The NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (CosmicAI) seeks to hire a postdoctoral fellow to conduct research on modeling the astrochemistry of astrophysical systems. The Fellow, based at the University of Texas at Austin, will collaborate with CosmicAI researchers within the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences and with team members across the Institute to facilitate the application of cutting-edge AI tools and methodologies.
Job Summary
Category: Post-doctoral Positions and Fellowships
Institution: The University of Texas, Austin
Department: Astronomy / Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences
Duration: 2 Years, with possible renewal for a third year
Location: Austin, TX
Job Description
The NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (CosmicAI) seeks to hire a postdoctoral fellow to conduct research on modeling the astrochemistry of astrophysical systems. The Fellow, based at the University of Texas at Austin, will collaborate with CosmicAI researchers within the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences and with team members across the Institute to facilitate the application of cutting-edge AI tools and methodologies.
CosmicAI 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). Applicants with expertise in computational astrophysics, astrochemistry, star/planet formation, and machine learning are preferred.
The Fellow will be expected to spend 50% of their time on CosmicAI-related research efforts, with the remaining 50% available for independent research; ideally, there will be substantial overlap between the two. The appointment will be initially for a two-year period and is renewable for a third year. Fellowships are for the period September 1 — August 31.
Compensation and Benefits
Stipend: $70,000-78,000.00 USD, depending on qualifications
Included Benefits: For information about benefits, please visit this webpage. The position includes a relocation stipend of up to $1,000.
Application Details
The following documents are required.
Cover letter (maximum 1 page).
Statement of past research and potential future research directions (maximum two pages without references), emphasizing experience with numerical modeling, astrochemistry, star/planet formation, machine learning, and/or interdisciplinary work.
A CV including a list of publications
Three letters of recommendation.
Note: All application documents mentioned above, including recommendation letters (sent directly by the composer/signer/professor), should be uploaded to this Box folder. The recommendation letters should be in PDF format, and the file name should follow this structure: "applicant-name_composer-name.pdf"
Publication Start Date: September 30, 2025
Early deadline for full consideration: November 17, 2025
Final Deadline: December 1, 2025
Inquiries
Name: Stella Offner
Email: soffner@astro.as.utexas.edu