Research Opportunities for Postdocs and Visitors

✦ The Carnegie campus of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism and the Geophysical Laboratory in residential northwest DC.

Postdoctoral Fellowships in astronomy, cosmochemistry, data science, geodynamics, experimental petrology, geobiology, geochemistry, geophysics, mineral physics, planetary science and volcanology

The Earth and Planets Laboratory (EPL), a division of the Carnegie Institution for Science, invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships at its campus in Washington, DC. Multiple positions are available. EPL scientists engage in observational, experimental and theoretical research in fields including astronomy, cosmochemistry, data science, experimental petrology, geobiology, geochemistry, geodynamics, geophysics, mineral physics, planetary science, physics and chemistry of materials, and volcanology. Applicants’ primary field of research should overlap with one or more of these areas. Interdisciplinary research and collaboration with multiple research areas on campus is encouraged. New fellows will join a supportive community of about 25 postdoctoral scientists and 30 staff and research scientists engaged in understanding the origin and evolution of Earth and planets and materials under extreme conditions. More information about our research and facilities can be viewed at https://epl.carnegiescience.edu and about our postdoctoral fellowships and experience at https://epl.carnegiescience.edu/postdoctoral.

Our postdoctoral fellows have access to: world-class laboratory facilities in analytical geochemistry and cosmochemistry, high-pressure research, materials spectroscopy, and astrobiology; Carnegie’s Las Campanas Observatory in Chile for astronomical observations; and state-of-the-art computational facilities to support theoretical and data-analytic investigations. Funding is available for travel to scientific conferences and observation sites, as well as publications. At EPL, we value a culture of mentoring and offer professional development opportunities specifically for post-doctoral scientists. The Carnegie Institution strives to enable a scientifically excellent, equitable, and inclusive community, and therefore aims for diverse groups of people to collaborate and thrive at Carnegie. We believe academic environments should be places where diverse groups of people with a variety of viewpoints and ideas can thrive and work together.

Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded once a year. The Fellowship is initially for one year but is typically renewed for up to a total of 3 years for astronomy applicants and 2 years for other fields. The positions allow start dates between July 1 and December 31, 2023. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in a relevant field at the time of the start of the fellowship. The principal selection criteria will be research accomplishment, promise of future achievement, originality and achievability of the research proposal, independence, and relevance to the ongoing scientific pursuits at EPL.

Only completed applications for a Carnegie fellowship submitted through this website by clicking on the Apply Now button below will be considered and must include (in PDF format): 1) a cover letter, 2) curriculum vitae, 3) list of publications; 4) a brief description of previous research (3 pages max, inclusive of figures and references); 5) a research proposal (4 pages max, all inclusive), and 6) contact information for three references familiar with the applicant’s work and willing to provide letters of support. Applicants may use the cover letter to describe, in under one page, their prior, ongoing, and/or new ideas for efforts to create an equitable, positive, and inclusive working environment. The deadline for application materials is November 14, 2022. Reference letters must be submitted online by November 17, 2022; instructions for how your references should submit these letters will be provided to you after you submit the application form. Address any questions to eplfellowship@carnegiescience.edu.

We encourage applicants from under-represented groups and backgrounds to apply. The Carnegie Institution is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race/ethnicity, protected veteran status, disability, or other protected group status. Candidates of any nationality are eligible to apply. Contact us if you would like more information on how we help with visas. Postdoctoral fellows are employees and receive benefits associated with employment; see https://hr.carnegiescience.edu/offering/postdoctoral-fellow. The Carnegie Institution strives to enable a scientifically excellent, equitable, and inclusive community, and therefore aims for diverse groups of people to collaborate and thrive at Carnegie. Applicants may use a cover letter to describe how they have contributed to such community characteristics in previous positions, and how those contributions have been informed by their life experiences. We encourage applicants from under-represented groups and backgrounds to apply. The Carnegie Institution is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race/ethnicity, protected veteran status, disability, or other protected group status.

Visitors to the Geochemistry/Cosmochemistry Group

The Geochemistry/Cosmochemistry is known for hosting a wide range of visitors. These visitors can range from student interns (normally high school or college students) to graduate students and former postdocs who are now early career scientists. In this last case a formal visiting investigator appointment is necessary. Contact a staff scientist directly about these possibilities.

Tuve Fellowships

Merle A. Tuve served as DTM director from 1946-1966. Among his many scientific accomplishments, he supervised the design of a pressurized Van de Graaff generator, which achieved energies above 4 MeV. He also began construction of a 60-inch cyclotron designed to produce large quantities of radioactive isotopes. The Tuve Fellowships were established by the generosity of former DTM staff members Thomas Aldrich and Erik Hauri in Tuve's memory. Their purpose is to bring senior scientists to campus for short stays of a month or more to intellectually contribute to campus life: giving a named lecture and/or other seminars, mentoring, sharing research ideas, or using our facilities. They are perfect for portions of a sabbatical, for writing, and when not teaching at the home institution. Click on the button below for previous Tuve Fellows.

Analytical facilities available to postdocs and visitors

TIMS: Thermo-Fisher Triton, Thermo-Fisher Triton Plus

ICP-MS: Nu Plasma HR, Nu Plasma II, Thermo iCap Qc, Photon Machines Analyte-193 Laser

SIMS: NanoSIMS 50L, Cameca IMS 6f

SEM: JOEL SX-6500, Zeiss Auriga SEM

EPMA: JOEL Field Emission EPMA

FIB: FEI plasma FIB

RAMAN: WiTec confocal Raman

EXPERIMENTAL CAPABILITIES: Piston cylinder, multi-anvil, and diamond anvil presses

CHEMISTRY LABS: Multiple clean-room facility equipped for all aspects of sample preparation

SUPPORTING LABS: Optical microscopy lab, microsampling, rock room, machine shop, electronics lab