CosmicAI Post Doctoral Research Associate at NSF NOIRLab

The newly established National Science Foundation (NSF)-Simons Cosmic

AI Instituteseeks to hire a postdoctoral fellow to help initiate a new comprehensive research program to foster foundational advancements in AI through the curation, analysis, and processing of astronomical data at the NSF NOIRLab , located in Tucson, Arizona. The postdoctoral fellow will lead a project on the curation and analysis of multi-epoch time-domain training data for real-time classification algorithms in the context of alert brokers, such as ANTARES, for the Vera Rubin Observatory and its Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

This work will be carried out in close collaboration with Cosmic

AI team members at various institutions, including NOIRLab (Tom Matheson), SLAC (Adam Bolton), and the University of Virginia (Maryam Modjaz). Although stationed at NSF NOIRLab, Cosmic

AI fellows will have full access to Institute facilities and equipment (e.g., world-class computational resources at the Texas Advanced Computing Center, including Vista, a newly instantiated 600 GPU node cluster) and routinely collaborate with Institute members across all sites to facilitate the development of cutting-edge AI tools and methodologies.

The NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (Cosmic

AI) aims to grow transformative AI advances with the overarching goal to increase the accessibility of astronomy data and knowledge for researchers, students, and the public. Cosmic

AI leverages partnerships between academia (UT Austin, U. of Virginia, U. of Utah, UCLA), national facilities (NRAO and NSF NOIRLab), nonprofits, and industry to develop capabilities that enable astronomical researchers to conceptualize, define, and execute research projects via trustworthy, efficient, robust, and explainable AI methods. By building next-generation AI tools, the Institute aims to accelerate discoveries related to the most basic human question:
Where do we come from?

Cosmic

AI fellows at NSF NOIRLab will be expected to spend 50% of their time on institute-related research efforts, with the remaining 50% available for independent research; ideally, there will be substantial overlap between the two. The Cosmic

AI Fellowship appointment will be awarded initially for a two-year period that is renewable for a third year. The preferred start date is Fall 2025, with possible extension to January 2026.

You have a PhD in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Physics, or a related field.

Previous experience in data science, data reduction and analysis, and/or software development.

Established record of independent research.

Research expertise in time domain astronomy

Proficiency working with a geographically distributed, multi-disciplinary team.

Interested in creating new capabilities through deeper integration of your scientific research work with modern astronomical data systems and ML/AI models.

Experience with modern machine learning / deep learning techniques and software packages

Experience with time-series data of astronomical transients, especially Supernovae

Experience with high-performance or high throughput computing (HPC/HTC)

Excellent communication skills, including both presentations and writing technical reports.

Flexible, preferably onsite or hybrid in the Tucson, AZ office. Remote options may be considered for candidates in states where AURA is registered as an employer.

This position operates in a professional office environment and routinely utilizes standard office equipment, including computers, phones, and copiers. The work environment is generally quiet and may involve working in close proximity to others, depending on the needs of the specific function.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Must be able to remain in a stationary position at least 50% of the time.

Occasional need to move about inside the office…