Current Opportunities
2027 NASA Hubble Fellowship Program (application deadline on 28 October 2026)
On behalf of the NASA Astrophysics Division, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) announces the call for applications for postdoctoral fellowships under the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program (NHFP) beginning in the fall of 2027.
The NHFP supports postdoctoral scientists performing independent research that contributes to NASA Astrophysics. The research may be theoretical, observational, and/or instrumental. If your application is successful and you accept our offer, you will become an NHFP Einstein, Hubble or Sagan fellow depending on the area of your research.
The NHFP is open to applicants of any nationality who have or will have completed all requirements for their doctoral degree on or after January 1, 2023 in astronomy, physics or related disciplines. 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. The NHFP is administered for NASA by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) at the California Institute of Technology and the Chandra X-ray Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
We anticipate offering up to 24 NHFP Fellowships this year. The Fellowships are tenable at a U.S. host institution of the fellow’s choice, subject to a maximum of two new fellows per host institution per year, and one new fellow for institutions that took two new fellows the previous year. Host institutions must have verified their compliance with the NHFP employment policy. The policy and a list of verified hosts can be found here.
The NHFP Announcement of Opportunity includes detailed program policies and application instructions. The application submission page will be open from September 8 until the application deadline on October 28, 2026.
Applicants should follow the instructions given in the Announcement of Opportunity and also examine the Frequently Asked Questions linked from the main NHFP page. Please send any further inquiries about the NHFP to nhfp@stsci.edu.
Important dates:
Applications are due Wednesday, October 28, 2026 (7 PM EDT, 4 PM PDT)
Letters of reference are due Wednesday, November 4, 2026. (Note that the applications are due one week before the letters.) Applicants should emphasize to their letter writers that the letters must be uploaded as PDF files by the deadline using the letter submission form. Letter writers will not receive an automated email with a link to upload their letter.
Offers will be made in early February 2027 and new appointments should begin on or about September 1, 2027. NHFP Fellowships are open to English-speaking citizens of all nations. All applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, or national origin.
Joint Postdoc between TUT and SU (deadline: 30 September 2026)
Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and Stellenbosch University (SU) Joint Astrophysics Postdoctoral Research Fellow Call
Applications are invited from suitable candidates for a TUT-SU collaborative postdoctoral research fellowship in the Department of Physics at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and the Department of Physics at Stellenbosch University (SU), preferably starting in November 2026 or early 2027. The programme will allow a successful candidate to spend one year each at TUT and SU working on a coherent and multi-disciplinary research project. Renewal for a second year will be based on satisfactory performance during the first year. The academic hosts are Dr. Nicholas Thantsha at TUT and Professor Yin-Zhe Ma at SU. The Stellenbosch University Astrophysics Group is heavily involvedin South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope, MeerKAT Extended Array, Hydrogen Epoch Reionization Array (HERA), and have extensive formal collaborations with Atacama Cosmology Telescope, South Pole Telescope, SKA Science Working Groups, FAST and Tianlai telescopes (China). In this round, we are seeking a candidate working in the field of research of radio astronomy and computational cosmology, in particular, in the following research areas:
· Radio Astronomy including radio detection of dark matter, epoch of reionization, and the pulsar timing and polarization array
· Cosmology, including cosmic micowave background Radiation and large-scale structure of the Universe
Minimum requirements:
· A doctoral degree in Physics majoring in Astrophysics, Astronomy or related field obtained within the past five years.
· A proven track record of research publication in accredited or peer-reviewed journals.
· Strong computational skills, good communication skills and working ethics.
Value of Fellowship: ZAR 350 000 per annum tax free
Submission: Please send a single PDF document to Mr. Gui-Fan Pan (guifanpan11@gmail.com) by the closing date containing the:
(1) Your CV and Publication List.
(2) Passport or ID copy
(3) Degree Certificates
(4) A 3-page statement describing the previous/current research and future plan
(5) Names and Email addresses for 2-3 referees (included in the CV)
Applicants should also arrange for the 2 or 3 reference letters to be sent directly to Mr. Gui-Fan Pan by the same closing date. An incomplete application will not be accepted.
Enquires: Please send your question via email, to Professor Yin-Zhe Ma (mayinzhe@sun.ac.za) and Dr. Nicolas Thantsha (ThantshaNM@tut.ac.za)
Deadline: 30th September 2026
Closed Opportunities
The application deadline has passed. This listing is retained for reference purposes only