Jobs
Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA
Careers at SkAI and Beyond
SkAI Institute Job Opportunities
Past SkAI Institute Job Opportunities
SkAI Satellite Early Education for Discovery (SEED) Program Co-Director Positions
Are you passionate about guiding the next generation of researchers? Do you want to help shape a transformative summer research experience while pursuing your own work at the intersection of AI and astronomy? The NSF and Simons Foundation-funded National AI Institute for the Sky (SkAI Institute) invites applications for two Co-Director positions to lead our 2026 summer research program—Satellite Early Education for Discovery (SEED)—hosted at the SkAI Hub. The priority application deadline is January 9, 2026!
SkAI Postdoctoral Positions for AY2026-27
The NSF-Simons National AI Institute for the Sky (SkAI Institute) invites applications for three different SkAI postdoctoral positions starting September 1, 2026. Spurred by the coming generation of large sky surveys, the SkAI Institute is bringing together astrophysics and AI researchers to advance both fields through cross-disciplinary collaboration and is serving as a nexus for the further development of a nationwide Astro-AI community. All SkAI postdocs benefit from a diverse, cross-disciplinary, and dynamic intellectual environment (including workshops, lecture series, conferences, retreats, and more), a structured mentorship program, training opportunities, access to computing resources at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) and Argonne National Laboratory suited for AI research and to collaborations with software engineers, and will have opportunities to collaborate with peers and mentor students from SkAI academic partners (including SkAI’s Satellite Network).
SkAI Postdoctoral Preceptorships: This unique program, run in partnership with The University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute and City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), emphasizes pedagogical best practices and allows Preceptors—postdoctoral scholars from a variety of STEM PhD backgrounds—the opportunity to broaden their classroom skills and enhance their teaching and scholarship portfolios with the support of SkAI and CCC faculty mentorship. SkAI Postdoctoral Preceptors will also have the opportunity to lead independent research aligned with SkAI’s broad Astro-AI research mission. Note: In addition to the teaching postdoctoral position(s) at The University of Chicago, a new teaching postdoctoral position will be available for AY2026-27 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as well.
Submit applications at: https://datascience.uchicago.edu/about/jobs/postdoc/
Deadline: November 15, 2025
Information session: November 5, 2025 (4 p.m. CST) (RSVP here)
SkAI Prize Postdoctoral Fellowships: SkAI Fellows have the opportunity to lead independent research aligned with SkAI’s broad Astro-AI research mission, in collaboration with SkAI faculty and their respective research groups. Fellows are based in the SkAI Hub, which is located in the historic John Hancock Center in downtown Chicago, and are also be able to also spend time at any of the SkAI institutional research partners [Northwestern University, The University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), and many other partners], depending on the Fellows’ research and education interests.
Submit applications at: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/prize/30859
Deadline: December 12, 2025
SkAI Postdoctoral Associates: SkAI Postdoctoral Associates have the opportunity to work with SkAI faculty on specific research projects aligned with the Institute’s Astro-AI research mission. Associates will be employed by any of the three SkAI lead institutions (Northwestern University, The University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and may collaborate closely with SkAI personnel at any of the SkAI partner institutions depending on their expertise and active research projects.
Submit applications at: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30861
Deadline: December 12, 2025
External Job Opportunities
Accelerated AI Algorithms for Data-Driven Discovery (A3D3) Institute Postbaccalaureate Fellows
The A3D3 Institute is seeking postbaccalaureate research fellows to join interdisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers to develop and deploy artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate science discoveries in particle physics, astrophysics, biology, and neuroscience. This program is designed to provide a unique opportunity for those holding a bachelor’s degree to conduct research prior to applying to graduate school or continuing in their careers (e.g., in industry). A3D3 is a multidisciplinary and geographically distributed entity with the primary mission to lead a paradigm shift in the application of real-time AI at scale to advance scientific knowledge and accelerate discovery. The Institute team reflects a collaborative effort of Principal Investigators from Caltech,; Duke University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Purdue University; University of California, San Diego; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; University of Minnesota; University of Washington; University of Wisconsin–Madison; and Georgia Institute of Technology. The application deadline is February 15, 2026!
Past External Job Opportunities
NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (CosmicAI) Postdoctoral Research Associate at NSF NOIRLab
CosmicAI seeks to hire a postdoctoral fellow to conduct research on active galactic nuclei and their host galaxies. The fellow, based at NSF NOIRLab, will contribute to multiwavelength data curation and analysis, and collaborate with CosmicAI researchers to facilitate the application of cutting-edge AI tools and methodologies. The priority application deadline is January 12, 2026!
Fermilab Particle Physics Division Postdoctoral Research Associate
This position has an emphasis on the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and AI. The application deadline is January 5, 2026!
Applications are invited for postdoctoral positions in the Cosmological Physics and Advanced Computing (CPAC) Group in Argonne National Laboratory’s High Energy Physics (HEP) Division. Cosmological research within CPAC covers theory, modeling, observations, and experiments targeted at dark energy, dark matter, primordial fluctuations, inflation, and neutrinos. Theory and modeling activities emphasize multiwavelength survey science, the galaxy-halo connection, cluster cosmology, and large-scale cosmological simulations. Analysis efforts cover topics such as CMB power spectra, CMB lensing, galaxy clustering, redshift-space distortions, weak/strong gravitational lensing, and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML). The observational focus is on optical sky surveys (DES, DESI, Roman, Rubin Obs/LSST, DESC, SPHEREx), CMB instrumentation and observations (SPT), and cross-correlations between the two. This position was posted on November 14, 2025.
NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (CosmicAI) Fellow
CosmicAI seeks to hire a postdoctoral fellow to help initiate a new comprehensive research program to foster foundational advancements in AI through the analysis and processing of astronomical data at National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), located on the grounds of University of Virginia. Other NRAO duty stations may be considered if justified. This work will be carried out in close collaboration with CosmicAI team members at the University of Utah. The application deadline is December 19, 2025!
Stockholm University Postdoctoral Fellow in Machine Learning for Astrophysics & Cosmology
The application deadline is December 19, 2025!
The AI Associate program at Fermilab is looking for enthusiastic, technically skilled researchers who want to revolutionize particle physics. At Fermilab, you will have the opportunity to develop and apply new AI/ML techniques to unique experimental datasets and designs, theoretical models, and national laboratory operations. Each AI Associate works on a few complementary projects, enabling deep focus, impactful results, and cross-disciplinary inspiration. Projects range from research topics in theory, particle physics, and cosmology to operations of experiments and lab functions. Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled (posted on October 9, 2025)!
Of particular interest this year are candidates who will work with:
- Prof. Wen-fai Fong in observational time-domain astronomy, including the study of fast radio bursts, gravitational wave follow-up, gamma-ray bursts, and their host galaxies. Applicants with broad experience in observation and/or handling large data sets are encouraged to apply.
- Prof. Adam Miller in observational time-domain astronomy, focusing on the study of Type Ia supernovae while working to combine observations and analysis of a large sample of SNe Ia observed simultaneously by both the LS4 and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).
- Prof. Lena Murchikova in tackling problems related to accretion and feedback in supermassive black holes, including studies of the Milky Way’s Galactic Center on scales ranging from the event horizon to a few parsecs, of other well-resolved galactic centers, and/or observationally motivated model-building for SMBH feeding and feedback. The group integrates observations, theory, data analysis, algorithm development, model building, and numerical simulations. The application deadline is December 15, 2025!
The postdoc will spend one year at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and then two years at the Perimeter Institute, for a total of three years, with frequent travels in both directions. The application deadline is December 8, 2025!
The application deadline is November 30, 2025!
Fermilab Postdoctoral Research Associate in AI for Science
Fermilab is excited to announce one postdoctoral researcher position in artificial intelligence (AI) for science with Dr. Aleksandra Ćiprijanović (alexciprijanovic.com) and her research group! The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team working at the intersection of deep learning, cosmology, and high-energy physics, with opportunities to contribute to both methodological AI research and applications in fundamental science. The application deadline is November 30, 2025!
CIERA Fellows have the opportunity to pursue an independent research program and benefit from a diverse and dynamic intellectual environment. Candidates in all areas of astronomy and astrophysics are encouraged to apply. In addition to astrophysicists, we encourage applications from recent PhD graduates in related fields who are interested in switching to astrophysics and/or applying their knowledge from another field to astrophysical problems. The application deadline is November 21, 2025!
CosmicAI Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin
The NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (CosmicAI) seeks to hire a postdoctoral fellow to conduct research 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. The application deadline is November 17, 2025!
The Lederman Fellowship at Fermilab is intended to attract exceptional postdoctoral candidates who have demonstrated outstanding ability in research and who, in addition, have a strong interest in education and outreach. Lederman Fellows are free to choose any area in Fermilab’s broad experimental program for performing their research, including neutrino physics, research on the CMS experiment at the LHC and proposed future colliders, astroparticle physics, intensity frontier experiments such as Mu2e, quantum information science, and quantum sensor research. In recognition of Leon Lederman’s commitment to the teaching of physics at all levels, Fellows are also expected to participate for a fraction of their time in education. An example would be the Saturday Morning Physics program or other outreach. Candidates not selected for the Lederman Fellowship may be considered for other Research Associate opportunities at Fermilab. The application deadline is November 12, 2025!
These fellowships are awarded to early-career astrophysicists and cosmologists who are committed to chasing bold ideas with creative, nimble, and innovative research. These awards focus on supporting research in observational cosmology, in particular that which complements and capitalizes on space science, including topics such as the first stars, cosmic distance scale, and development of large-scale structure. The proposed research can include a theoretical or instrumental component, but must have a clear link to observational activities from either ground or space. This may encompass the analysis of large survey datasets. The application deadline is November 6, 2025!
University of Utah Postdoctoral Research Associate(s) in Time-Domain Astronomy/Radio Astronomy
The application deadline is November 3, 2025!
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Assistant Professor of Astronomy
The closing date for application is November 3, 2025!
Funding Partners
The SkAI Institute is one of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and Simons Foundation.
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