Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy Program

ORAU; Greenbelt (MD); On-site; USD 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The ORAU is inviting candidates for the NASA Postdoctoral Program offering unique research opportunities at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The program focuses on atmospheric dynamics research using Hubble Space Telescope data. Ideal candidates should possess a Doctoral Degree and be U.S. Citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents. The application deadline is 11/1/2026, with detailed instructions provided via Zintellect and the NASA Postdoctoral Program website.

Qualifications

• Eligibility open to U.S. Citizens, U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents, or eligible Foreign Nationals.

Responsibilities

• Engage in NASA research projects at NASA Centers or affiliated institutes.
• Conduct atmospheric dynamics research using imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Education

Doctoral Degree

Job description

Overview

Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code: 0220-NPP-NOV26-GSFC-PlanetSci

How To Apply

All applications must be submitted in Zintellect. Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements: How to Apply | NASA Postdoctoral Program (orau.org).

A complete application to the NASA Postdoctoral Program includes:

• Research proposal
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official doctoral transcript documents

Application Deadline: 11/1/2026 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

About the NASA Postdoctoral Program: The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

This opportunity encompasses any atmospheric dynamics or structure research using imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program. The dataset consists of hundreds of yearly images of Uranus since 2014, Jupiter and Neptune since 2015, and Saturn since 2018, with wavelengths spanning the near UV to methane bands in the near IR. The dataset was designed to support investigations focused on short and long-term evolution of cloud/aerosol properties, dynamical flows, and transient phenomena. Studies of specific atmospheric features, such as Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, and making use of HST's high spatial resolution in the near-UV and visible range are also appropriate. Collaboration will involve interaction with all three members of the OPAL team: Amy Simon (PI, NASA GSFC), Glenn Orton (JPL), and Mike Wong (UC Berkeley). Additional datasets or relevant tools may be used for comparison with or analysis of the HST data to broaden the impact of the OPAL program.

Location: Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Field of Science: Planetary Science

Advisors: Amy Simon

[e-mail]

[phone]

Applications with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time, unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States. A complete list of Designated Countries can be found at: https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/export-control.

Eligibility is currently open to:

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status; and,
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with 1) a valid EAD card and 2) I-485 or I-589 forms in pending status

Questions about this opportunity? Please email [e-mail]

Point of Contact: Mikeala

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Doctoral Degree.