The Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) at Northwestern University and the Adler Planetarium (Adler) are seeking candidates for a postdoctoral fellowship position, jointly-appointed between our two institutions. CIERA and the Adler are located 45 minutes from one another; in Evanston and Chicago, respectively.
The CIERA-Adler Postdoctoral Fellow will flourish in a dynamic and intellectually diverse environment, where they are uniquely positioned to blend cutting-edge research with impactful outreach. Unlike most postdoctoral roles, this fellowship dedicates 30% of the Fellow’s time to outreach, underscoring the value of their contributions to the broader community. They will pursue an independent research program, grounded within CIERA’s thriving community of interdisciplinary students, postdocs, and faculty. And they will actively engage with Adler’s innovative programs, forging meaningful connections with Chicago’s diverse audiences, and making a lasting impact beyond academia.
The role will be divided approximately 70% research and 30% outreach*.
For current areas of research led by CIERA faculty, as well as research resources and facilities, see: https://ciera.northwestern.edu/research/. For CIERA’s broader programming and activities, see: https://ciera.northwestern.edu/programs/. Candidates in all areas of astronomy and astrophysics are encouraged to apply. We note that Northwestern has institutional access to several mid- and large-scale optical/IR ground-based telescope facilities, including Keck, MMT, Magellan, and the forthcoming La Silla Southern Sky Survey (LS4) and SEDMv2 (an ultra-low resolution IFU spectrograph for transient classification). Postdoctoral researchers can apply for nights through CIERA’s internal time allocation process (see https://sites.northwestern.edu/cieraobserving/ for more information). CIERA researchers have exclusive access to two high-performance computer clusters, providing access to 5,996 compute cores. Additional HPC resources, including high-memory nodes, are available through Northwestern’s Quest cluster (see ciera.northwestern.edu/high-performance-computing/ for more information). A dedicated Computational Specialist is also on staff to assist CIERA researchers. The successful candidate will spend 30% of their time as a public scholar (https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/learn/research/value-statement) at the Adler, helping to fulfill our mission to connect people to the universe and each other under the sky we all share. A main component will be to lead our Doane Observatory student research internship program. The Doane Observatory, co-located with the Adler, hosts a 0.6-meter PlaneWave Corrected Dall-Kirkham reflector complete with a full set of UVBIR and methane filters, a ZWO ASI183MM monochrome CMOS camera, and a separate climate-controlled telescope operations room. Despite its location downtown, photometric errors better than a few percent are routinely obtainable by the Doane Observatory telescope, down to at least V=15. Possible research projects include participating in multi-wavelength campaigns for monitoring bright AGNs, acquiring asteroid light curves and exoplanet transit light curves, studying dozens of types of variable stars, conducting follow-up observations of bright transients, lucky image monitoring of planets and monitoring white dwarf novae candidates, among others.
As a public scholar at the Adler, the Fellow will also have a chance to engage via participation in programs such as public observing with the Doane Observatory (https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/explore/exhibits/doane-observatory/), Astronomy Conversations (https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/explore/exhibits/space-visualization-lab/), Far Horizons (https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/learn/all-ages/far-horizons/), and Zooniverse (https://www.zooniverse.org/projects), help create new exhibits and planetarium shows, and collaborate with our world-class historical Collections Department.
The Fellowship appointments will be for a three-year term starting in September 2025. The annual stipend is $80,000 and the position comes with a competitive benefits package and a research budget of $15,000 per year.
Applications should include (1) a cover letter stating your interest in and relevant experience/skills for the position and identifying a potential faculty mentor at Northwestern, (2) a CV, including a list of publications with the most important 1 to 3 publications indicated with an asterisk, (3) a three-page statement with both research accomplishments and plans AND education and/or outreach experience and goals, and (4) arrange for at least three letters of recommendation to be uploaded to Academic Jobs Online.
All questions should be sent by email to mnichols@adlerplanetarium.org and CIERA-Jobs@northwestern.edu. Applications received by November 18, 2024 will receive full consideration. Later applications will be considered until the position is filled.
Please state that you are applying for the CIERA-Adler Postdoctoral Fellowship in your cover letter. Applicants must complete their Ph.D. requirements prior to appointment.
CIERA and the Adler are committed to creating a welcoming, safe, and inclusive community for everyone:
Every person connected to CIERA is expected to uphold our shared values by seeking diverse perspectives and deliberately working to increase access and equity of people from marginalized groups. We recognize that true excellence only comes from the meaningful integration of all perspectives in our community and culture. CIERA also participates with University-wide diversity & inclusion efforts: Northwestern’s Mission and Vision (https://www.northwestern.edu/about/mission-vision-goals.html), Northwestern’s Office of Equity (https://www.northwestern.edu/civil-rights-office/).
The Adler hosts half a million visitors each year and reaches millions more through youth STEAM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach projects. With the Adler’s support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to explore their universe together and return to their communities ready to think critically and creatively about any challenge that comes their way. The Adler is committed to diversity & inclusion principles internally, externally, and universally, with ongoing efforts championed by cross-divisional, cross-level teams.
Both Northwestern University and the Adler Planetarium are equal opportunity, affirmative action employers and do not discriminate against qualified individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, marital status, age, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected class. Individuals from all diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States. For more information, please see the University’s Policy on Discrimination and Harassment at https://www.northwestern.edu/equity/documents/discrimination-harassment-policy-resources-procedures-final.pdf
*The role is equally divided 50/50 between CIERA and the Adler. The CIERA half of the role will encompass 50% of the research and the Adler half of the role will encompass 20% of the research and the 30% outreach component.
Compensation and Benefits Included Benefits: While the position is a joint appointment between the two institutions (Northwestern University and the Adler Planetarium), the benefits are fully through Northwestern University: http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits.