OBS Postdoctoral Fellowships
Carnegie Science offers postdoctoral fellowships for independent research in observational/theoretical astrophysics and instrumentation, providing access to leading facilities and collaborative environments.
Funder: Carnegie Science
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2026 (CTAC, Carnegie-Caltech, and Carnegie-USC Theoretical Astrophysics Fellowships) | November 2026 (Carnegie Postdoctoral Research Fellowship application) | November 2026 (Reference letters for Carnegie Postdoctoral Research Fellowship)
Funding Amounts: Annual salary typically $84,500–$85,750; research budget ~$12,000/year; duration 2–3 years (some up to 5 years for instrumentation fellowships)
Summary: Postdoctoral fellowships supporting independent research in observational/theoretical astrophysics and instrumentation, with access to premier facilities and collaborative environments at Carnegie and partner institutions.
Description
The Carnegie Science Observatories offer a suite of prestigious postdoctoral fellowships in observational and theoretical astronomy, as well as astronomical instrumentation. These fellowships are designed to support early-career scientists pursuing independent research, with flexible topics spanning observational astrophysics, theoretical astrophysics, and instrument development. Fellows benefit from access to world-class observing facilities in Chile (Magellan, du Pont, and Swope telescopes), advanced computational resources (including the Caltech high-performance computing cluster), and a vibrant, collaborative research community.
Fellowships include:
- Carnegie Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (observational/instrumentation focus)
- Carnegie Theoretical Astrophysics Center (CTAC) Fellowship
- Carnegie-Caltech Theoretical Astrophysics Fellowship (joint with Caltech)
- Carnegie-USC Theoretical Astrophysics Fellowship (joint with USC)
- Brinson Prize Fellowship in Astronomical Instrumentation
Fellows are encouraged to pursue their own research agendas, collaborate across institutions, and participate in major astronomical surveys and instrumentation projects.
