We seek people to join the new stellar department, led by Selma E. de Mink, at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) to study questions related to the fascinating Lives, Deaths, and Afterlives of (binary) Stars”. We welcome applications from anyone who can broadly fit in this theme, either from the theory and computational side and/or from the observational and data-oriented side. Examples of expertise we are interested in include Stellar and Binary Evolution, Mass Transfer, Common Envelope Evolution, Mergers, Triple and Multiple Systems, Stellar remnants (White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, Black Holes), Gravitational Wave Astrophysics, Stellar Transients, Progenitors of Supernovae and Gravitational Waves, Star formation, Stellar structure, Stellar Atmospheres, Stellar winds, Asteroseismology, Internal mixing, Stellar Hydrodynamics, Stellar feedback, Nucleosynthesis, Stellar Populations, Stars at high redshift …. If your area of expertise is not mentioned here but you believe that this would be a stimulating department for you, please feel encouraged to apply and explain in your cover letter how you would fit in. Positions will be available at different levels in the following years. The present call is primarily intended for fixed-term postdoctoral positions, either at the junior level (recent or expected PhD graduates) or senior (some years of postdoctoral experience). Possibilities to (co)-supervise students can be discussed. There will also be several possibilities to apply for independent money through various schemes (e.g. Humboldt, Marie Curie, DFG, ..). For suitable candidates, we may also consider hiring in science support positions (e.g. developers). Feel free to state your preferences in your cover letter. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We are specifically interested in people who can contribute to the collaborative and supportive scientific environment in the institute. The MPA is actively committed to equal opportunity in employment. For questions and email inquiries please use this email. Please instruct your reference letter writers to upload their letters using this link, preferably by Jan 8, 2020. ( You need to send them these instructions. They can already upload their letters before you have completed your application.)
Note: If you have applied to the MPA fellowships and would like us to use the materials you submitted there you can simply indicate a cover letter only. The lengths and format indicated are only an indication. ** 1. Cover letter. Optional. Here you can briefly highlight anything you think is important for us to consider. For example: what you would bring to the department and how you think you would fit in. If you wish, you can also explain any career gaps, if any. The typical length is 1-2 pages. ** 2. Research statement. Please describe directions you would like to work on and past experience/expertise. The format is free. A typical length is 2-5 pages. ** 3. CV. Please add a typical academic CV listing previous academic positions. You can highlight talks, conference visits, grants, or awards if applicable. Typical length 2-4 pages. ** 4. Publication list. Please highlight 1-3 papers that are most relevant for this application. For further papers please indicate clearly which papers are refereed, submitted, or in preparation. It is custom to put your most recent papers first. ** 5. ADS library with your publications. We highly encourage you to add a link to a NASA ADS library that contains all your publications. Instructions for creating one can be found here.
Please instruct your reference letter writers to upload their letters using this link, preferably by Jan 8, 2020. If you applied for the MPA fellowship and want us to use reference letters that were provided for you there, please state this in your cover letter.