Flatiron Research Fellow, Center for Computational Astrophysics

About the role

The Flatiron Institute advances scientific knowledge through computational methods, including data analysis, theory, modeling, and simulation. Its Center for Computational Astrophysics (CCA) creates, develops, and disseminates computational methods, tools, and frameworks that enable scientists to build or analyze large astronomical datasets and to understand complex, multi‑scale physics in astrophysical systems ranging from planets to the Universe. Flatiron Research Fellows (FRFs) are appointed to pursue independent research that has strong synergy with the CCA or other Flatiron Institute centers, benefiting from a collaborative environment, joint appointments, and access to a broad scientific community.

Responsibilities

• Carry out an independently directed active research program, encouraged to involve substantial collaboration with CCA or Flatiron Institute members.
• Participate in seminars, colloquia, and group meetings.
• Develop software, mathematical, and computational expertise through internal educational opportunities.
• Share knowledge via scientific publications, presentations, and/or software releases.
• Organize workshops and mentor graduate and undergraduate students through the CCA Pre‑Doctoral Program, the CUNY Astrophysics Masters Program, the Simons‑NSBP Scholars Summer Program, and the AstroCom NYC Program.
• Take advantage of CCA partnerships (Simons Observatory, Terra Hunting Experiment, Sloan Digital Sky Survey V, Gaia, HIRAX, LIGO, NASA SPHEREx) and participate in CCA‑related software projects (MESA, AstroPy, Entity, Dedalus, PASTA).
• Engage in collaborations such as Learning the Universe, JWST, PRIMA, Rubin, Euclid, Roman, CAMELS, DREAMS, MESA, AstroPy, Dedalus, LIGO, LISA, Gaia, and others.

Qualifications

Applicants must have (or expect to receive before appointment) a PhD in a related field.

Selection is based on past research accomplishments, the proposed research program, and the synergy of the applicant’s expertise and proposal with existing CCA staff and research programs, including potential to cross boundaries between CCA groups and/or Flatiron Institute centers.

Skills

• Ability to do original research in astrophysics.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to present research and other work internally and externally.
• Effective oral and written communication and data documentation.
• Intellectual connections to projects in which the CCA is involved (if relevant).
• Expertise in technical elements of computational astrophysics research, such as algorithm and software development; application or development of computational or statistical methods; data analysis; modeling; statistics and machine learning; scientific simulation; or theoretical astrophysics.

Benefits

• Research budget to support travel and visitors.
• Access to Flatiron Institute’s scientific computing resources: 2 HPC clusters with a combined 180,000 cores, 600 GPUs, and 60PB of raw storage.
• Eligibility for subsidized housing within walking distance of the CCA.

Pay

Full‑time annual compensation: $95,000.

Schedule

Positions are based