The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Project at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) invites applications through the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) to carry out postdoctoral research in astrophysics or astronomical instrumentation. The applicant will work directly with one of the JWST Project Scientists and will be resident within the Astrophysics Science Division at GSFC. The science objectives of JWST include the initial formation of galaxies in the early Universe, galaxy evolution including active galactic nuclei (AGN), star and planetary system formation, and the study of extra-Solar planets and Solar System objects. Astronomical research relevant to JWST’s science goals could include theoretical studies or be based on observations taken with current space-based or ground-based facilities. Examples of interest to the JWST Project Scientists include spectroscopy and HST imaging of lensed galaxies at high redshift; discovery and characterization of highly-obscured AGN; multi-wavelength studies of galaxy evolution, integral field unit or multi-object spectroscopy; Hadamard transform spectroscopy with the IRMOS instrument (Proc. SPIE, 7249, 25, 2009); studies of debris disks and exoplanets using coronagraphic or transiting techniques; and infrared instrumentation, including advanced detectors and optics. Additional information about JWST is available through the website http://jwst.nasa.gov, and from the review paper Gardner et al 2006, Space Sci. Rev. 123, 485 (astro-ph/0606175), http://www.springerlink.com/content/h2374012xk30qpw5/fulltext.pdf.
The next NPP Fellowship application deadline is November 1, 2012. Please contact Jonathan Gardner, jonathan.p.gardner@nasa.gov before the deadline for assistance in preparing the application. The NPP Fellowship appointment is initially for one year, and can be renewed for up to two more years based on acceptable performance and availability of funding. Appointments come with competitive stipends and a generous travel budget. Applicants will be judged on their academic accomplishments, letters of reference, the merit of their research proposal and its relevance to NASA programs. Applications should be submitted through the NPP website at: http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/.
See http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/ for information about benefits.
