Research Associate in Astronomy

The University of Virginia (UVA) invites applications for multiple Postdoctoral Research Associate, Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowship. Research Associate positions as part of the new, interdisciplinary Interconnected Cosmos Initiative (ICI). ICI brings together Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Engineering (including Computer Science, Data Science, and Materials Science), and partners such as the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) to tackle major questions in modern astrophysics, astrochemistry, planetary science, and cosmology.

ICI Postdoctoral Research Associates are expected to lead ambitious research programs that address cutting-edge problems in astronomy. A core expectation of these positions is the development of an interdisciplinary research plan: successful applications must clearly articulate how the proposed work will be grounded in, and jointly supervised across, at least two departments at UVA. A distinctive feature of the ICI postdoctoral positions is a dual-mentor model. Each Postdoctoral Research Associate will have two mentors whose primary appointments cross departments or institutions (for example, Astronomy and Physics, Astronomy and Computer Science, or UVA departments and NRAO). In their cover letter, applicants must either identify:

Specific faculty/scientists they wish to work with as potential primary and/or secondary mentors, or Preferred departments, research areas, and/or partner institutions (e.g., NRAO), in which case an interdisciplinary mentoring team will be assembled to best match the proposed research program.

Projects may be theoretical, observational, computational, or experimental in nature, provided they leverage UVA's and NRAO's cross-departmental strengths.

The Postdoctoral Research Associates will participate actively in departmental and Initiative-wide activities, including interdisciplinary workshops, seminars, and collaborations with national and international partners. PRAs will have access to UVA's high-performance research computing resources and telescope/instrumentation collaborations. and will have opportunities to mentor graduate and undergraduate students as part of ICI's broader training mission. UVA is home to a vibrant postdoctoral community, with additional opportunities for networking and professional development through the PhDPlus Program and UVA Postdoctoral Association.

All positions will be based at UVA in Charlottesville and will begin with an initial one-year appointment, with the expectation of annual renewal up to three years, contingent upon satisfactory performance and the availability of funding.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Applicants are required to have a Ph.D. in astrophysics or related discipline by the appointment start date.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Apply online at https://jobs.virginia.edu/us and attach as a single compiled PDF document that includes a cover letter, CV, list of publications, summary of previous and current research (limited to 3 pages, including references), research proposal (limited to 3 pages of text plus up to 2 pages of references/figures). Applicants should also arrange for 3 letters of recommendation to be submitted to https://virginia.app.box.com/f/4cf369b6ae3a4ecfa8c678f044bdadfe with the file name format "CandidateLastName_ReferenceLastName_ICI.pdf" by the due date.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Review of applications will begin on December 22, 2025, however, the positions will remain open until January 31, 2026. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

Please direct questions regarding this position to Ilse Cleeves (lic3f@virginia.edu). Questions regarding Workday can be directed to X (email). Applicants are also welcome to connect with members of the steering committee for help in developing appropriate interdisciplinary/interdepartmental contacts: Catherine A Dukes (cdukes@virginia.edu), David A Nichols (dn2ep@virginia.edu), Kent Yagi (ky5t@virginia.edu), Ryan Loomis (rloomis@nrao.edu), Kevin Skadron (skadron@virginia.edu), Nitya Kallivayalil (njk3r@virginia.edu), Ajay Limaye (ajay@virginia.edu), Paul Torrey (ygn5rz@virginia.edu), Rob Garrod (rg5qp@virginia.edu), Jonathan Kropko (jkropko@virginia.edu).

For questions about the application process, please contact Richard Haverstrom, Academic Recruiter, atrkh6j@virginia.edu.

This position is eligible for health insurance through the UVA Health Plan. For more information on the benefits, see the websites for the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (postdoc.virginia.edu) and University Human Resources (hr.virginia.edu/benefits).

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Click here to read more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.