Job Listings
Prize Postdoctoral Research Position in the Galileo Project
Cambridge, MA
| Type: | Full-Time |
| Posted: | 09/28/2026 |
| Salary: | $73,000 - $76,000 per year |
School: Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Department/Area: Harvard College Observatory/Center for Astrophysics
Position Description
Applications are invited for a Prize Postdoctoral Research Fellow position with Professor Avi Loeb at Harvard University, head of The Galileo Project and the UAP Science Advisory Council. The successful candidate will lead research on the search for interstellar objects or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) through the analysis of data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
Successful candidates will have access to local computing facilities and will have the opportunity to interact and work with researchers in both the Harvard College Observatory (HCO) and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO).
The position is for one year. The nominal starting date could be as early as January 18, 2027, but a start in summer 2027 is also possible. The appointment will be for one year, with possible extension to two additional years based upon funding and satisfactory performance.
Review of applications will begin on November 15, 2026, and applications that are complete by that date will receive full consideration.
Basic Qualifications
Candidates must have a Ph. D. in astronomy, physics, or equivalent, by the date of appointment.
Applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, list of publications, and a statement explaining research interests and qualifications, and arrange for three letters of recommendation.
Special Instructions
Letters of reference should be submitted by three "referees" and must be received by the application deadline of November 15, 2026, 18:00 EST.
Contact Information
Professor Avi Loeb
Contact Email: aloeb@cfa.harvard.edu
Salary Range
$73,000 - $76,000
Pay offered to the selected candidate is dependent on factors such as years of experience, training or qualification, field of scholarship, and accomplishments in the field
Minimum Number of References Required: 2
Maximum Number of References Allowed: 3
Department/Area: Harvard College Observatory/Center for Astrophysics
Position Description
Applications are invited for a Prize Postdoctoral Research Fellow position with Professor Avi Loeb at Harvard University, head of The Galileo Project and the UAP Science Advisory Council. The successful candidate will lead research on the search for interstellar objects or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) through the analysis of data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
Successful candidates will have access to local computing facilities and will have the opportunity to interact and work with researchers in both the Harvard College Observatory (HCO) and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO).
The position is for one year. The nominal starting date could be as early as January 18, 2027, but a start in summer 2027 is also possible. The appointment will be for one year, with possible extension to two additional years based upon funding and satisfactory performance.
Review of applications will begin on November 15, 2026, and applications that are complete by that date will receive full consideration.
Basic Qualifications
Candidates must have a Ph. D. in astronomy, physics, or equivalent, by the date of appointment.
Applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, list of publications, and a statement explaining research interests and qualifications, and arrange for three letters of recommendation.
Special Instructions
Letters of reference should be submitted by three "referees" and must be received by the application deadline of November 15, 2026, 18:00 EST.
Contact Information
Professor Avi Loeb
Contact Email: aloeb@cfa.harvard.edu
Salary Range
$73,000 - $76,000
Pay offered to the selected candidate is dependent on factors such as years of experience, training or qualification, field of scholarship, and accomplishments in the field
Minimum Number of References Required: 2
Maximum Number of References Allowed: 3
