University of Chicago, Astronomy and Astrophysics

Prize ID:

UChicago-A&A-EMB [#30483]

Prize Title:

E. Margaret Burbidge Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship in Astrophysics

Prize Type:

Postdoctoral

Location:

Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States of America

Subject Areas:

Astrophysics / Astrophysics and Gravitational Physics, Computational Astrophysics, Cosmology, Exoplanets, Experimental Astrophysics, Observational

Appl Deadline:

2025/11/09 11:59PM help popup

(posted 2025/09/03, listed until 2025/11/30)

Description:

The University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics is pleased to invite applications for the E. Margaret Burbidge Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship in Astrophysics (with the University Rank of Postdoctoral Scholar) to begin in the fall of 2026. The E. Margaret Burbidge Prize Fellow will be appointed to renewable one-year terms, for up to three years. The Prize Fellowship seeks entrepreneurial individuals who will actively pursue bold and creative ideas. It carries an annual salary of $80,000, and annual research expense fund of $15,000.

The successful applicant will have the opportunity to pursue new and innovative research utilizing abundant resources available at the University of Chicago. Research in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics is defined by three broad themes - the Universe where we live, the Universe beyond our Milky Way galaxy, and the extreme Universe. These themes are linked through the science, instruments, techniques, and faculty involved in each area, and bound by crosscutting activities that are as important and distinctive to our department as the science themes themselves - computational astrophysics, instrument development, and a multi-messenger approach to exploring and studying the Universe.

Members of the Chicago community enjoy guaranteed access to the Magellan telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, proprietary high-performance computing resources, and leadership roles in major observing programs with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-V), the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), among others. Our researchers are actively engaged in field-defining effort spanning discovery and characterization of exoplanets and planetary systems; stellar physics; interstellar matter; galaxy formation and evolution; high-energy and plasma astrophysics; experimental and theoretical studies of the cosmic microwave background; theoretical and observational cosmology; and experimental and theoretical particle astrophysics. The University of Chicago is a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope and department members are involved in the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, the Enrico Fermi Institute, Fermilab, and Argonne National Laboratory. More details can be found at the department website (https://astrophysics.uchicago.edu/research/).

Diversity and inclusion are core components of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. Students, postdocs, and faculty work together to build a culture within the department where all groups of people, including under-represented groups, can thrive. Information about the community values can be found at the department website (https://astrophysics.uchicago.edu/diversityinclusion/).

To apply for an E. Margaret Burbidge Postdoctoral Fellowship, please complete the online application form at Academic Jobs Online (AJO). Requested information includes email contact information for 3 references who can independently write a letter of support for the applicant. Supplemental materials (Cover Letter; Curriculum Vitae; Research Statement - a one-to-three-page document of your research accomplishments and plans; List of Publications) should be submitted as PDF files on the application form.

If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Smith at jmsmith@uchicago.edu.

The positions will remain open until filled; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit application by November 9, 2025, and ensure that 3 letters of recommendation are received by November 15, 2025. Review of applications will begin November 17, 2025. The positions are expected to begin in the Fall of 2026.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination (https://www.uchicago.edu/non-discrimination).

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-834-3988 or email equalopportunity@uchicago.edu with their request.

Application Materials Required:

Submit the following items online at this website to complete your application:

Cover letter
Curriculum Vitae
Research statement
Three reference letters (to be submitted online by the reference writers on this site )

And anything else requested in the description.

Further Info:

https://astrophysics.uchicago.edu/

773-834-0393

Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics
University of Chicago
5640 S. Ellis Ave
Chicago, IL 60637 (USA)