Call for applications for postdoctoral fellowships at the Paris Observatory

Call for applications for postdoctoral fellowships at the Paris Observatory

Paris Observatory solicits applications for four post-doctoral fellowships. Fellows will be appointed initially for one year, renewable for a second year on the basis of satisfactory performance. Fellowships will normally start in fall 2013 but an earlier start may be considered.

Paris Observatory is one of the largest astronomical centers in the world with 650 permanent staff out of a total of 1000 personnel, and 700 publications per year. It comprises one third of French astronomy with teams covering a wide range of fields and participating in the largest instrumental, theoretical/numerical and experimental projects of modern astronomy. Teams are mostly resident on three sites, two in the Paris area (in Paris and Meudon), with the third being the Nançay astronomical radio observatory. It is part of a rich astronomical environment in the Paris area comprising about 600 scientists who participate to the regional program Astrophysique et Conditions d’Apparition de la Vie coordinated by Paris Observatory.

Successful applicants are expected to conduct research related to the priorities of the Paris Observatory laboratories, of the Virtual Observatory Paris Data Center, and to the themes and programs highlighted by the Paris Observatory Scientific Council for the 2014 – 2018 period:

Thematical actions:
- Stellar physics;
- Exoplanets and conditions for life;
- Cosmology and galaxy formation and evolution;
- Gravitation and fundamental physics;
- Space environment of the Earth.

Methodological actions:
- Exploitation of Gaia;
- Radiotelescopes of the XXIst century;
- Instrumentation of the E-ELT;
- Preparation to CTA.

Expertise circles:
- Space missions;
- Heavy numerical simulations;
- Exploitation of ALMA and HERSCHEL.

Fellowships are open to applicants of any nationality. Only research plans developed in coordination with a team from Paris Observatory will be eligible.

Applicants should provide:
- A CV (1 page maximum);
- A two-year research program including a plan for the first year (4 pages maximum);
- A complete list of publications and a separate list of first-author publications;
- The PhD certificate or, if not yet earned, the date of defence;
- A reference letter from a scientist outside Paris Observatory;
- A support letter from the hosting team and an approval letter of the director of the hosting laboratory.

Applications must be submitted electronically by 30 November 2012 to secretariat.cs@obspm.fr by the directors of the hosting laboratories. The application must consist of a single pdf file whose size may not exceed 2 Mbytes. A ranking will be published by the Scientific Council on 21 December 2012.