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(at)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.
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