Volatiles: From Giant Impacts To Icy Shadows

VOLATILES: FROM GIANT IMPACTS TO ICY SHADOWS

Organization
:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code
: 0021-NPP-MAR
26-JSC-Planet Sci

Final date to receive applications
: 3/1/2026 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone

How To Apply
:
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)

Required Application Materials
:

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

Description
:

Understanding the processes responsible for the formation and evolution of planetary bodies requires a variety of tools and an outside‑the‑box mindset. Our team—composed of planetary scientists, chemists, and engineers—is focused on the record of highly volatile elements (e.g., H, C, N, S, Cl) in planetary materials and their synthetic analogs.

Primary Research Focus
:

• Formation and evolution of rocky bodies such as the Moon and Mars.
• Projects where research and curation overlap.

We are soliciting projects involving analysis of astromaterials (Apollo samples, meteorites) and synthetic analog samples (experimentally generated rocks, regolith, ices) through:

• Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) of C, H, Cl and their isotopes.
• Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) isotopic analysis of volatile gas species.
• Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) of Cl stable isotope ratios.
• Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of volatile gases and solids.
• Gas‑Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC‑MS) and Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (QMS) of volatile gas species.

Additional projects may include:

• Thermochemical modeling and experimental exploration of ice/rock interactions relevant to Artemis sample return from the Moon.
• Development of robotic sample‑handling at ambient and cryogenic temperatures for Artemis sample return curation activities.

Field of Science
:
Planetary Science

Eligibility Requirements
:

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree:
  Doctoral Degree

Jeremy Boyce (jeremy.w.boyce; )

Questions about this opportunity? Please email npp

• Seniority level
  :
  Internship
• Employment type
  :
  Full‑time
• Job function
  :
  Other
• Industries
  :
  Government Administration