Space Science: Formation of Habitable Planets

ORAU; California (MO); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

NASA's Postdoctoral Program invites highly talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research at a NASA Center, Headquarters, or affiliated institute. Fellowships run one to three years and advance NASA missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. Location: Ames Research Center, California.

Advisors include Jack Lissauer; eligibility includes U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and eligible foreign nationals.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree required.

Skills

Planetary Science

Research Proposal

Data Analysis

Education

Doctoral Degree

Job description

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code

0006-NPP-NOV26-ARC-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).

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

Application Deadline

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

Description

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.

Planetary habitability depends on the planet’s own properties—especially mass and composition—the stellar radiation it receives (determined by its star’s luminosity and the planet’s orbit), and the distribution of other planets and smaller bodies in the system, which determines the frequency of major impacts such as the one that killed off dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Dynamical models of planetary formation are being developed to estimate the abundance of habitable planets in our galaxy. Key questions include whether habitable planets can form in binary‑star systems, how Jupiter‑like planets form and whether their presence is required for smaller planets to be habitable, and how volatiles such as water and carbon compounds are delivered to rocky planets like Earth. These questions are especially timely because NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has returned data that is revolutionizing our knowledge of extrasolar planets.

Location

Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, California

Field of Science

Planetary Science

Advisors

Jack Lissauer
[e-mail]
650-604-2293

Eligibility

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;
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with a valid EAD card and I‑485 or I‑589 forms in pending status.

Questions

Please email [e-mail].

Point of Contact

Mikeala

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Doctoral Degree.