Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: May 1, 2025 (Next deadline)
Funding Amounts: Stipend approximately $99,200 per year plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical fellowship duration 2-3 years.
Summary: Postdoctoral fellowship supporting research and development of gamma-ray and neutron radiation detection instruments for space and terrestrial environments at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents; requires Ph.D. earned within last 5 years; relocation and health insurance benefits included.
Description
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) High Energy Space Environment Branch offers a postdoctoral research associateship focused on the development of advanced gamma-ray and neutron radiation detection instruments. This fellowship supports the full instrument development lifecycle, from conceptual design through construction, deployment, and data analysis, addressing high-energy space and terrestrial radiation environments.
Research activities include:
- Radiation transport modeling and simulation
- Development and characterization of novel radiation detection technologies
- Design, construction, and deployment of advanced instruments
- Operation and data analysis of deployed instruments
- Rapid development (1-2 years) of space instruments to test new detection materials
- Measurement of transient radiation events such as gamma-ray bursts and solar flares
- Simulation and instrument development for particle acceleration and radiation transport in thunderstorms
- Development and testing of custom electronics for solid-state and scintillation detectors
- Mapping terrestrial background radiation
- Designing detection systems for standoff detection of special nuclear materials
The program seeks candidates with experience in nuclear instrumentation electronics, ASICs and readout electronics, RF design and fabrication, embedded programming, scintillators, silicon photomultipliers, solid-state radiation detectors, and gas ionization detectors.
Due Dates
- Next application deadline: May 1, 2025, 5:00 PM ET
- Review finalized: Early June 2025
- Subsequent deadlines occur quarterly (August 1, November 1, February 1, etc.)
If a deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, it is moved to the next business day.
Funding Amount
- Annual stipend: Approximately $99,200
- Annual travel allowance: $3,000
- Typical fellowship duration: 2-3 years
- Additional benefits include paid relocation for awardees living more than 50 miles from the host lab and group health insurance coverage for awardees and qualifying dependents.
Eligibility
- Citizenship: Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents
- Education: Applicants must have earned a Ph.D., Sc.D., M.D., D.V.M., or equivalent research doctorate before beginning tenure
- Postdoctoral applicants must have held their doctorate for less than five years as of the application deadline
- Applicants with current or recent prior affiliation with the Naval Research Laboratory (e.g., employment or previous NRC fellowship) may be ineligible
- Letter writers cannot be employed by the agency unless they have served as mentors or collaborators during the applicant’s prior academic or research training
- Security clearance or National Agency Check may be required depending on the agency’s policies
Application Process
- Identify Research Opportunity: Review the NRL Gamma-Ray/Neutron Instrument Development opportunity and contact a Research Adviser to discuss your research proposal and funding availability.
- Prepare Application: Complete profile information, upload transcripts (postdocs only), research proposal (max 10 pages), previous/current research description, publications list, and letters of recommendation (minimum 3, including dissertation adviser).
- Submit Application: Apply online via the NRC Research Associateship Programs portal before the deadline. Only one application per sponsoring federal agency is allowed per cycle.
- Review: Applications are reviewed by expert panels in relevant scientific disciplines. Scores above 70 are recommended for awards.
- Notification: Applicants receive reviewer feedback approximately one week after review finalization and award decisions within 6-8 weeks thereafter.
Note: It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure letters of recommendation are submitted on time via the online system.
Additional Information
- The fellowship provides access to state-of-the-art facilities and mentorship at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC.
- Research must be conducted on-site at the sponsoring laboratory.
- Applicants should carefully review eligibility criteria, especially regarding prior affiliations and citizenship.
- Relocation assistance is available for those moving more than 50 miles to the host lab.
- Health insurance is mandatory for the duration of the fellowship.
External Links
Contact Information