The Jansky Postdoctoral Fellowship Program 2027 in United States

Applications are now open for the Jansky Fellowship Program 2027, a fully funded postdoctoral fellowship offered by the NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in the United States. The fellowship is for early career scientists in radio astronomy, multiwavelength science, instrumentation, computation and theory.

Fellows carry out independent research using world class telescopes such as ALMA, the VLA, the VLBA and the Green Bank Observatory. The appointment lasts two to three years and includes a yearly salary, a research and travel budget, and a full benefits package. The application deadline is October 28, 2026. You can check out BS, MS, PhD and postdoc positions here.

Key Details:

• Scholarship name: Jansky Fellowship Program 2027
• Organization: NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)
• Degree level: Postdoctoral (PhD required)
• Host country: United States
• Funding type: Fully funded
• Application deadline: October 28, 2026, 11:59 pm EDT
• Reference letters deadline: November 11, 2026, 11:59 pm EDT
• Open for all nationalities: Yes

What This Fellowship Offers:

• You receive a typical starting salary of $75,000 per year.
• You receive $17,000 per year for travel and other research expenses.
• If you hold a nonresident fellowship, your host university receives $3,000 per year to cover local costs.
• You have the flexibility to work at an NRAO site or, in compelling cases, at a U.S. university through a split or nonresident appointment.
• Partial teleworking is supported for scientific postdoctoral fellows.
• You get 13 paid holidays, up to 24 vacation days and 15 sick leave days each year.
• Your medical, dental and vision insurance starts on the first day of employment.
• You receive 8 weeks of employer paid parental leave.

Also Check: Stanford University Pre-doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships

Eligibility Criteria:

• You must hold a PhD in astronomy, physics, astrophysics, computer science or a related field.
• You must have no more than 5 years of postdoctoral experience at the start of the fellowship. Well justified exceptions are considered.
• Applicants within the first few years after their PhD are given preference.
• Applicants of any nationality can apply.
• You must be eligible to work in the United States when employment begins.
• NRAO does not sponsor H1B visas for this position. Candidates who need sponsorship may be eligible through the J1 Exchange Visitor Program, subject to program requirements.
• If you had a significant career break or hardship after your PhD, you can explain it in your statement and the committee will consider it.

Also Check: Australia Awards Fellowships Round 22 (Fully Funded)

Where You Can Work:

NRAO and GBO Sites

• Socorro or Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Charlottesville, Virginia
• Green Bank, West Virginia

Other Options

• Split appointment: time shared between a U.S. university and an NRAO site
• Nonresident fellowship: hosted at a university within the United States

Nonresident fellowships at other Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are not accepted.

Also Check: PhD Scholarship At Brunel University of London and China Scholarship Council

Selection Criteria:

A committee of scientists from NRAO and external institutes reviews every application. They look at:

• Excellence and strength of your research proposal
• Excellence of you as an applicant
• Leadership potential and community service
• Fit between your project and your chosen host location
• Mutual benefit of the project to NRAO and to you

Also Check: Fulbright Scholar Program 2027

Required Documents:

Combine everything below into one PDF file, except the reference letters.

• Cover letter: State your first choice location or host institution and a second choice, which must be Socorro, Charlottesville or Green Bank. For a split fellowship, include the proposed time at each location.
• Statement addressing selection criteria: Maximum 2 pages, 12 pt font, margins of at least 0.75 inch.
• Curriculum vitae with full publication list: No page limit.
• Summary of previous and current research: Maximum 2 pages including figures and references, 12 pt font, margins of at least 0.75 inch.
• Research proposal: Maximum 3 pages including figures and references, 12 pt font, margins of at least 0.75 inch.
• Host department chair letter: Required only for nonresident or split appointments.
• Three reference letters: Sent directly to NRAO by your referees.

Also Check: EIP Fellowship Programme 2027 for Master’s, PhD students & Senior professors

Important Dates:

• August 28, 2026: Job posting opens
• October 28, 2026: Application deadline
• November 11, 2026: Reference letters deadline
• November to December 2026: Candidate selection
• January 2027: Virtual interviews
• End of January 2027: Award offers
• September 2027: Nominal start date

Contact Information:

• Application questions: [email protected]
• Reasonable accommodation requests: [email protected]

Also Check: Harvard LEAD Fellowship 2027–2028

How to Apply:

1. Visit the NRAO Careers portal and find the Jansky Fellowship job posting (add the official link here).
2. Prepare your cover letter, statement, CV, research summary and research proposal.
3. Combine all documents into one PDF file and follow the page, font and margin rules.
4. Upload the PDF using the “Add Resume” button. You do not need to upload the cover letter separately.
5. Submit your application before 11:59 pm EDT on October 28, 2026.
6. After the application closes, you will receive instructions on how your three referees should submit their letters.
7. Make sure your referees submit their letters before 11:59 pm EDT on November 11, 2026.

Also Check: Mellon Fellowship of Scholars at Stanford University (2027-2028)