Skip to content
PHD opening

Research Assistant/Associate in Theoretical Computer Science (Fixed Term)

University of Cambridge · Department of Computer Science and Technology · United Kingdom

Back to openings

About this position

Location: West Cambridge

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 1 year.

The Department of Computer Science and Technology is an academic department that encompasses computer science along with many aspects of engineering, technology and mathematics. We have a worldwide reputation for academic research with consistent top research ratings. The Department has an open and collaborative culture, supporting revolutionary fundamental computer science research, strong cross-cutting collaborations internally and externally, and ideas which transform computing outside the University.

Please follow the link at: https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk to find out more about our department.

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral researcher to join Professor Tom Gurs research group in the Department of Computer Science and Technology at the University of Cambridge, UK.

This position is part of a broader effort to advance fundamental research in classical and quantum complexity theory. The successful candidate will conduct cutting-edge research on the interplay of theoretical computer science, mathematics, and quantum mechanics. Particular topics include classical and quantum aspects of:

  • Sublinear algorithms and property testing.
  • Cryptography, zero-knowledge proofs, and probabilistically checkable proofs.
  • Locally testable and locally decodable codes.
  • Computational learning theory.
  • Structure-versus-randomness and local-to-global phenomena.
  • Harmonic analysis, additive combinatorics, and their applications in theoretical computer science.

There will be opportunities for collaboration with faculty members and PhD students and to engage with the broader quantum computing and theoretical computer science communities at Cambridge.

Essentia criteria

Successful candidates will hold (or be close to completing) a PhD in Computer Science or a relevant subject area. Appointment at the research associate level depends upon having a PhD or equivalent skills and experience through non-academic routes. Where a PhD has yet to be awarded appointment will initially be made as a Research Assistant and amended to Research Associate when the PhD is awarded.

Additional information about the skills required for the position can be found in the further particulars.

Appointment at the Research Associate level is dependent on the award of a PhD. This is a postdoctoral-level appointment, those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at the Research Assistant -Grade 5, which will be amended to Research Associate-Grade 7 once the award of the PhD has been conferred.

In addition to the base salary, the successful candidate for this post will receive an additional 2.5% supplement to their pay.

For further information please contact Professor Tom Gur: tom.gur@cst.cam.ac.uk

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click 'Apply' above.

Required documents include a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a brief research statement, and contact information for two references. If you upload any additional documents, which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please quote reference NR51230 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Members only · Free to join

Sign in to see the full opening

Get the entry requirements, funding, the supervisor's contact and a link to the original advert.

  • Funding
  • How to apply
  • Contact details

Free forever No credit card 30-second sign-up

Similar openings

Self funded 14 Nov 2026

Phd Studentship, Analytics, Environmental & Forensics

KINGS COLLEGE LONDON

  • London (Greater) (GB), United Kingdom
  • Biological sciences Chemistry
  • Dr Vincenzo Abbate

Revolutionising Infection Diagnosis Through Targeted Radiometal Imaging Background of the Project: People with conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, organ transplants, or immunodeficiencies face higher risks of infection, complications, and death. Prompt and accurate diagnosis is vital to improve outcomes in these vulnerable groups. However, clinical diagnosis of microbial infections is often challenging, and noninvasive methods tend to perform poorly. Existing lab techniques typically require invasive sample collection, followed by time-consuming culture and antibiotic resistance t

Fully funded 15 Nov 2026

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering PGRTAs: Enhanced PhD Studentship

The University of Manchester

  • Manchester, United Kingdom

Application deadline: 15.11.2026 This PhD will be undertaken over a total period of 70 months and will combine research and teaching responsibilities. This PhD project is fully funded; students who are eligible to pay tuition fees at the Home rate are eligible to apply. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free part time stipend set at the UKRI rate (£13,200.80 for 2026/27) plus a salary which will bring the annual income to a minimum of £28,405.40per annum. We expect the stipend to increase each year. Tuition fee costs will be covered by School of Engineering. We seek to appoin

Fully funded 15 Nov 2026

Research Assistant (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Candidate)

Imperial College London · Department of Physics

  • London, United Kingdom
  • Department of Physics

Salary Range: £35,470 - £46,863 per annum (The salary range is approximate only and may vary significantly depending on the exchange rate.) Imperial College London is recruiting two Doctoral Candidates (DCs) to work in the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network (DN) “SPARK” (HORIZON-MSCA-2025-DN-01-01), devoted to spatiotemporal metamaterials and structured light fields. The DN will provide multidisciplinary training culminating in PhDs awarded by Imperial College London. The goal of SPARK is to train a top-class cohort of 15 DCs, that will become the future R&D staff within th

Research Assistant/Associate in Theoretical Computer Science (Fixed Term) — University of Cambridge