Astronova Postdoctoral Fellowship
The University of Arizona's Steward Observatory, with over 40 instrumentation faculty members, has provided major instruments for many space and ground based observatories, and are actively delivering or supporting the commissioning of many current missions and observatory upgrades, including: NSF/DOE's Vera C. Rubin Observatory, NASA’s Pioneer Mission Pandora, NASA’s Pioneer Mission Aspera, and the Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile. University of Arizona’s instrumentation efforts are supported by access to extensive lab and engineering resources: clean rooms; large thermal vacuum chambers; detector labs; electronic shops; machine shops; optical fabrication, coating, and lithography facilities; and unique facilities provided by the UA Space Institute.
About the Astronova Fellowship
Launched in 2026, the Heising-Simons Foundation’s Astronomical Innovation (Astronova™) Fellowship supports exceptional postdoctoral scientists who are developing instrumentation to shape the future of astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, and planetary science.
The Astronova™ Fellowship seeks to launch fellows into tenure-track faculty positions where they can continue their pioneering instrumentation research, as well as mentor and train the next generation of astronomical instrumentalists. The fellowship is also meant to uplift the field of instrumentation and increase its visibility, prestige, and the recognition of its contributions to scientific discovery.
| Main Field(s) | Main Technique(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Ramya Anche | ||
| Daniel Apai | Exoplanets & Astrobiology | Transits, Direct Detection |
| Chad Bender | Exoplanets | RV, Transit Spectroscopy |
| Laird Close | Exoplanets | Direct Detection, AO |
| Ewan Douglas | Exoplanets & Debris Disks | Direct Detection, Space Instruments |
| Josh Eisner | Planet Formation | High Angular and/or Spectral Resolution |
| Steve Ertel | Planets & Circumstellar Disks | Interferometry & AO |
| Olivier Guyon | Exoplanets | Direct Detection, AO |
| Erika Hamden | Detectors, CGM, Star Formation | UV & High Resolution Spectroscopy |
| Daewook Kim | Large Optics | Interferometry, Deflectometry |
| Jarron Leisenring | Detectors, Exoplanets, Disks | Direct Detection, Coronagraphy, Optical/IR |
| Jared Males | Exoplanets | Direct Detection, AO |
| Dan Marrone | Radio, Extragalactic Astro | Interferometry, Line Intensity Mapping |
| Brittany Miles | Exoplanets, Planetary Atmospheres, Detectors | Direct Imaging, Spectroscopy, AO |
| David Sand | Domain Astrophysics, Dwarf Galaxies | Imaging, Spectroscopy, Real Time Analysis |
| Carlos Vargas | Galaxy Evolution, CGM/IGM | Ultraviolet Spectroscopy |
| Christopher Walker |
