ACAMAR Postdoc Fellowship

ACAMAR will fund two postdoctoral fellows to enhance scientific collaborations in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology between Australia and China. This scheme is supported by the Center for Astronomical Mega-Science, CAS (CAMS-CAS). Previous recipients of the Postdoctoral Fellowships are Dr. Lei Zhang from National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) and Dr. Songbo Zhang from Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO).

The PLATeau Observatory (PLATO-A) – AST3-2 telescope at Dome A, Antarctica. Credit: Fujia Du.
Core antennas of CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope in Western Australia pointing at the Milky Way. Image Credit: CSIRO/Alex Cherney.
Bowtie antennas of the Engineering Development Array (EDA). MWA. Credit: ICRAR/Curtin.
Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), Guizhou, China. Credit: FAST Group.
Artist impression of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA-Low) in Western Australia. Credit: SKAO.
Eligibility Requirements

  1. Applicants obtained their PhD in Astronomy or related fields within 5 years.
  2. Strong background and working knowledge of Antarctic Astronomy, Radio astronomy (including ASKAP, MWA, FAST and SKA) – see project images to left – and other fields related with ACAMAR.
  3. Applicants have sufficient conversational ability in English to prevent difficulties during their research activities at the CAMS-CAS or AAL member institutes.
Duration of Fellowships

The ACAMAR Postdoctoral Fellowship is a 2–year appointment, subject to annual review and renewable for an additional 1 year, up to a total of 3-years.

An ACAMAR Postdoctoral Fellow must be in residence in at least one member institution of the Center for Astronomical Mega-Science, CAS (CAMS-CAS) and one participating Australian institution during his or her fellowship tenure.

The member institutions of Center for Astronomical Mega-Science, CAS: 

  • National Astronomical Observatories, CAS
  • Purple Mountain Observatory, CAS
  • Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, CAS
Participating Australian institutions:

  • Australian National University
  • CSIRO
  • Curtin University
  • Macquarie University
  • Monash University
  • Swinburne University of Technology
  • The University of Adelaide
  • The University of Melbourne
  • The University of New South Wales
  • The University of Queensland
  • University of Southern Queensland
  • The University of Sydney
  • University of Tasmania
  • The University of Western Australia
  • Western Sydney University
Salaries and Benefits

  1. Annual Salary (per person per year): $80,000(AUD) or CNY400,000
  2. Start-up fund (per person): $20,000 (AUD) or CNY100,000
How to Apply

Applications should be submitted to Dr. Wei Sun ([email protected]). Your application should include:

  1. ACAMAR application form for the ACAMAR postdoc position
  2. Research plan and the name(s) of your proposed supervisor/mentor
  3. A copy of PhD degree certificate or relevant documents
FAQ

Q1: How to manage the work time between Chinese and Australian institutions?
A1: During the fellowship tenure, ACAMAR Postdoctoral Fellow must spend at least one year at each institute.

Q2: Who is the employer of the ACAMAR Postdoctoral Fellow?
A2: The ACAMAR Postdoctoral Fellow must be employed by the member institutions of the CAMS-CAS, and do scientific research in the member institutions of the AAL as a visiting scholar.

Q3: Does the ACAMAR Postdoctoral Fellow access to the institution facilities (library, internet, etc.) and apply observing time, as same as the faculty?
A3: Yes.

Q4: Does the applicant need to provide the Chinese and Australian postdoctoral supervisors/mentors’ information?
A4: Yes, please provide the supervisors/mentors’ name, current position, current university or professional affiliation, email, phone.

Q5: What does the applicant include in the research plan?
A5: Please outline your research plan including the following:

  • A proposed work plan for any cooperation research programs to be developed or produced during the fellowship.
  • A summary of research interests and experience relevant to ACAMAR.
  • A summary of the likely benefits to ACAMAR.

Q6: Is the annual salary the net income?
A6: No, CNY400,000 is the pre-tax salary and include essential insurances in China.