Jansky Fellowship

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) invites applications for the 2023 Jansky Fellowship Program. The Jansky Fellowship supports outstanding early career scientists to conduct independent research that is broadly related to the NRAO’s mission.

Since its inception over 60 years ago NRAO has been enabling forefront research into the Universe at radio wavelengths. In partnership with the scientific community, we provide world-leading telescopes, instrumentation, and expertise, train the next generation of scientists and engineers, advance broader, equitable, inclusive participation in science and engineering, and promote astronomy to foster a more scientifically literate society. NRAO operates three world-class research facilities: the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). NRAO has now begun developing, and soon constructing, the next generation VLA (ngVLA) pushing the boundaries of state of the art. The highly anticipated ngVLA is planned to be operational in 2030s and to address some of the biggest and still unanswered science questions.

We welcome applicants who bring diverse and innovative dimensions to the Observatory and to the field of radio astronomy. As a Jansky Fellow, you will have a unique opportunity to contribute to and learn from the development and delivery of the largest and most capable radio telescopes in the world. Candidates with interests in radio astronomy techniques, multi-wavelength collaborations, instrumentation, computation, and theory are encouraged to apply.

Jansky Fellows spend most, if not all, of their time on self-directed independent research. Fellows are encouraged to develop research collaborations with NRAO scientific staff, scientists at the U.S. universities, and their colleagues in the international astronomical or instrumentation community, and to fully engage in and contribute to the NRAO’s research environment. Jansky Fellows also have an opportunity to engage with Observatory staff on activities related to the development and delivery of radio astronomy techniques and capabilities, especially to enhance their research program and develop their own broad skill set. The Jansky Fellowship Program provides numerous opportunities for early career scientists to acquire a deep knowledge and understanding of the state-of-the-art radio astronomy science and instrumentation to establish themselves as innovative, independent research scientists and engineers, and become the top leaders in the field.

Appointments may be made at the Socorro, NM, or Charlottesville, VA, NRAO sites. Applicants should describe how their research or technical interests couple with NRAO’s mission, telescopes or science. In some cases, a ‘split appointment’ Jansky Fellowship between a U.S. based university and an NRAO site, or a ‘non-resident’ Jansky Fellowship hosted at a university within the United States, may be offered. Non-resident Jansky Fellows are expected to develop a research program that fosters close ties with the NRAO, and describe how residence at their proposed host university will accomplish this. Frequent and/or long-term visits to NRAO sites during the non-resident Fellowship are strongly encouraged. NRAO supports partial teleworking arrangements for scientific postdoctoral fellows.

The Fellowship Program is open to early career applicants of any nationality. NRAO offers competitive salary package for the Jansky Fellows, comparable to that of other prize fellowships.  A research budget of $17,000 per year is provided for travel and computing support; a separate support for publications and page charge, and other direct research costs is also available. NRAO can provide up to $3000 per year to non-NRAO host institutions to defray local institutional expenses. In addition to the competitive pay and financial research support, NRAO provides excellent paid time off benefits (vacation, sick/family, and paid parental leave), health insurance, retirement benefits, and relocation allowance. The Jansky Fellowship appointment will be awarded initially for a two-year period, renewable for a third year.

The deadline for submission of the 2023 Jansky Fellowship Program application materials, including letters of reference, is Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 11:59 pm EDT. Award offers will be made in early 2023. For more information about the Jansky Fellowship Program and instructions on how to apply, please visit: https://science.nrao.edu/opportunities/postdoctoral-programs/jansky. 

Please note, that Jansky Engineering Fellowship applications should be submitted through a separate call. For more information, visit: https://science.nrao.edu/opportunities/postdoctoral-programs/jansky_engineering.

Questions or assistance with the application procedure, as well as requests for additional information on the Jansky Fellowship Program may be sent to [email protected].

NRAO is an equal opportunity employer, and is committed to increasing the diversity of its staff and students.