Be a Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Science
Perks for Postdocs
As a postdoctoral fellow, you’ll have access to exceptional opportunities designed to support your research and career growth so that you're ready to pursue your next big idea.
Access Carnegie's world-class research facilities like Las Campanas Observatory.
No teaching requirements mean that you and your colleagues can dedicate more time to research.
Gain skills to take your career to the next level like grant writing, applying for jobs, mentoring, and lab management.
Help make science more inclusive through DEIA-specific grants, mentorship programs, and learning opportunities.
Apply for internal grants like the Carnegie Venture Grant to fund your next big idea.
Participate in science outreach—from Carnegie-sponsored education programs to local volunteer opportunities.
Jens Barosch and Larry Nittler Example Ryugu Sample on Campus
Join our expert-guided mentoring program to get connected with a mentor or mentee.
The Carnegie Institution Postdoctoral Association (CIPA) collectively advocates for and supports postdocs' interests.
Fellowship Programs
Our three divisions welcome a new cohort of postdoctoral fellows every year. Learn more about what makes each program unique and how to apply.
Biosphere Science & Engineering
From symbiosis to global ecology, join a community of researchers breaking down the traditional silos in life sciences research. If you are interested in postdoctoral opportunities, please reach out directly to the Staff Scientist whose work aligns with your interests. (Note: This division is in the process of consolidating three locations into a unified site in Pasadena, CA.)
Earth and Planets Laboratory
Join a multidisciplinary cohort of postdoctoral fellows at our campus in Washington, D.C., where we research a wide range of Earth, planetary, astronomical, and materials sciences.
Observatories
Join one of several postdoctoral fellowship programs in observational and theoretical astronomy and instrumentation at our campus in Pasadena, CA.
In their own words
Exceptional Alumni
We recognize that well-trained, well-supported postdoctoral fellows are not only more satisfied and productive—they also leave Carnegie Science with greater professional skills and broader professional networks. Our postdoctoral fellows achieve remarkable success in academia, government, and industry. As alumni, they burnish our reputation as an organization that provides unparalleled opportunities for early career researchers to pursue their paths to discovery.
Nobel Laureate
Tasuku Honjo, who was a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie's Department of Embryology in the early 1970s, shared the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery a protein on immune cells called PD-1. Honjo revealed that this protein operates as a brake, preventing the immune system from perceiving its own body as a threat— which is called an autoimmune response. But it also holds the body back from fighting cancer as hard as it can. This breakthrough has revolutionized cancer therapy.
JWST Leadership
Jane Rigby, the Operations Project Scientist for JWST, spent four years at the Observatories as both a Carnegie fellow and Spitzer fellow. She is also an astrophysicist in the Observational Cosmology Lab at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Her own research focuses on the evolution of star-forming galaxies and their central supermassive black holes
