About this position
- Northwestern University and The University of Chicago are accepting
- applications for the Northwestern - UChicago Brinson Postdoctoral
- Fellowship in Astrophysics, to start in Fall 2027. The Fellow will
- have the opportunity to pursue an independent research program and
- benefit from the diverse and dynamic intellectual environments at both
- Northwestern University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and
- Research in Astronomy (learn more about CIERA’s programs and
- activities) and The University of Chicago (learn more about UChicago’s
- Astronomy & Astrophysics Department programs and activities).
- Candidates in all areas of Astronomy and Astrophysics are encouraged
- to apply. Northwestern has institutional access to several mid- and
- large-scale optical/IR ground-based telescope facilities, including
- Keck, MMT, and Magellan, as well as the La Silla Schmidt Southern
- Survey (LS4). Postdoctoral researchers can apply for nights through
- CIERA’s internal time allocation process (see
- sites.northwestern.edu/cieraobserving for more information). CIERA
- members are also actively involved in the Vera C. Rubin Observatory
- Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the Laser Interferometer
- Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), JWST, HST, Roman, the Subaru
- Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS), and the MOTHRA telescope. Northwestern
- University is also a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.
- For current areas of research led by CIERA faculty, as well as
- research resources and facilities, see:
- https://ciera.northwestern.edu/research/. CIERA researchers have
- exclusive access to two high-performance computer clusters and
- additional HPC resources, including high-memory nodes, are available
- through Northwestern’s Quest cluster (see
- ciera.northwestern.edu/high-performance-computing for more
- information). A dedicated Computational Specialist is also on staff to
- assist CIERA researchers. The University of Chicago provides
- institutional access to the Magellan telescopes at Las Campanas
- Observatory in Chile and proprietary access to high-performance
- computing resources. Members of the UChicago community are actively
- involved in the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Hubble Space
- Telescope (HST), the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space
- and Time (LSST), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-V), the South Pole
- Observatory (SPT and BICEP), the Simons Observatory, the Laser
- Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), the Interstellar
- Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), the Probe of Extreme
- Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA), the X-Ray Imaging and
- Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), and the Line Emission Mapper Mission
- (LEM), among many other projects. The University of Chicago is a
- founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope, and department
- members are involved in the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics,
- the Enrico Fermi Institute, Fermilab, and Argonne National Laboratory.
- For more details about current areas of research by UChicago faculty,
- as well as resources and facilities, see
- https://astrophysics.uchicago.edu/research/. Fellowship appointments
- will be for a three-year term starting in September 2027. The annual
- stipend is $88,500, and the position comes with a competitive benefits
- package and a research budget of $18,500 per year. A $5,000 relocation
- budget will also be available. Successful candidates are expected to
- split their time, spending approximately half of their time at each
- institution. They will benefit from strong faculty mentoring at both
- institutions. Please submit applications at the following link:
- https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/fellowship/32622 Applications
- should include a Cover Letter (stating your interest in and relevant
- experience/skills for the position, and identifying a potential
- faculty mentor at both Northwestern and U Chicago), a Curriculum
- Vitae, a list of publications (with the most important 1 to 3
- publications indicated with an asterisk), a three-page Statement of
- Research accomplishments and plans, and email contact information
- should be provided for at least three references who can independently
- write a letter of recommendation for the applicant. All questions
- should be sent by email to Jennifer Smith at jmsmith@uchicago.edu.
- Applications received by November 1, 2026 will receive full
- consideration, and letters of recommendation will be due November 8,
- 2026. Later applications will be considered until all positions are
- filled. Please state that you are applying for the Northwestern - U
- Chicago Brinson Postdoctoral Fellowship in Astrophysics in your cover
- letter. Applicants must complete their Ph.D. requirements prior to
- appointment. CIERA and The University of Chicago Astronomy &
- Astrophysics Department (UC A&A) are both committed to creating
- welcoming, safe, and inclusive communities for everyone. Every person
- connected to CIERA and UC A&A is expected to uphold our shared values
- by seeking diverse perspectives. We recognize that true excellence
- only comes from the meaningful integration of all perspectives in our
- community and culture. Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity
- Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected
- characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View
- Northwestern’s non-discrimination statement (https://www.northwestern.edu/civil-rights-office/about/statements.html#discrimination-statement).
- Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the
- application process should contact the University of Chicago at
- 773-834-3988 or email equalopportunity@uchicago.edu with their
- request. Included Benefits:
- https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html
How to apply
- Read the full advert on the source site — it carries the authoritative terms.
- Email the contact below with your CV and a short, specific message. See Emailing Professors.
- Prepare your SOP, CV, transcripts and referees before the deadline.
- Apply through the university's own portal. Never pay a fee to a third party.