Duke Cosmology Fellowship

The cosmology group at Duke University invites applications for one or more postdoctoral fellows in the area of cosmology (observational and theoretical), time-domain astrophysics, and new techniques in statistical and image analysis. Applicants will work with Profs. Dan Scolnic and/or Michael Troxel to build the necessary tools and methods to take advantage of current and next generation experiments designed to probe cosmology. The cosmology & astrophysics group at Duke also includes Professors Arlie Petters, Chris Walter, Hubert Bray, Kate Scholberg, and Phillip Barbeau, and includes topics on general relativity, differential geometry, and neutrinos.

Potential research topics for this position could include cosmology with large-scale structure, Type Ia supernovae, and weak gravitational lensing; statistical studies of heterogeneous datasets; electromagnetic follow-up of gravitational wave sources; innovative methods in image analysis for large surveys; studies of astrophysical contributions to cosmological signals; and higher-order summary statistics.

Participation in some of the Dark Energy Survey (DES), Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC), Wide-Field InfraRed Telescope (WFIRST) is expected. Applicants with previous experience in weak lensing or supernova analysis, image analysis and simulations, spectroscopy, statistical methods including Bayesian analysis, or modern large-scale computational methods are especially encouraged to apply.

The position is for two years, renewable for a third year upon mutual agreement. At least one position can start as soon as December 2019, but positions are generally expected to begin by the start of the Fall 2020 Duke semester. Candidates must have a Ph.D. by the date of appointment in astronomy, physics, or a relevant field. Applicants should prepare a cover letter, a current CV and list of publications, a research statement of less than three pages describing past accomplishments and research goals, and arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent. 

Applications should be submitted to: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14851. Applications received by November 15 will be guaranteed consideration.

Related URLs: https://phy.duke.edu/research/research-areas/astrophysics, https://phy.duke.edu/people/daniel-m-scolnic, https://phy.duke.edu/people/micheal-troxel.

Duke is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual’s age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.