold a doctoral degree.
3. COFUND Mobility Rule: Applicants must comply with the COFUND mobility rule, which states that they should not have resided in or carried out their main activities (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately preceding the application deadline for the KSETA-Europe funded programme.

If you have any further questions or need clarification on any points, please ask!

The language requirement is a B2 level of spoken and written English. The minimum gross salary for the first year is in line with the German public sector tariff, and doctoral fellows receive full-time contracts under German civil law. The call text includes links to the KSETA Europe website, where you can find application details, information on research lines, and details of the Principal Investigators (PIs). The selection process, timeline, redress process and required application materials are described below, including points for the motivation letter. Applicants are encouraged to contact the KSETA Head Office with any formal enquiries.

Organisation of the Selection Process:

1. Application System: Applications are submitted through an online system at http://www.kseta.kit.edu/application.php
2. Registration: The first step involves filling out an online form, which requires applicants to provide:
   - Basic information including titles and names of supervisors of their Master theses.
   - Length of study.
   - Grades from Bachelor and Master studies.
   - Selection of one research field (out of four) for PhD research.
   - Up to three KSETA Europe Principal Investigators (PIs) (out of 47) as potential thesis supervisors.
3. Research Fields:
   (i) Experimental particle physics
   (ii) Experimental astroparticle physics
   (iii) Theoretical particle and astroparticle physics
   (iv) Technology development (including electrical engineering, chemical processing, informatics, and machine engineering)
   
   Applicants may optionally propose a specific research sub-field, topic, or project; this will be further developed in collaboration with supervisors during the initial month after recruitment.
4. Application Material Submission: After registration, applicants must submit the following materials:
   
   1. a motivation letter (of up to 2 pages) containing:
   - a statement of research interests,
   - an explanation why the applicant has chosen KIT and KSETA, and
   - a statement about the academic qualifications preparing the applicant for the envisaged research field (e.g. special lectures, internships, summer schools);
   
   2. a tabulated curriculum vitae (CV) including information on
   - academic education (attended universities, fields, specialisations),
   - additional extra-curricular activities (small research projects, advanced voluntary academic courses),
   - mobility (internships at other scientific institutions, studies in foreign countries, e.g. with ERASMUS, intersectoral mobility to the non-academic world),
   - brief descriptions of the projects of Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis,
   - academic prizes, publications and patents,
   - competencies related to foreign languages and cultures,
   - other professional competencies (e.g. programming languages), and
   - teaching, outreach, public awareness activities, as well as social engagement;
   
   3. transcripts of record and certificates of Bachelor and Master studies.
   Applicants should provide two letters of recommendation from senior scientists, one being from the supervisor of their Master’s thesis. The other letter can be from any scientist chosen by the applicant.

Selection Committee and Selection Process:

The selection follows the principles outlined in The European Charter for Researchers and The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The Selection Committee (SC) consists of 12 external experts, divided into four Topical Panels (TP), corresponding to the KSETA research fields:

• TP1: Experimental particle physics
• TP2: Experimental astroparticle physics
• TP3: Theoretical particle and astroparticle physics
• TP4: Technology development

If you have any questions or need any additional information, feel free to ask!

Ethics in Astroparticle and Particle Physics Research

1. No Human/Animal Involvement: Research in this field does not involve experiments on humans or animals or the collection of medical/sociological data.
2. International Secondments: Doctoral researchers may be seconded to countries within and outside the EU (Argentina, USA, Switzerland).
3. No Environmental Impact: Activities (cosmic ray observation, electronics lab work, data collection) do not have adverse environmental effects.
4. International Regulations: Research in foreign institutions follows international contracts ensuring high standards on: environment, workplace safety, fairness and mutual respect, minority protection, gender equity, intellectual property rights.
5. Ethics in AI Usage:
   - Doctoral researchers develop AI techniques (neural networks) for data analysis in particle physics experiments (CMS at CERN)
   - No interaction with humans or human behavior; AI is focused on discovering natural laws.
   - AI knowledge is specific to particle physics, minimizing the risk of unethical use.
6. Recruitment and Employment Ethics:
   - KIT follows EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and German law in labor and scientific conduct.
   - KSETA ensures anti-discrimination policies regarding gender, ethnicity, religion, and parenthood.
   - Equal opportunity, mentorship, and confidential support for dealing with conflicts or discrimination are provided.
7. Support for Disabled Researchers:
   - Disabilities do not need to be disclosed in applications.
   - KIT is committed to providing necessary workplace adaptations for disabled researchers.
8. Data Protection:
   - Personal data processing follows GDPR and national data protection laws.
   - Data subjects are informed of their rights and data collection purposes.
   - Data protection is overseen by the Data Protection Commissioner.
9. Science Ethics Briefing:
   - All KIT employees must undergo mandatory ethics training, including scientific misconduct.
   - KIT has an ombudsperson for handling misconduct cases.
   - Doctoral researchers co-funded by KSETA-COFUND must sign a commitment to ethical conduct, including respect in multinational teams and ethical use of AI.
10. Annual Ethics Reporting: Ethics issues will be reported annually after each recruitment call.