The Departments of Astronomy (AS) and Physics (PY) at Boston University (BU) invite applications from postdoctoral researchers and senior PhD candidates for a university-funded program entitled “Emerging Scholars in Cosmology”. The program is being carried out in association with a Cosmology Initiative that will substantially increase the number of researchers at BU whose primary field of expertise is cosmology.
About the Program
The Emerging Scholars in Cosmology program aims to normalize the inclusion of cosmologists who have been historically underrepresented in academia (e.g., African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/Alaskan Native, Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Southeast Asian). A primary goal of the Program is to build long-term relationships between the Scholars and BU researchers. The Program will provide the Scholars with opportunities to present and discuss their research, forge ties with BU researchers, and receive professional mentorship that will help them craft strong application packages in response to future tenure-track faculty job openings at BU and elsewhere.
On-Campus Visits and Mentorship
Scholars will be invited for individual, 2-day visits to BU. During their visits, Scholars will present a seminar on their research and meet with faculty, postdocs and students. Scholars will tour PY and AS facilities, including laboratories, the Scientific Instrument Facility, the Tim Liu Remote Observing Facility, and the Judson B. Coit Observatory. Scholars will meet with the Chairs of PY and AS, the Director of the Institute for Astrophysical Research, and the Associate Director of the Center for Space Physics. Private meetings between Scholars and individual faculty members will be arranged according to the Scholars’ preferences (e.g., Scholars working on early universe theory may be most interested in meeting with as many of the PY faculty as possible and Scholars working on deep space observations may be most interested in meeting with as many of the AS faculty as possible).
During their visits, Scholars will be offered the opportunity to receive professional mentoring by PY and AS faculty. Mentoring may include suggestions for revisions to the Scholars’ draft materials for faculty job applications (i.e., CVs, teaching statements, and research statements), as well as discussions with recently hired junior faculty and faculty members who have recently served on tenure-track faculty search committees.
Additional Information
Information about the departments can be found at BU Astronomy and BU Physics.
Potential applicants for the Emerging Scholars in Cosmology program are welcome to contact Profs. Tereasa Brainerd (brainerd@bu.edu) and Martin Schmaltz (schmaltz@bu.edu) to learn more about the program.
How to Apply
To apply for the Emerging Scholars in Cosmology program, applicants from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups should forward to brainerd@bu.edu and schmaltz@bu.edu:
- a cover letter,
- a copy of their current CV,
- and a statement of research interests
Review of applications will be carried out on a rolling basis with the expectation that the first Emerging Scholars in Cosmology will visit BU in Fall 2022.