Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: Stipend approximately $82,764 per year plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral research in atomic physics focused on plasma spectroscopy and diagnostics of hot plasmas relevant to fusion, lasers, and astrophysics.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens with a Ph.D. earned within the last 5 years; requires contacting a Research Adviser prior to application; NIST participates in February and August review cycles only.
Description
This fellowship opportunity supports postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the Physical Measurement Laboratory, Quantum Measurement Division. The research focuses on atomic physics applied to plasma spectroscopy, specifically the spectroscopic diagnostics of hot plasmas with temperatures ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of degrees Kelvin. Such plasmas occur in fusion devices (e.g., tokamaks), extreme ultraviolet lithography light sources, solar corona, x-ray lasers, and other terrestrial and astrophysical environments.
The research involves precise calculations of atomic and collisional parameters such as energy levels, radiative and autoionization rates, and collisional cross sections using advanced relativistic computational methods. Large-scale collisional-radiative models are employed to determine radiative properties of transient and non-Maxwellian plasmas, enabling detailed plasma diagnostics.
Applications of this research include charge exchange recombination and motional Stark effect diagnostics in fusion devices, spectroscopy of electron beam ion traps (EBITs), x-ray spectroscopy of laser-produced plasmas, and diagnostics using x-ray free electron lasers.
Keywords
- Atomic spectroscopy
- Atomic structure
- Highly-charged ions
- Collisional-radiative modeling
- Atomic collisions
- Plasma spectroscopy
- Atomic processes in plasmas
- Plasma diagnostics
Due Dates
- February 1, 2025 (NIST participates in this review cycle)
- May 1, 2025 (General deadline, but NIST does not participate)
- August 1, 2025 (NIST participates in this review cycle)
Note: If a deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, it is moved to the next business day.
Funding Amount
- Annual stipend: Approximately $82,764
- Annual travel allowance: $3,000
- Typical appointment duration: 2 years
Eligibility
- Citizenship: Open to U.S. citizens only
- Applicant level: Postdoctoral researchers who have earned a Ph.D. (or equivalent research doctorate) within the last 5 years as of the application deadline
- Prior affiliation: Applicants with current or recent prior affiliation with NIST or related postdoctoral fellowships at the agency may be ineligible
- Security clearance: May be required depending on agency policies
- Health insurance: Required throughout the tenure, with group health insurance available
Application Process
- Identify Research Opportunity: Review the NIST opportunity "Atomic Physics for Plasma Spectroscopy" and confirm eligibility.
- Contact Research Adviser: Applicants must contact the Research Adviser, Dr. Yuri Ralchenko (yuri.ralchenko@nist.gov), before applying to discuss research projects and funding availability.
- Prepare Application Materials:
- Profile information including education history and transcripts
- Research proposal (max 10 pages) detailing problem statement, background, methodology, expected results, and significance
- Letters of recommendation (minimum 3, including dissertation adviser for postdocs) uploaded by letter writers via the online system
- Submit Application: Applications are submitted online through the NRC Research Associateship Programs portal before the deadline.
- Review and Selection: Applications are reviewed by expert panels; scores above 70 are recommended for awards. Final funding decisions are made by the sponsoring laboratory.
Additional Information
- Awards are onsite at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD.
- Relocation assistance is available for awardees moving more than 50 miles.
- Annual travel allowance supports conference attendance and fieldwork.
- Applicants can apply to up to three research opportunities but only one per sponsoring federal agency.
- Feedback on reviews is provided approximately one week after panel decisions.
- Previous NRC Research Associateship holders must wait at least two years before applying again.
External Links
Contact Information