Astronova Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Heising-Simons Astronomical Innovation (Astronova) Fellowship is a newly launched postdoctoral program designed to support early-career scientists who are developing cutting-edge astronomical instrumentation that will drive transformative scientific discoveries. Established in 2026, the Astronova fellowship provides up to 4 years of funding for salary support and instrument research expenses. University of California, San Diego Astronomy & Astrophysics is one of the inaugural host institutions that will support the mentorship, professional development, and laboratory space and facilities to support the postdoctoral fellow.

UC San Diego has advanced instrumentation laboratories led by four PIs (Profs. Kam Arnold, Steve Boggs, Quinn Konopacky, and Shelley Wright) that support a broad range of instrument programs. Current efforts cover a wide wavelength range, from gamma rays to the millimeter regime, and include the NASA Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) mission, Panoramic SETI, the W. M. Keck Observatory instruments Liger and HiSPEC, and the Simons Observatory.

Applications for AY26/27 are due February 27, 2026. Questions about taking the Fellowship to UC San Diego can be directed to Prof. Shelley Wright (s2wright@ucsd.edu).