Origins Institute, McMaster University: Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship

Applications are invited for an Origins Institute (OI) Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship to commence on, or after Sept. 1, 2009 for an initial period of 2 years, with the possibility of renewal for a third year. The OI is involved in a wide range of astrobiological research including several major national and international collaborative efforts (see our website http://origins.mcmaster.ca/ ). Funds will also be available to cover travel and research expenses.

Areas of interest include: the formation and delivery of biomolecules to terrestrial planets; the formation, physical properties, and characterization of SuperEarths and terrestrial exoplanets; phylogenetics and prebiotic conditions related to the RNA world and the evolution of the earliest organisms; microbiology in extreme environments on Earth including polar microbiology and microbial energetics in extreme environments; and the interpretation of biosignatures as the basis of understanding early life on Earth and as the foundation for the search for life on Mars. OI researchers are working at several Mars analogue sites and are associated with solar system exploration for signatures of microbial life. The OI has a strong complement of faculty members in a number of related fields and the OI Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellow will have many opportunities to collaborate with OI faculty and OI collaborative research programs.

McMaster has a number of outstanding research facilities available to OI Fellows. These include SHARCNETs high performance computing systems with over 8000 parallel CPUs (the applicant will be eligible for priority access and programming support) as well as excellent biological and geochemical laboratory facilities.

McMaster University is committed to Employment Equity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and women.

Applicants should send a CV, bibliography, a two page summary of their research interests, and arrange for letters of recommendation from three referees (these can be submitted as signed pdf attachments via email) to:

Origins Institute Astrobiology PDF
c/o Ms. Rosemary McNeice
Origins Institute Secretary
ABB 241
McMaster University
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA L8S 4M1
Email: [email protected]
FAX: (905) 546-1252

DEADLINE: All materials, including letters from references, must arrive no later than March 2, 2009.

Further information may be obtained from the OI director, Dr. Ralph Pudritz: [email protected] ; Tel: (905) 525-9140 ext.23180