2009 Sagan Fellowships

Congratulations to our inaugural class of Sagan Exoplanet Fellows!

The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute announces the introduction of the Sagan Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and solicits applications for fellowships to begin in the fall of 2009.

The Sagan Fellowships will support outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists to conduct independent research that is broadly related to the science goals of the NASA Exoplanet Exploration program. The primary goal of missions within this program is to discover and characterize planetary systems and Earth-like planets around nearby stars.  NASA also announces two other theme-based fellowship programs: the Einstein Fellowship Program which supports the Physics of the Cosmos research, and the Hubble Fellowship Program which supports Cosmic Origins research.

The proposed research may be theoretical, observational, or instrumental. This program is open to applicants of any nationality who have earned (or will have earned) their doctoral degrees on or after January 1, 2006, in astronomy, physics, or related disciplines. The fellowships are tenable at U.S. host institutions of the fellows' choice, subject to a maximum of one new fellow per host institution per year. The duration of the fellowship is up to three years: an initial one-year appointment and two annual renewals contingent on satisfactory performance and availability of NASA funds.

We anticipate awarding 3 - 4 fellowships in 2009. Please note that these are postdoctoral Fellowships only. Previous Michelson Fellowship holders are fully eligible to apply.

Potential Applicants:

• Please see the Sagan Fellowship Guidelines for application instructions and detailed program policies. Applicants must follow the instructions given in these guidelines.
• Please see the Application Submission Page for proposal, reference letter, and institutional endorsement letter submission.

A complete application will include:

1. Completed application submission form
2. Curriculum vitae and list of major publications and all first-author papers
3. Summary of previous and current research (not to exceed 3 pages)
4. Research proposal (not to exceed 3 pages)
5. Three (3) letters of reference.
6. Endorsement letter from the Host Institution.

The deadline for both applications and letters of reference is Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 4 PM PST. Offers will be made before February 1, 2009, and new appointments are expected to begin on or about September 1, 2009.

For inquiries, email us at: Sagan Fellowships.

Previous recipients of the Michelson Postdoctoral Fellowship are listed here.
Previous recipients of the Michelson Graduate Student Fellowship are listed here.