Postdoctoral Fellow, Black Hole Initiative

Harvard University; United States; On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Harvard University is recruiting Postdoctoral Research Fellows for the Black Hole Initiative (BHI), affiliated with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). Fellows will engage in interdisciplinary research on black holes, with access to computing facilities and collaboration across multiple fields in Cambridge, MA.

Ideal candidates will contribute to topics such as fundamental physics of black holes, gravitational waves, and horizon-scale observations.

Responsibilities

• Fundamental physics of black holes and the information paradox.
• Mathematical stability of spacetime and gravitational memory.
• GR Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of accretion flows.
• Tidal disruption events.
• Gravitational Waves and black hole mergers.
• The Philosophical and Historical context of black holes.
• Horizon-resolving observations and analysis using the EHT.

Skills

Black hole physics

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Computational modelling

Fundamental physics

Job description

Position Description

Applications are invited for Postdoctoral Research Fellows in the Black Hole Initiative (BHI) at Harvard University and affiliated with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO).

The BHI is the first interdisciplinary research center worldwide to focus on the study of black holes. It is located within Harvard University at 20 Garden Street in Cambridge, MA and soon to be moving to Zimmer Hall (formerly the Harvard Science Center) on Oxford St. in Cambridge. Current senior members of the BHI include Harvard faculty, BHI Director Peter Galison (History & Philosophy of Science), Ramesh Narayan (Astronomy), Andy Strominger (Physics) and Abraham Loeb (Astronomy), Yale Faculty Priyamvada Natarajan (Astronomy), MIT Faculty Netta Engelhardt (Physics), as well as SAO astronomers Sheperd Doeleman (Founding Director of the Event Horizon Telescope project) and Michael Johnson (Astrophysicist, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA).

Successful candidates will have access to our computing facilities and will have the opportunity to interact and work with researchers above in multiple fields, including (but of course not limited to):

• Fundamental physics of black holes and the information paradox.


• Mathematical stability of spacetime and gravitational memory.


• GR Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of accretion flows.


• Tidal disruption events.


• Gravitational Waves and black hole mergers.


• The Philosophical and Historical context of black holes.


• Horizon-resolving observations and analysis using the EHT.

The ideal starting date for BHI postdoctoral fellows is September 1, 2027.

Applications should be submitted electronically by 5:00pm EST, Monday, November 16, 2026, but applications will be considered ongoing, continuing until the positions are filled. The grant-funded positions are for three years, contingent on performance and funding. Resources for research expenses including publication charges, related conference travel, and computing resources will be available.

Please direct any questions on the application process to Nicole Grenier: [e-mail].