Category: PostDoc

Postdoctoral Research position in (Exo)planetary Climate Modelling

A Postdoctoral Researcher wanted for a 3-year full-time position in (Exo)Planetary Climate Modelling to join the newly established research group of Dr João M. Mendonça at the University of Southampton: https://software-oasis.com/.

The successful candidate will primarily work on the development and enhancement of the OASIS model, contributing to new physical parameterisations, numerical algorithms, and/or performance optimisation. They will also lead the application of the new code developments to open questions in Solar System and Exoplanet research. Applicants with backgrounds in (exo)planetary climate science, atmospheric physics, applied mathematics, or computer science are particulary welcome.

You can find the link to the new postdoc position here: https://jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=3267925WF
The application deadline is 14 January 2025.

(!!!DEADLINE TOMORROW!!!) Post-doc on Habitable planets, their formation and life emergence

The Wisconsin Center for Origins Research (WiCOR) seeks a postdoctoral fellow to participate in Center research in any discipline related to our two main research questions: 1. How do habitable planets form? 2. How does life emerge on habitable planets?

WiCOR is a multidisciplinary research center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with six member departments and faculty and research staff from across 12 campus units. Join our team as the first WiCOR postdoctoral fellow and become a part of this exciting and impactful work.

The successful Candidate will have a PhD in any scientific field related to WiCOR research (including, but not limited to, astronomy, biology, chemistry, botany, geology, planetary science, and atmospheric and oceanic sciences), will have received a PhD within five years of the appointment start date, and will have no more than 3 years of previous postdoctoral experience.

Candidates should submit a CV, a publication list, a 2 page summary of previous research, and a list of 3 potential letter writers who can be contacted to submit letters of recommendation. Candidates should also submit a statement of research interests (3 pages maximum) that describes their research plans and how their research relates to at least one of the six WiCOR research themes (see http://www.wicor.wisc.edu for more information). In this statement candidates should list at least two WiCOR members with whom they would be interested in collaborating and describe a plan for these collaborations. This position is a one year onsite position renewable for a second year by mutual agreement.

The deadline for application is November 15, 2025. A start date of September 1, 2026 is anticipated, but this date can be negotiated. All application materials should be sent as a single PDF to wicor@wisc.edu.

2 Postdoctoral Research positions – The Open University

The Open University (Milton Keynes, United Kingdom) is recruiting researchers for two postdoctoral positions in the field of planetary science/cosmochemistry.

Applications close at 11:59 pm on Wednesday, 15th October. For more information follow these links:

  1. Postdoc in the field of Primitive Asteroids:

https://jobs.open.ac.uk/job/Post-Doctoral-Research-Associate-Primitive-Asteroids/1050-en_GB

Job listing on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4302331461/?capColoOverride=true

  1. Postdoc in the field of Differentiated Meteorites:

https://jobs.open.ac.uk/job/Post-Doctoral-Research-Associate-Differentiated-Meteorites/1062-en_GB

Job listing on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4302322720/?capColoOverride=true

Postdoctoral Fellow – School of Integrated Biology and Chemistry Sciences (Edinburg, Texas, USA)

The Astrobiochemistry Lab (https://eloicamprubi.com/) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), led by Dr. Eloi Camprubi, is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join by Fall 2025, funded by the National Science Foundation.

Probe the capability of amphiphiles to self-assemble into vesicle compartments and develop a robust methodology for studying their individual and population composition.
Assess if vesicles display generational heredity – allowing for a primitive form of evolution by natural selection.
Custom-made microfluidic setups will be used to enable the precise control and manipulation of vesicle systems constrained to the microliter scale.

Required education:

A Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Chemistry, or related disciplines from an accredited University.

Required experience:

Expertise with vesicle/liposome study and manipulation, including confocal microscopy

Preferred experience:

Experience with microfluidics systems or dynamic mathematical modeling
Experience within the fields of astrobiology and abiogene

Salary

Commensurate with Experience

Get in contact:

📩: careers@utrgv.edu

🌐: careers.utrgv.edu

📞: +1 (956)665-2451 or +1 (956)882-8205

Application deadline: July 31st 2025.

Postdoctoral Opportunity at the Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science at the University of Kent (Canterbury, UK)

The Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science at the University of Kent is pleased to announce that an STFC-funded PDRA position is available within the Impact Group.

The project is titled ‘Exploring the fundamentals of impact capture to maximise future dust collections’ and will make use of the Impact Group’s two-stage light gas gun facility to explore the most appropriate methods to collect cosmic dust for three mission scenarios relating to space mission/experiment concepts currently in development:

  • The collection of dust from the volcanic plumes of Io
  • The collection of dust from icy plumes of Enceladus
  • The opportunistic collection of dust in the Near-Earth environment by space hardware

The successful candidate will work with an interdisciplinary team led by Dr Penny Wozniakiewicz, which covers physics, planetary science, chemistry and biosciences. They will use a range of analytical instrumentation, including optical and electron microscopes, GC-MS, MP-AES and Raman spectroscopy to assess the performance of different available capture media.

They will also join our active external collaborations with members of the Io and Enceladus dust sampling mission concept teams, providing key underpinning data for these and future mission concepts.

The closing date for applications is Monday 9th June, with interviews to be held the week starting 16th June.

For further information and details on how to apply, please click here.

Alternatively, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Dr Penny Wozniakiewicz.

Postdoctoral Opportunity in Astrobiology at the Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, Madrid, Spain)

The Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Lipid Biomolecules in Planetary Exploration group. This 1.5-year position (starting around September 2025) is part of the ExPresBio project, which investigates the preservation of lipid biomarkers under astrobiology-relevant conditions, including Martian-like radiation environments.

Who should apply?
PhDs in Astrobiology, Geoscience, Environmental Science, Biogeochemistry, or Organic Geochemistry with skills in radiation experiments, GC-MS, IRMS, and data analysis (e.g., R, Python).

Location: Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
Apply by sending your CV and motivation letter to:
lsanchez (at) cab.inta-csic.es

More details can be found here

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Lunar Volatiles (Open University, England)

An 18-month postdoc position funded by the UK Science and Technology Funding Council (STFC) is available. The research will involve mineralogical and isotopic studies of lunar samples, including measurements of light element volatiles by nanoSIMS. The deadline for application is 20th March 2025, with a notional start date of 1st May 2025. Follow the link below to see the full advert and how to apply.

https://jobs.open.ac.uk/job/Post-Doctoral-Research-Associate-(Lunar-Volatiles)/630-en_GB/

Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Microbiology and Palaeobiology (University of Edinburgh, Scotland)

The School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher for an exciting three-year position at the intersection of palaeontology and microbiology. This role focuses on investigating the fossil record of microbial life, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research.

Key Requirements:

  • PhD in palaeontology, Earth sciences, microbiology, or a related field
  • Training and experience in microbiology
  • Strong ability to work independently and in a team
  • Experience in scientific publications and conference presentations

Job Details:

  • Location: James Clerk Maxwell Building, Edinburgh (100% on-campus)
  • Salary: £40,247 – £47,874 per annum (Grade UE07)
  • Contract: Full-time, fixed-term (3 years)
  • Application deadline: March 7, 2025
  • Start date: July 1, 2025

Why Join?

  • Work in a leading research-intensive university
  • Be part of a diverse and dynamic international community
  • Access mentorship, career development, and staff benefits

The University of Edinburgh is an equal opportunity employer and can sponsor international applicants for a Skilled Worker Visa.

For more info and to apply, >>click here<<

Post-doctoral Researcher in Astrochemistry/Planetology at the University Aix-Marseille, PIIM laboratory (Marseille, France)

A stimulating opportunity for a postdoctoral research position (F/M) up to two-year is available at the ASTRO Team of the PIIM laboratory of CNRS/Aix-Marseille University to perform space weathering experiments on solar system analogs.

The project is part of French Research National Agency grant, ORGAMISS project. The project intends to question the fate of organic matter in mineral matrices at the surface of airless bodies through irradiation experiments, and define biases for the detection of OM in solar system bodies, especially asteroids and Mars. The experiments will be performed in collaboration between different laboratories in France (PIIM, IAS, LISA) and will be analyzed mainly with infrared spectroscopy for direct comparison with extraterrestrial samples and remote observations. This experimental work is to tackle some of the most intriguing questions around organic matter: its preservation or destruction favoured by specific conditions (type of irradiation) with minerals on the surface of extraterrestrial bodies. The goal of the project is to create a database of samples that could be used for space mission data.

The preferred candidate will have a PhD (or close to completion) in astrochemistry, planetary sciences, chemistry or a closely related field, with knowledge and familiarity in spectroscopic techniques (IR, UV, Raman) and experimental works. The candidate will join a vibrant astrochemistry research group within the PIIM laboratory (ASTRO team) in Marseille, France.

Review of applications will begin on 18/11/2024 until the position is filled. Please send a CV, a description of research interests, a publication list, and email addresses of 2-3 referees as a single PDF file- to Vassilissa Vinogradoff. The starting date is expected to be January-February 2025.

For more details click here.

2 years Post-Doctoral position in analytical chemistry in the context of extraterrestrial sample analyses and Origins of Life (Aix-Marseille University, France)

Context:
For the past 15 years, the ASTRO team at the PIIM laboratory of CNRS/Aix-Marseille University has been investigating the origin of organic matter in the solar system, focusing on its potential role in prebiotic chemistry on early Earth. They have developed experimental approaches and analytical methods to study the chemistry of dense molecular clouds, the formation of protoplanetary disks, and the incorporation of primitive organic matter into asteroids and comets. This matter, potentially delivered to Earth via meteorites 4.3 to 3.8 billion years ago, may have contributed to the emergence of life.

Objectives of the scientific project:
The project aims to advance analytical methodologies, particularly using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS), to characterize organic matter in extraterrestrial samples like meteorites and mission returns. The candidate will contribute to liquid chromatography analyses and methodology development, while supporting other team projects.

The ASTRO team already has significant experience in high-resolution mass spectrometry and seeks a candidate with expertise in HPLC-MS and data analysis related to these techniques.

  • Application Deadline: Open until filled
  • Starting date: January 2025
  • End Date: January 2027

For more details click here, while you can contact Prof Grégoire Danger if you have any questions.