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University of California, Santa Barbara

Ranked
Santa Barbara, United States
72nd in World University Rankings 2026
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About the University of California, Santa Barbara

Basic information and contact details for the University of California, Santa Barbara

institution

The University of California, Santa Barbara, often abbreviated as UCSB, is a prestigious research institute in the United States, which specialises in liberal arts. As a Public Ivy university, UCSB is well regarded among US universities.

The roots of UCSB begin with the establishment of the Anna Blake School in 1891. The institution, which firstly taught economics, saw forty years of development and expansion before becoming part of the ten colleges united under the University of California public university system.

The university, which offers over 200 degrees at all levels, is formed of three separate colleges: the College of Letters and Science, which trains professionals in humanities, fine arts, mathematics and social sciences; the College of Engineering, which focuses its interdisciplinary research on biomolecular and computation science and engineering; and the College of Creative Studies, a place which stimulates the creation of original work in Music and Literature. UCSB is also home to two professional departments: Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education.

Situated in close proximity to the city of Santa Barbara, UCSB’s premises cover over 4 km² of land between California’s Pacific coastline and the Santa Ynez Mountains. UCSB is one of the few American universities that has its own beach; a lagoon and specially designed walking and bicycle paths, which encourage and enable students to stay active, even during in busy exam periods. 

University campus has an active social life. The most famous event on campus is the Extravaganza free music festival, which gathers around 8,000 visitors every spring. The campus also hosts numerous student centres, which run: a local daily and weekly newspaper; radio station; and also campus events raising awareness among students about politics and diversity challenges. 

Famous alumni of UCSB include the actor Michael Douglas, and Nobel Laureate Carol Greider.

The university’s motto translates as "Let there be light".

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Key Student Statistics

A breakdown of student statistics at the University of California, Santa Barbara

gender ratio
Student gender ratio
55 F : 45 M (1)
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International student percentage
18% (1)
student per staff
Students per staff
22.9 (1)
student
Student total
25735 (1)

Based on data collected for the (1) World University Rankings 2026

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Research Associate in High-Order Mesh Generation

KINGS COLLEGE LONDON

King's College London

United Kingdom, London

institution

King's College London

United Kingdom, London


About us Recently re-founded, the Department of Engineering is rapidly expanding into a world-class research and teaching department. Research currently focuses on computational engineering, information processing systems, robotics, telecommunications, and biomedical engineering, but we are looking to establish new research themes. This post will be affiliated with the computational engineering research group within the department.  We offer both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, with a distinctive approach, combining both traditional teaching methods with modern, project-based learning, catering for the needs of our students and the industries in which they will work.  As a new department we have invested in new laboratories and maker space at the centre of the Strand campus in the heart of central London.  For more information: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/engineering About the role This role will support the delivery of a mesh generation project, funded under a recent major £7m EPSRC Programme Grant REMODEL: Advancing Parallel Mesh Generation and Geometry Representation to Enable Industrially Relevant, High-Fidelity Simulations. The goal of REMODEL is to make major advances in mesh generation and CAD geometry to enable large-scale exascale-capable simulations for the new UK national supercomputer.  The successful candidate will work within Prof. David Moxey’s group at King’s, together with the wider REMODEL project team (Swansea University, Imperial College London, EPCC and Queen’s University Belfast), to advance adaptive mesh refinement: the ability to dynamically change resolution as large-scale simulations progress, whilst preserving the geometric representation of the project. You will work within a leading group in high-order methods: a class of finite element methods that is now leading the way for future computational fluid dynamics simulations. Specifically, our group develops the Nektar++ spectral/hp element framework (www.nektar.info), and its mesh generation tool NekMesh. The successful candidate will be expected to lead developments of both tools, working towards integrated mesh-solver cycles and enable large-scale parallel simulations that adapt the mesh to fit the underlying geometry. They will also provide NekMesh with the user-focused development required to get this presently-specialist tool into the hands of general practitioners.  The successful candidate will also help to represent the developments at King’s and work closely with the REMODEL partners in academia, as well as industrial partners. This is a full time contract (35 Hours per week), offered on a fixed term contract for two years. Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information. About you To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience: Essential criteria Have, or be about to obtain, a PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study (e.g. applied mathematics, computational engineering, scientific computing, etc). Strong scientific computing background, with experience of different architectures (e.g. CPUs/GPUs) and their use in high-performance computing through shared or distributed parallel programming (e.g. OpenMP, MPI). Strong programming ability in C++ or a related language. Experience in working as part of a research team and ability to collaborate with external partners. A track record of publications and research appropriate to the candidate’s career stage. Excellent organisation ability and written and verbal communication skills. Desirable criteria Knowledge and/or experience in high-order methods and/or mesh generation is highly desirable. Experience with the Nektar++ spectral/hp element framework and its mesh generator, NekMesh. Experience of postgraduate supervision. Downloading a copy of our Job Description Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process. * Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6. Further Information We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community. We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible. To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages. Interviews are due to be held in the week commencing 26th January 2026. Grade and Salary: £45,031 - £48,607 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance Job ID: 133865 Close Date: 21-Jan-2026 Contact Person: Professor David Moxey Contact Details: David.moxey@kcl.ac.uk

Salary

£45,031 - £48,607 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance

Posted

18 Dec 2025

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Soil Health

UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

The University of Sydney

Australia, Sydney

institution

The University of Sydney

Australia, Sydney


Full time, 3-year fixed term opportunity. Located on the Eveleigh Campus at the Faculty of Science Opportunity to make a tangible difference in advancing sustainable agriculture and soil health across Australia Base Salary $113,400 - $121,054 (Level A) + 17% superannuation About the opportunity The School of Life and Environmental Sciences is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Soil Health to work on a large multi-organisation project called Development of a Soil Health Framework for Australian agricultural production systems which is funded by the Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC). The project is led by CSIRO with the University of Sydney leading the component on the assessment of soil health using remote sensing. The postdoctoral position will be based in the Precision Agriculture, Hydrology and Geoinformation Science Laboratory (PAHGISL) at the University of Sydney. The project team at the University of Sydney includes Professor Thomas Bishop, Dr Patrick Filippi, Professor Feike Dijkstra and Professor Stephen Cattle. The successful applicant will also work closely with CSIRO scientists; including project lead Dr Mark Farrell and Dr Uta Stockmann. For more information on the PAHGISL Laboratory, please click here Your key responsibilities will be to: liaise with project partners and stakeholders to ensure effective communication, collaboration, and alignment across multiple organisations involved in the project develop and implement novel approaches for assessing soil health using remote sensing, integrating cutting-edge techniques to generate meaningful insights for agricultural production systems contribute to the development of the broader soil health framework, supporting the creation of practical tools and guidelines that will benefit Australian agriculture at scale publish research in peer reviewed publications and present findings at relevant conferences, disseminating knowledge to both academic and industry audiences manage the project to ensure the delivery of project milestones, coordinating tasks, monitoring progress, and maintaining accountability to funding and partner expectations. About you a PhD in soil or agricultural science with a quantitative focus (or an equivalent discipline) expertise in statistical and machine learning approaches, with the ability to apply advanced methods to complex environmental and agricultural datasets proficiency in R and/or Python for analysing spatial data, particularly in the context of remote sensing, ensuring robust data processing and interpretation strong ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written forms, including presenting research findings to diverse audiences and contributing to collaborative discussions expertise in deep learning techniques with experience applying neural networks or related methods to environmental or agricultural data (desirable) knowledge of farming systems, providing valuable context for interpreting soil health data and contributing to practical agricultural outcomes (desirable). Pre-employment checks Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment. EEO statement At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTIQ+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Gold employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion. How to apply Applications (including a cover letter, CV, and any additional supporting documentation) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page. For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard. Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply. For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact Nicole Turle, Recruitment Operations by email to nicole.turle@sydney.edu.au Copyright The University of Sydney The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment. Click to view the Position Description for this role. Closing date: Sunday 18 January 2026 11:59 PM

Salary

$113,400 - $121,054 (Level A) + 17% superannuation

Posted

18 Dec 2025

Research Engineer (Federated Causal Inference in Heterogeneous Data Environments) - UP

SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (SIT)

Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)

Singapore

institution

Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)

Singapore


As a University of Applied Learning, SIT works closely with industry in our research pursuits. Our research staff will have the opportunity to be equipped with applied research skill sets that are relevant to industry demands while working on research projects in SIT. This project focuses on federated causal inference in heterogeneous data environments, addressing the challenge of enabling trustworthy causal analysis across distributed datasets while preserving privacy. The successful candidate will be responsible for the end-to-end investigation of novel federated learning strategies for causal inference. The role will bridge rigorous theoretical work with hands-on algorithm design and development on real-world datasets. The core responsibility is to build and validate federated causal inference algorithms through simulations and live demonstrations. Key Responsibilities Participate in and manage the research project with Principal Investigator (PI) to ensure all project deliverables are met. Derivation of novel performance metrics for federated causal inference algorithms. Analysis of causal inference models in federated settings using synthetic and real-world datasets. Design and development of novel federated causal inference algorithms and associated software APIs. Validation of algorithms via simulations and live demonstrations. Job Requirements A Master's degree or higher in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, or equivalent. Strong theoretical background in statistics and machine learning. Knowledge of the basics of federated learning and causal inference is highly encouraged. Proven track record in research and development of machine learning algorithms. Proficiency in algorithm development using Python and ML frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow. Key Competencies Work independently, as well as within a team, to ensure proper operation and maintenance of equipment. Able to build and maintain strong working relationships with people within and external to the university. Self-directed learner who believes in continuous learning and development. Proficient in technical writing and presentation. Possess strong analytical and critical thinking skills.

Salary

Competitive

Posted

18 Dec 2025

Associate Lecturer/Lecturer, Interior Design

RMIT UNIVERSITY

RMIT University

Australia, Melbourne

institution

RMIT University

Australia, Melbourne


Full time, Continuing position Salary Academic Level A ($80,755 - $109,536) / Level B ($115,303 - $136,925) + 17% Superannuation Based at the Melbourne CBD campus About the Role The Associate Lecturer/Lecturer is expected to contribute to the teaching and research efforts of the School, in the discipline of interior design. As an Associate Lecturer, you will assist in the academic and administrative, consultative and coordination tasks involved with these courses. Functions associated with the position include presentation of lectures and tutorials, assessment of students and course administration in line with the University's quality assurance requirements. As a Lecturer, you will be responsible for carrying out teaching activities within undergraduate, Masters and Graduate Diploma programs and for maintaining and advancing their scholarly, research and/or professional capabilities. You are also expected to actively promote the program by establishing and maintaining memberships, links and partnerships with academic, industry and professional communities. To be successful for level A appointment, you will have: Demonstrated ability to prepare and teach programs in Interior Design at undergraduate and post-graduate levels, including online delivery, and the ability to produce high quality curriculum or program materials. Demonstrated capacity to work effectively with and to negotiate sensitively with students especially on issues related to effective learning. Evidence of research output relevant to Interior Design including publications, conference contributions and/or technical reports in the field. Ability to generate alternative funding projects through effective liaison with industry and government. Please view position description for further selection criteria In addition to the above criteria, to be successful for level B appointment, you will also have: Ability to undertake course coordination role. Demonstrated ability to supervise higher degree by research candidates. Ability to build effective networks with colleagues and generate alternative funding projects through effective liaison with industry and government. Excellent interpersonal and communications skills appropriate for interacting with higher degree by research candidates, staff and industry, together with a strong commitment to teamwork and multidisciplinary collaboration. Please view position description for further selection criteria Qualifications Level A: 4 years of tertiary study or equivalent qualifications and experience. Successful candidates will be required to commence a PhD. Level B: PhD in relevant field or equivalent Please Note: Appointment to this position is subject to passing a Working with Children and National Police Check. About the School The School of Architecture and Urban Design delivers innovative scholarship in architecture, interior design and landscape architecture. Innovation in learning and teaching is a key strength of the school. Practice-based and vertically integrated scholarship involving students, staff and practitioners provides an engagement in research-led design projects. The School of Architecture and Urban Design is leading the establishment of international excellence in research which is aligned to and working with RMIT's global network of partnerships, industries and cities, another of the University's key strategic aims. Discipline of Interior Design: RMIT Interior Design is concerned with the social, cultural, material, technological, and temporal conditions of the spaces we inhabit. Students address pressing global challenges relevant to interior design, examining the complex relationships between people, their environments, and other living entities through innovative studio-based learning guided by academic and industry leaders. The discipline stream includes the Bachelor of Interior Design (Hons), Master of Interior Design, and PhD by practice research. To Apply Please submit your CV, covering letter and separate document addressing the Key Selection Criteria for this position by clicking on the 'Apply' link at the top of this page. Candidates are asked to specify level of the appointment they are applying for in the cover letter. For further information about this position, please see the Position Description hyperlinked below or contact Jessica Bernardo (Senior Talent Acquisition Advisor) via email jessica.bernardo@rmit.edu.au. Please note: Due to the University's end-of-year shutdown period from 25 December 2025 to 1 January 2026, there will be no talent support during this time. Recruitment will resume once the University reopens in January 2026. PD - Associate Lecturer, Interior Design PD - Lecturer, Interior Design Please note, if you are viewing this advert from an external site, please click 'apply' and you will be redirected to RMIT's Jobs website to access the Position Description at the bottom of the page. Applications close on Wednesday 14th January at 11:59 pm. About RMIT University RMIT is a multi-sector university of technology, design and enterprise with more than 96,000 students and close to 10,000 staff globally. The University's mission is to help shape the world through research, innovation and engagement, and to create transformative experiences for students to prepare them for life and work. https://www.rmit.edu.au/about https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/university/rmit-university Why work at RMIT University Our people make everything at the University possible. We encourage new approaches to work and learning, stimulating change to drive positive impact. Find out more about working at RMIT University, what we stand for and why we are an Employer of Choice. We want to attract those who will make a difference. View RMIT's impressive standings in university rankings. https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/facts-figures/reputation-and-rankings Bring Your Whole Self to Work We are better for our diversity. When we listen to those who are different to us, or challenge us, we grow stronger together. When we feel like we belong, we can achieve so much more. We respect each other, embrace our differences and build a sense of belonging in our team and beyond. We are proud that our dedication to diversity has been recognised by a broad spectrum of external organisations. Visit our Linkedin Life pages to learn more and see some of our most recent wins. RMIT has a strong dhumbali (commitment) to the employment, development and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within a culturally safe environment; we strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. At RMIT, we are committed to supporting adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, as well as during employment. We actively support and encourage people with disability to apply to RMIT. To discuss adjustment requirements, please contact Dani (Senior Talent Acquisition Advisor), via talentsupport@rmit.edu.au or visit our Careers page for more contact information - https://www.rmit.edu.au/careers RMIT is an equal opportunity employer committed to being a child safe organisation. We are dedicated to attracting, retaining and developing our people regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and age. Applications are encouraged from all sectors of the community and we strongly encourage applications from the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community. We are a Circle Back Initiative Employer - we commit to respond to every applicant.

Salary

Salary Academic Level A ($80,755 - $109,536) / Level B ($115,303 - $136,925) + 17% Superannuation

Posted

18 Dec 2025

Research Assistant in Medicinal Chemistry

KINGS COLLEGE LONDON

King's College London

United Kingdom, London

institution

King's College London

United Kingdom, London


About Us The Institute of Pharmaceutical Science (IPS) at KCL supports world class fundamental and applied research across the full spectrum of pharmaceutical science, from drug discovery through biophysical and biological characterization, pharmacology, formulation, drug delivery and use of medicines, with a strong culture of multi-disciplinary collaboration and links to clinical colleagues evidenced by awards of major grants from organisations such as MRC, BBSRC and NC3Rs. The medicinal chemistry laboratory of IPS has been recently refurbished and modernized with new equipment and facilities, and the selected candidate will be based at the medicinal chemistry laboratory at Franklin Wilkins Building. About The Role Inflammation drives the pathogenesis of many respiratory disorders. Established anti-inflammatory medications (e.g. glucocorticosteriods or PDE4 inhibitors) have questionable efficacy in the majority of COPD patients. Patients often suffer side effects (eg increased pneumonia risk in patients administered glucocorticosteroids; dose limiting gastrointestinal side effects with PDE4 inhibitors). Furthermore, current drugs are delivered via the inhaled route, and cannot address the issue of systemic inflammation in COPD patients that increases the likelihood of disease exacerbations, or inflammation-driven co-morbidities (e.g. cardiovascular disease) that are also life threatening. Research into the inflammasome; and inflammatory resolving pathways are novel competing strategies, however these retain a risk of immunosuppression. Our approach is advantageous because: 1, systemic platelet activation during inflammation is a critical process that does not carry operational redundancy; 2, targeting biased P2Y1 signalling associated with inflammation eliminates side effects associated with haemostasis eg unwanted bleeding; 3, rapid anti-inflammatory effects are induced by targeting platelet activation; 4, regular platelet turnover means drug effects can be ‘washed out’ if needs be; 5, we have proven local (lung) efficacy via systemic administration of our tool compounds. The project will provide data to allow comparisons between chemical scaffolds (involve synthesis of novel structures chosen from understanding of initial series of compounds and their performance from MRC grant MR/T015845/1) in terms of measurements of efficacy using a validated in vivo model of respiratory disease (COPD), therapeutic dosing strategy to determine duration of action, (in house); pharmacokinetic (PK) data, and early safety profiles (maximum tolerated dose MTD) outsourced to Eurofins. This is a 0.5 FTE post, you will be offered an a fixed term contract until 30/09/2026. About You To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience: Essential criteria MSc in Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry or Pharmacy. Practical experience of C-C, N-C and amide coupling reactions, protection-deprotection chemistry and multi-step synthesis Knowledge of small-molecule characterization using NMR, IR, UV, Mass and HPLC techniques Knowledge of software packages, including Word, Excel and chemical structure drawing and bibliographic programmes Knowledge of analytical and preparative LC_MS techniques Track record of published research in peer-reviewed journals of international standing Research experience in Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry Desirable criteria Experience in chemistry laboratory management including electronic inventory maintenance Record of presenting scientific research at national/international conferences Experience in operating LC-MS system Excellent interpersonal skills Downloading a copy of our Job Description Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process. Further Information We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community. We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible. To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages. Interviews are due to be held in January/February. Grade and Salary: £39,735 per annum inclusive of London Weighting Allowance Job ID: 134225 Close Date: 04-Jan-2026 Contact Person: Professor Miraz Rahman Contact Details: k.miraz.rahman@kcl.ac.uk

Salary

£39,735 per annum inclusive of London Weighting Allowance

Posted

18 Dec 2025

Subjects Taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara

See below for a range of subjects taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara

Arts and Humanities

  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art, Performing Art and Design
  • History, Philosophy and Theology
  • Languages, Literature and Linguistics

Business and Economics

  • Accounting and Finance
  • Business and Management
  • Economics and Econometrics

Computer Science

  • Computer Science

Education Studies

  • Education

Engineering

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • General Engineering
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Life Sciences

  • Agriculture and Forestry
  • Biological Sciences
  • Sport Science
  • Veterinary Science

Medical and Health

  • Medicine and Dentistry

Physical Sciences

  • Chemistry
  • Geology, Environmental, Earth and Marine Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Physics and Astronomy

Psychology

  • Psychology

Social Sciences

  • Communication and Media Studies
  • Geography
  • Politics and International Studies
  • Sociology