Davie Postdoctoral Fellowship in Artificial Intelligence for Astronomy

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Page last updated February 3, 2025

Over the last decade, breakthroughs in exoplanet detection have multiplied as instruments like TESS and Kepler deliver massive photometric datasets. Supervised CNN-based classification pipelines already excel at identifying planetary signals while filtering out systematics and stellar variability. Beyond conventional transit profiles, these methods are steadily evolving toward more sophisticated anomaly-detection frameworks (e.g., autoencoders, clustering) capable of identifying exotic candidates such as ringed or disintegrating objects, megastructures, exocomets, and multi-planetary systems that do not conform to standard spherical transit templates.

The SETI Institute is accepting applications for the Davie Postdoctoral Fellowship in Artificial Intelligence for Astronomy from researchers interested in refining and expanding ML-driven pipelines for exoplanet discovery. The incumbent Fellow will work with a rapidly growing team of highly talented, dynamic, and motivated scientists led by Dr. Vishal Gajjar, as well as the broader SETI Institute research ecosystem and Dr. Vikram Khaire at the IIT Tirupati in India. The successful candidate will enhance existing supervised CNN architectures and couple them with robust anomaly-detection techniques to uncover subtle or unconventional signals buried in the datasets. This position offers a unique opportunity to pioneer high-impact research within a collaborative team, integrating cutting-edge machine learning, astrophysical modeling, and interpretability strategies for next-generation exoplanet discoveries.


Timeline:

January 15, 2025 Accepting applications.
March 15, 2025 Applications are due.
April 15, 2025 Selected candidates for interviews are notified.
April 30, 2025 Fellowship offer made.
August 1, 2025* Start of the Fellowship.
* Adjustment can be made on the start date


DURATION AND FUNDING

The Davie Postdoctoral Fellowship is a full-time, two-year program, with extensions dependent on available funding. The Fellowship provides an $85,000/year stipend and an allowance for research-related expenses and conference attendance.


ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must hold a PhD in a relevant field by the start of their Fellowship and demonstrate a proven track record of research and a compelling research proposal. There are no restrictions on career stage or years since award of the PhD.


APPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates are required to submit the following 3 documents for consideration:

  1. NSF-style short CV with relevant information.
  2. 3-page statement of relevant research experience and research proposal.
  3. List of three references and contact information. Please do not send letters of recommendation.

The above documents must be submitted in a single PDF file to fellowships@seti.org by March 15, 2025, at 11:59pm PT. The subject line of your e-mail should include: Davie Postdoctoral Fellowship in Artificial Intelligence for Astronomy.


BENEFITS

In addition to the stipend and research and travel allowances, the Fellow will receive comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits, including flexible spending and HDHP (Health Saving Account).

LOCATION
The Davie Postdoctoral Fellowship is tenable at the SETI Institute Headquarters in Mountain View, California or the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, Hat Creek, California. A hybrid or remote appointment arrangement will also be considered on a case by-case basis.

COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT
Fellows will be granted access to a dynamic community of researchers that will foster collaboration, idea exchange, and project development.

ACCESS TO FACILITIES
Fellows will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, including the Hat Creek Radio Observatory along with a modern GPU-equipped compute infrastructure for ML work.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
In addition to conducting research, Fellows will have the opportunity to meet with some of the top technologists in Silicon Valley to further develop their professional skills.
 

Questions?

Please direct all Scientific or technical queries regarding the position to Dr. Vishal Gajjar at vgajjar@seti.org.

For questions related to applications or employment at the SETI Institute, please contact Arminé Saroian, Director of Recruitment and Talent Development at SETI Institute Human Resources, asaroian@seti.org.


APPLICATION DEADLINE
March 15, 2025
 

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