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Postdoctoral Scholars

Welcome Postdocs!

We are excited to welcome postdoctoral fellows and scholars to the UC San Diego Astronomy & Astrophysics Department. Our department boasts a diverse research portfolio, providing opportunities for collaboration not only with your faculty mentor but also with other faculty members, researchers, and students. We encourage postdocs to actively participate in and contribute to our department community. Additionally, we offer various professional development opportunities, including teaching, mentorship, outreach, and new research collaborations. Please feel free to reach out to the A&A faculty on potential postdoctoral opportunities.

Postdoctoral Resources and Information

  • Office of Postdoc Scholarly Affairs: OPSA is the campus office that oversees postdoctoral scholar programs for the UC San Diego campus, including appointments, benefits, services and career development.
  • Health & Benefits: The OPSA webpage has a number of pages on information related Health, Vision, and Dental Insurance, as well as Paid Leave policies.
  • Faculty and Staff Assistance Program: FSAP is a confidential service designed to help Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholars resolve concerns that may be affecting personal well-being and/or job performance. Individual counseling is available to help individuals, as well as Educational workshops and support groups are also available on a variety of topics. 
  • Career Advancement and Naviagtion Program: The CAN  is a 20 hour professional development course designed for postdoctoral scholars early in their tenure to help them make the most of their postdoc experience and establish a foundation for future career success.
  • Funding Opportunities: OPSA maintains a list of funding opportunities for postdoctoral scholars. In some cases, funding proposals may require consulting UC San Diego's policies on PI status eligibility. 
  • University-wide Award Opportunities: UC San Diego has several awards for outstanding postdoctoral scholars. You can find the details on nominations and applications at this website. 
  • International Services and Engagement Office: ISEO provides services and engagement opportunities for our international faculty, research scholars, staff, students and families. Note that the A&A department only supports J1-Visas for international postdoctoral scholars.
  • Transportation and parking: Postdocs are eligible to purchase an "A", "B" or "S" parking permits. All UCSD postdoctoral scholars are eligible to participate in the UCSD FaSt Pass program for discounted transit on regional MTS and NCTD bus and trolley routes. 
  • Astrobite on Astro-related postdocs: provides a nice two-part guide on applying for postdoctoral positions in the field of astronomy & astrophysics.
  • National Postdoc Appreciation Week & Postdoctoberfest: The third week of September is National Postdoc Appreciation week.  UC San Diego has a number of activities during that time, details can be found at this website. There are also a number of events planned each October for "Postdoctoberfest".