Postdoctoral fellowships in Planet Formation and Planetary Science

The Astronomy Group at Universidad Diego Portales (UDP) invites applications for sponsoring postdoctoral research fellowships in astronomy on the study of Planet Formation and Planetary Science with Prof. Lucas Cieza and Prof. Alice Zurlo. Selected candidates will be sponsored by a UDP faculty member to apply for FONDECYT postdoctoral grants of 3 years. The expected beginning of these fellowships is March 15, 2021. The eligibility is limited to researchers that have received their Ph.D. between Jan 1, 2017 and the FONDECYT application deadline (expected to be on September 30, 2020). Exceptions for women with children born in this period are possible according to FONDECYT guidelines.

Santiago hosts a large and vibrant scientific community working on planetary science, with roughly 30 astronomers working on this field. While at UDP, successful candidates will qualify as members of the Chilean community and will be eligible for the 10% privileged access to all telescopes in Chile, including ALMA, Gemini South, VLT, Magellan, CTIO, SOAR, La Silla, APEX, and ASTE, as well as to future facilities such as ELT, LSST, GMT, and CTA. Faculty members at UDP are currently leading and are involved in numerous projects, including ALMA observations of protoplanetary disks, IR and submillimeter laboratory measurements of meteorites and Cosmic Dust, exoplanets characterization and high-contrast imaging.

Applications should be submitted by e-mail in pdf format to Prof. Manuel Aravena ([email protected]) by Thursday, September 10, 2020 to ensure full consideration. They should include a brief cover letter (1-page), research statement (max. 3 pages; including current and previous research and a research plan while working at UDP), and a CV (with a publication list).  In addition, applicants should provide the names and contact information of 3 references willing to provide letters of recommendation on request. We encourage applicants to get in contact with professors Lucas Cieza ([email protected]) and Alice Zurlo ([email protected]). We encourage applications from women and minority groups.