Ross Kang (University of Amsterdam) and I will be looking to hire:
One PhD student based at the University of Amsterdam.
One postdoc based at TU Delft.
Besides this, I will be looking to hire:
One PhD student based at TU Delft: https://careers.tudelft.nl/job/Delft-PhD-Position-Combinatorics-2628-CD/1373209657/
The first two positions are on an M2 grant with the topic in probabilistic and extremal combinatorics. This can have intersections with structural graph theory, probability theory and algorithms. The topic of the last position can be adapted to the applicant but also has to be broadly within those fields.
The starting dates for the positions are flexible, though for the PhD positions a starting date before October 2027 is desired. The postdoc position will be advertised at a later date.
The application link for the first PhD position will be added above when made available. Via the links, you will be asked to upload the following documents:
CV with contact details of two (or more) academic references that may be contacted
Motivation letter
Detailed transcript (containing your grades and the universities explanation of the meaning of the grades)
Copy of master's thesis or comparable research-oriented document
It is a strict requirement to have a master's degree by the start of the PhD and to be fluent in English. It is also important to have some prior experience with mathematical research, for example through a summer internship or university project. We look for candidates with strong communication and collaboration skills, mathematical maturity and enthusiasm for our research topics. We invite all candidates with a strong match on the above criteria to apply.
Fluency in Dutch is not required. The positions will have similar teaching requirement (15%) and salary as other PhD positions at Dutch universities.
The 'motivation letter' is required by the TU Delft to submit one for any vacancy, but I know many master students struggle on how to write it. For me the main useful reason to have one is if there is some information that you deem relevant that did not fit in any of the other application documents, but this is probably not applicable to many candidates. One possible thing is to provide answers to questions such as 'why do you want to a PhD' (what is your previous research experience and what did you like there?) and 'why this particular topic' (what have you seen in graph theory/combinatorics/algorithms previously and which things did you like?) .