Postdoctoral Research at Penn State's Center for Exoplanets & Habitable Worlds

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds (CEHW) at Penn State invites applications for one or more Postdoctoral Researcher positions. Successful applicants will work with CEHW faculty on theoretical, observational, and/or instrumentation projects.We are particularly interested in applicants interested in pushing the limits of measurement precision with radial velocity technique, contributing to the planning, execution, analysis, and science for planet surveys such as the near-infrared RV survey being conducted by the Habitable Zone Planet Finder on the 10m Hobby-Eberly telescope to discover planets around M dwarfs and/or the high-precision RV survey of solar-type stars being conducted with the NEID instrument on the WIYN 3.5m telescope, as well as applicants interested in hardware/pipeline/algorithmic improvements. Examples of potential projects include: investigating the dynamics, formation, and/or habitability of planetary systems; characterizing exoplanet populations combining HPF and/or NEID with complementary planet surveys; follow-up observations and analysis for transiting planet candidates identified with advanced statistical methods; and developing techniques for distinguishing the spectroscopic signatures of planets from stellar variability and evaluating them using sun-as-a-star observations, and precursor science for the Habitable Worlds Observatory using NEID and/or HPF.

The successful applicant will contribute to a team of students and Ph.D. researchers, have opportunities to pursue independent research, and contribute to the vibrant scientific and public outreach efforts of the department. The successful applicant will have access to a variety of resources and collaborations available in CEHW, which includes faculty from the Departments of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Geosciences and Meteorology, and is part of Penn State Planetary, a Consortium for Planetary and Exoplanetary Science and Technology. We welcome applications proposing connections to our sister centers, Penn State's Astrobiology Research Center, Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center, and Planetary System Science Center.

Education and Experience

Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Astronomy, Physics, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related field prior to the start date. The position start date is flexible.

Additional Information

Applications must be submitted electronically and include a cover letter, statement of research interests, a CV, and a list of publications. Applicants must also arrange for PDF letters of reference to be uploaded to https://exoplanets.psu.edu/upload-letters/. Questions regarding the application process can be directed to cehw-postdoc-questions@lists.psu.edu. Please reference the job number in the email subject line. Review of applications will begin December 1, 2024, and continue until all positions are filled. Applications received by November 30 will receive full consideration.

This is a term appointment funded for one year from date of hire with the possibility of renewal.

Information regarding benefits may be found at https://www.research.psu.edu/opa/benefits.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity in society and nature, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusion as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

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