Lowell Observatory invites applications for the Percival Lowell Postdoctoral Fellowship, which aims to attract recent graduates to pursue independent research projects of their own choice in the fields of astronomy, planetary science, and astronomical instrumentation. Fellows are hired for four years, receive an annual salary of $75,000, which will increase each year, relocation reimbursement up to $5,000, and research funds of $20,000 annually to support their scientific program.
Current research at Lowell Observatory spans a wide range of disciplines from planetary science and exoplanets to stellar astrophysics, Galactic and extragalactic astronomy as well as instrumentation. Fellows have access to the full range of resources of the Observatory, including the 4.3-m Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT), several 1-m class telescopes, the Astrophysical Materials Lab at Northern Arizona University, and our instrumentation and engineering resources. Lowell’s new Astronomy Discovery Center, which will open in 2024, and the award-winning Native American Astronomy Outreach Program offer additional opportunities for fellows to engage in science communication as part of the observatory’s education and public outreach mission.
Applicants are expected to have a Ph.D. in astronomy, planetary science, or a related field. The PhD must have been awarded before they begin the fellowship, which can be no later than December 1, 2024. Applicants may not have more than the equivalent of 4 years of full-time postdoctoral research activities by the application deadline. Current employees of Lowell Observatory are not eligible. Lowell Observatory is committed to diversity and inclusion in its workforce; we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. Applicants will be assessed according to their scientific potential, their research plan and the feasibility of carrying out the proposed research at Lowell Observatory; interest in science communication and in engaging the public in astronomy and planetary science is a plus.