Carnegie Fellowship in Observational Astrophysics

Carnegie Science; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

The Carnegie Science Observatories in Pasadena invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in astrophysics to begin in fall 2027. The two-year fellowship (renewable for a third) supports research in observational astrophysics or instrumentation with access to Carnegie facilities and resources.

Applicants should demonstrate depth or breadth in their field, strong research accomplishments, and the potential impact of their proposed work.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. required before start of the fellowship.
• Demonstrated depth and/or breadth of knowledge in observational astrophysics or instrumentation.
• Strong record of research accomplishments and potential impact of proposed work.

Responsibilities

• Conduct independent postdoctoral research in observational astrophysics or astronomical instrumentation.
• Collaborate with Carnegie staff, observers, and postdocs on projects and proposals.
• Communicate results through publications and talks, and contribute to the broader astronomical community.

Job description

We invite applications for the Carnegie Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in astrophysics at The Carnegie Science Observatories in Pasadena, California, to begin in fall 2027. The fellowship is

intended to encourage long-term research in observational astrophysics or astronomical instrumentation. The principal selection criteria will be demonstrated depth and/or breadth of knowledge and research accomplishments, potential impact of the proposed research, use of Carnegie's scientific resources, and broader impact contributions to the candidate’s local department and/or the wider astronomical community. Fellowships are awarded for two years and may be renewed for a third year.

Carnegie Science owns and operates the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, which includes the twin 6.5-meter Magellan telescopes as well as the 1.0-meter Swope telescope. Carnegie is also a full institutional member of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey V. Based in Pasadena, between the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology, the Observatories provide an exceptional research environment and access to resources for theorists, observers, and instrumentalists alike. Scientific computing at Carnegie is supported by our 19% share in the Resnick HPC Center at Caltech in addition to local computing resources. Fellows will have access to dedicated computational facilities and Carnegie observing facilities on the same basis as the scientific staff.

Carnegie Science strives to enable a scientifically excellent, interactive, and welcoming community, and therefore aims for all people to collaborate and thrive at Carnegie.

The fellowship offers an annual starting salary of $87,500 and a research budget of approximately $12,000 per year.

The application consists of a cover letter, curriculum vitae, list of publications, an essay describing the applicant's previous research and future research plans (up to 3 pages excluding references), a 1 page broader impact statement articulating the applicant’s past experiences in any of the following areas: mentoring, outreach, service work, and contributions to the culture of their department or the astronomical community (see https://carnegiescience.edu/about/working/postdocs/obs/impact-statement-overview for more information), and an AI disclosure statement.

The research statement should describe any planned use of Las Campanas telescopes and/or SDSS-V data as well as interactions with Carnegie staff and postdocs. Note that applicants whose projects would rely on PI instruments such as PFS should contact the instrument team for clearance in advance. Our review of the research statements will be conducted with the applicant's identity hidden , so we request that they be written with a numbered citation format and without explicit mention of the applicant’s name (including in page headers), institution, or collaborators. They may be written in the first person as long as identifying information is not provided. We value original and creative thought and expect research statements to reflect the applicant's own scientific ideas and perspective. Applicants are responsible for the originality, accuracy, and attribution of their submitted materials whether or not generative AI tools are used. The AI disclosure statement should be a brief (one or a few sentences) separate document describing how generative AI has been used in the application or stating that no such tools have been used. We are requesting this information both to encourage candidates not to outsource thinking and to understand how these tools are being used, which may inform future changes to our selection processes. Significant generative AI usage is not prohibited, but we may consider the extent of its use in evaluating applicants’ ability to generate creative ideas and communicate them clearly.

We believe that tenacity and resilience are important qualities for successful scientists, so applicants whose path to astronomy has exhibited these characteristics and/or the ability to overcome obstacles are encouraged to describe relevant experiences in their cover letter or broader impact statement. All application materials, along with the names of three references, must be submitted online at https://apply.interfolio.com/192639 by November 2, 2026. Reference letters are due by November 9, 2026. The successful applicant must have completed the Ph.D. requirements before beginning the fellowship. E-mail inquiries may be sent to Dr. Josh Simon at [e-mail] . Candidates interested in both this position and the CTAC Fellowship should contact Josh Simon and Tony Piro before applying.

The Carnegie Institution for Science is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race/ethnicity, protected veteran status, disability, or other protected group status.

Qualifications

The successful applicant must have completed their Ph.D. requirements before beginning the fellowship.