Postdoctoral Associate Positions in Theoretical Astronomy & Astrophysics

The Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) at Northwestern University invites applications for postdoctoral associate positions in theoretical astronomy and astrophysics starting in fall 2027.

These positions will be part of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) cessful applicants will benefit from interaction with a broad interdisciplinary group of researchers and will be immersed in a diverse and dynamic intellectual environment (learn more about CIERA’s programs and activities). CIERA researchers have exclusive access to two high-performance computing (HPC) allocations, as well as additional resources available through Northwestern’s Quest cluster, including GPU and high-memory nodes (see ciera.northwestern.edu/high-performance-computing

for more information). A dedicated Computational Specialist is also on staff to assist CIERA researchers.

Of particular interest this year are candidates who will work with:

• Prof. Vicky Kalogera on any sub-area of gravitational-wave data analysis, stellar and compact-object astrophysics, including stellar structure and evolution and interacting binary evolution; technical expertise in statistics, mathematical/numerical analysis, and machine learning are also of interest.
• Prof. Yoram Lithwick on the theory of protoplanetary disks (and accretion disks in general).

Applicants must complete their Ph.D. requirements prior to appointment.

Final date to receive applications:
December 15, 2026.

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include

• health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance
• paid vacation and holidays
• paid medical/sick and parental leave
• tuition benefits for the employee and dependents
• pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care
• generous retirement savings options
• wellness programs

For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at Benefits:
Human Resources
- Northwestern University to learn more.

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