Category: News

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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The Center of Gravity at the Niels Bohr Institute invites expressions of interest for Postdoctoral Fellowships in Gravitational Wave Astrophysics for a fixed period of up to four (3+1) years. The preferred starting date is Fall 2027.
Postdoctoral Fellows at the Niels Bohr Institute have the opportunity to guide more junior fellows, teach courses at various levels, participate in outreach activities, and organize international meetings. Interested individuals are encouraged to upload all material before November 15th, 2026. The search will remain open until finished.

We seek international outstanding individuals eager to join an ambitious research program addressing the exploration of black holes as engines of discovery. This call is seeking specifically outstanding candidates to study the effect of environments in gravitational wave physics and data analysis strategies to robustly identify these in future events. However, outstanding individuals in complementary fields are also warmly welcomed to upload their material.

We are also looking for a candidate to join the GWSkyproject. This project, funded by an ERC Synergy Grant, aims to use gravitational-wave measurements by existing and future observatories on the Earth and in space as precision laboratories for fundamental physics, cosmology, and astrophysics. The GWSky project aims to develop a groundbreaking framework capable of solving the highly nonlinear equations of Einstein’s General theory of Relativity, creating waveform models with unprecedented accuracy, and translating these results into practical tools for interpreting the data. For the GWSky position we are primarily looking for candidates in the field of Gravitational Self-Force and its applications to gravitational waveform modelling. While previous experience in this field is desirable, expressions of interest from excellent candidates with relevant related expertise will be considered.

This search is part of a vigorous expansion at the Niels Bohr Institute into the field of Gravitational Physics, bringing together several scientists from several areas of theoretical physics and astrophysics, and addressing some of the most burning questions related to gravity.

The Center of Gravity (CoG) is a center for new ideas about the foundations of physics. We bring together cutting-edge research in observations of black holes and in the formal theory of relativistic and quantum aspects of gravity, completing the visions of Bohr and Einstein for the gravitational interaction. Our research endeavor spans from data analysis to theoretical disciplines within astrophysics and high-energy physics, and we aim to drive gravitational-wave physics to an exciting future. We have our physical home in the beautiful and legendary building at Blegdamsvej 17, established by Niels Bohr. This is the place where quantum theory was born and where many exciting new developments in gravity are now taking place. Today, the Niels Bohr Institute carries an important legacy in physics and is one of the leading institutes in theoretical and experimental physics. At the Center of Gravity, we hope to carry on the pioneering spirit that has defined our predecessors at the Niels Bohr Institute through trailblazing and fundamental research.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes all qualified individuals regardless of personal background. Postdoctoral Fellows at the University of Copenhagen receive a competitive salary (including pension) and funds for travel and computing. Generous parental leave, state-subsidized childcare, vacation, and full medical care are provided to employees in Denmark. A favorable tax scheme is generally granted to international researchers.

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The “Computational Relativistic Astrophysics" division at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute; AEI) in Potsdam led by Masaru Shibata (director) announces the opening of postdoc appointments. Each available postdoctoral position will be for a duration of 2 - 3 years.

The “Computational Relativistic Astrophysics” division is currently composed of two group leaders (Kenta Kiuchi, Kyohei Kawaguchi), 1 senior scientist (Takami Kuroda), and several postdoc researchers and students, and focuses on several research topics in relativistic astrophysics including neutron star mergers, collapsars, nucleosynthesis, stellar core collapse and explosion, formation and evolution of very massive and supermassive black holes, and multi-messenger astrophysics.

The researchers in the “Computational Relativistic Astrophysics” division can use high-performance computers at the Max Planck Computing and Data Facility (MPCDF: https://www.mpcdf.mpg.de).

To apply for a postdoctoral position at the AEI in Potsdam, please fill out this form.

Applicants will be asked to upload a cover letter, curriculum vitae, list of publications and statement of research interests. Applicants will need to indicate the names of three referees for recommendation letters. Referees will be notified by email on how to upload the letters (in case of problems referees could send the letters directly to nrjobs(at)aei.mpg.de).

The deadline for the full consideration is December 13th, 2026. The positions will be available from September 1st 2027.

The salary and social benefits (e.g. health insurance) are based on the collective labor agreement “TVöD Bund” for the German public sector, usually at pay grade E13 (if the qualifications according to TVöD are met). A projection of the gross and net salary based on the TVöD regulations will be prepared in case an offer is made.

The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics is an equal opportunity employer, and is committed to provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender identity, sexual orientation or national origin. The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individual. The AEI and the Max Planck Society welcome persons with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas who embrace and value diversity and inclusion (Code of Conduct). The institute promotes a healthy work-life balance by offering all employees a family support service, cooperation with a nearby international kindergarten, as well as an in-house parent-child office and nursing room.

For further information, please contact Matthias Blittersdorf: matthias.blittersdorf(at)aei.mpg.de.

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The Italian Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) invites expressions of interest for postdoctoral positions in Rome, Italy. The postdoctoral positions will be funded under the European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC StG) GravitySirens.  

The postdocs will join the research group led by Dr. Simone Mastrogiovanni and will focus on gravitational-wave cosmology with dark standard sirens. The research group currently has 4 PhD students, 2 postdocs, and 3 master’s students. INFN Rome is located inside Sapienza University, one of the largest Universities in Europe. Postdocs will have the opportunity to join the Virgo, Einstein Telescope, and Euclid groups in Rome. The INFN Virgo Rome group has about 35 researchers, including PhD students, postdocs, and 18 faculty.

We are particularly eager to receive expressions of interest from candidates with experience in (i) Galaxy surveys from current facilities such as Vera Rubin LSST, Euclid, the Dark Energy Survey, (ii) Galaxy field-level inference and (iii) cosmological inference with cross-correlation of Large Scale Structure tracers.

The postdoctoral positions are expected to start in 2027 and can be from 2 to 3 years depending on availability. All candidates must hold or soon be completing a Ph.D. in Physics, Astronomy or Astrophysics.

Interested candidates should send (i) a motivation letter, (ii) a curriculum vitae, indicating the date the PhD was or will be awarded (iii) a research statement, and (iv) two contacts for reference letters.

Expressions of interest should be sent via this Google Form, and reference letters should be sent to Simone Mastrogiovanni (simone.mastrogiovanni[AT]roma1.infn.it).

Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The deadline for full consideration of the expressions of interest, including reference letters, is September 30th, 2026.

Please feel free to forward this announcement to potential candidates.

For any other information, please do not hesitate to reach out to Simone Mastrogiovanni (simone.mastrogiovanni[AT]roma1.infn.it).

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The European Southern Observatory awards several postdoctoral fellowships each year, offering outstanding early-career scientists the opportunity to develop their independent research programmes in the exciting scientific environment of one of the world's foremost observatories. Fellowships are available both at ESO’s Headquarters in Garching near Munich, Germany, and at ESO’s astronomy centre in Santiago, Chile. Application deadline October 15th 2026.

The fellowships in Garching are awarded initially for one year followed by a two-year extension (three years total). In addition to developing their independent research programmes, ESO-Garching Fellows will be expected to engage in some functional work, at a level of 25% of their time, related to e.g. instrumentation, ALMA, E-ELT, VLT, or science operations support in Garching or Chile.

The fellowships in Chile are granted for one year initially, with annual extensions for three additional years (four years total). During the first three years, Fellows are assigned to one of the science operations groups of Paranal or ALMA, where they will contribute to the operations at a level of 80 nights per year (equivalent to 50% of their work). The fourth year may be spent at any ESO site, or at any astronomical institute in an ESO member state, strategic partner, or in Chile. There are no functional duties during the fourth year. However, in the case that the fourth year is spent at ESO Chile, Fellows can request to carry out functional work up to 25% of their time.

The ESO Fellowship Programme is open to applicants who will have obtained their PhD in astronomy, physics or a related discipline before 1 November 2027. Early-career scientists from all astrophysical fields are welcome to apply. While scientific excellence is the primary selection criterion for all fellowships, candidates should also explain (in their motivation letter) how ESO’s facilities and their work at ESO would facilitate their scientific development.

We offer an attractive remuneration package including a competitive salary and comprehensive social benefits. More information about the fellowship programme and ESO’s astronomical research activities can be found at this link.

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