Solid-State Gamma-ray Instrument Development Astroparticle Missions

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

0221‑NPP‑NOV
26‑GSFC‑Astrophys

All applications must be submitted in Zintellect. Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements:

How to Apply

| NASA Postdoctoral Program (orau.org).

• Research proposal
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official doctoral transcript documents

11/1/2026 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly‑talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA‑affiliated research institute. These one‑to‑three‑year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

High‑energy gamma‑ray astronomy focuses on the study of cosmic explosions, cosmic accelerators, and fundamental physics. The next leap in our understanding of the extreme universe will come through observations in the energy band spanning keV to GeV. The Astroparticle physics lab at Goddard is developing and building next‑generation gamma‑ray experiments and missions on a range of scales and platforms. The next advances in these missions will be enabled through the simulation and development of radiation‑hard, low‑power solid‑state detectors such as silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), silicon pixel detectors, and silicon strip detectors.

The team at Goddard offers opportunities to pursue topics relevant to the development of these types of detectors, including low‑level detector design and characterization, read‑out electronics development (both analog and digital), software development (including simulations and firmware), and instrument design.

Our group has access to existing facilities and equipment needed to carry out the proposed research, including electronics development and testing laboratories, detector development and testing facilities, computing and software development facilities, fabrication facilities, radioactive sources for testing, on‑site machine shops, and read‑out electronics for testing preliminary engineering models of the instrument. The hardware developed in this opportunity is specifically focused on the astrophysics studies enabled by future medium or high‑energy gamma‑ray missions such as AMEGO, and it is also applicable to several upcoming heliophysics opportunities including Lunar Gateway and the PRISM opportunity.

Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland

Astrophysics

Georgia de Nolfo – Georgia.

A.de Nolfo – 301‑286‑1512
Jeremy S. Perkins – jeremy.s.perkins – 301‑286‑3463
Regina Caputo – regina.caputo – 301‑286‑0072
Carolyn Kierans – carolyn.a.kierans – (301) 286‑7628
Nicholas Cannady – nicholas.w.cannady – 301‑286‑6546

Applications with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time, unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States. A complete list of Designated Countries can be found at: https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J‑1 visa status; and,
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with
  1) a valid EAD card and
  2) I‑485 or I‑589 forms in pending status;

Please email npp

Mikeala

Degree:
Doctoral Degree.