Stanford - Santa Cruz Cosmology Fellowship

The Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) at Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and the Departments of Astronomy & Astrophysics and Physics at University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), seek recent Ph.D. scientists for the Stanford - Santa Cruz Cosmology Fellowship. This is a four year independent fellowship, to be split between Stanford and UCSC, and offers a competitive salary, benefits, and research funds.

This fellowship offers an opportunity to carry out independent research and to be connected with two vibrant cosmology programs. Stanford and UCSC are located 50 miles apart. Fellows will split their time between the two institutes over the duration of the fellowship, including the option to spend two years at each institute. The fellow will choose a mentor at each institute. The selected candidate will have access to the Lick Observatories, and, through collaborating faculty, to the Keck Observatories. Fellows will also have access to extensive computing facilities at Stanford, SLAC, and UCSC, and will have the opportunity to organize joint workshops between UCSC and Stanford.

Existing cosmology research programs at KIPAC and UCSC include studies of dark energy, cosmic dynamics and structure formation, and the intergalactic medium, studies of and searches for dark matter, and related studies of galaxies and galaxy clusters. KIPAC and UCSC are active in cosmic surveys including DES, DESI, and LSST. Other joint activities include participation in the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope and planning for the WFIRST and Lynx missions.

KIPAC is a joint institute between Stanford University and SLAC, with a broad program spanning cosmology and astrophysics and with excellent connections to particle theory and experiment. SLAC is the lead laboratory for the construction and integration of the LSST camera, and the host laboratory for the LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration. KIPAC is playing a leading role in CMB experiments including BICEP/Keck Array, the South Pole Telescope, the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, LiteBIRD, the Simons Observatory, and planning for CMB Stage 4. KIPAC is also involved in X-ray observatories including the NuSTAR, IXPE (X-ray polarization) and the future Athena and Lynx missions, and in several dark matter experimental programs, including LZ, SCDMS, and Dark Matter Radio.

At UCSC, the Astronomy and Astrophysics department, Physics department, and the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP), maintain a diverse and vibrant research program in theoretical and experimental particle physics, cosmology, and high-energy/particle astrophysics (https://cosmology.sites.ucsc.edu). UCSC has a strong expertise in instrumentation in both particle physics and astronomy, and has access to Lick Observatory and the twin Keck telescopes. Postdocs can serve as PI on any of the Lick Observatory facilities (APF, Shane 3m) and collaborate with UC faculty to obtain Keck time. In addition to those listed above, faculty at UCSC are involved in a variety of programs including the Hyper Suprime Cam Survey, LSST Camera construction and characterization, science verification with the DESI spectrograph, and the design of a next-generation spectroscopic facility for Keck called FOBOS.

Candidates should have or expect to receive a Ph.D. in astronomy or physics by Fall 2021. Preference will be given to candidates on their first postdoctoral fellowship, or who received the PhD during or after 2020.

Please submit your application materials at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/16693. Candidates should provide a curriculum vitae including a publication list, and a 3-page statement of research interests and plans, and arrange to have at least three letters of recommendation submitted to the same site. We encourage applicants, as a component of their research statement, to discuss their experience with or commitment to engaging in mentoring, outreach, teaching, fostering inclusive environments, or activities that diversify the field, and also to address how they would make optimal use of a joint Stanford-UCSC fellowship in their research statement or cover letter.

The deadline for applications is October 30, 2020. Late applications will be considered at the discretion of the search committee. More information about KIPAC can be found at https://kipac.stanford.edu/ and about UCSC astronomy at https://www.astro.ucsc.edu. KIPAC and UCSC are committed to an inclusive work environment and encourage applications from candidates that will diversify the workforce in astrophysics and cosmology.