The fellowship provides an opportunity for recent doctoral scientists to develop innovative instrumentation or to conduct novel theoretical and observational research in planetary astronomy. Planetary astronomy brings together research efforts of two fields—planetary science and astronomy—to characterize planetary systems. The fellowship supports postdoctoral fellows to advance our fundamental understanding of exoplanets, solar system science, planet formation and evolution, planetary atmospheres, protoplanetary disks, or other closely related topics. 

The fellowship recognizes early-career investigators of significant potential and provides them with the opportunity to conduct independent research. Each recipient will receive a three-year grant of up to $450,000 to cover salary, benefits, highly-flexible discretionary spending related to the work (e.g., travel, family care, moving expenses, research equipment, personal computers, etc.), and indirect costs. Awarded postdoctoral fellows are expected to carry out a strong, coherent research program in planetary astronomy. Assuming satisfactory progress, fellows may apply for a fourth year of funding.  

The Foundation anticipates awarding six to eight fellowships each year, based on the quality of submissions.  The Heising-Simons Foundation is dedicated to fostering an environment that embraces and celebrates a wide range of perspectives. We welcome applications from individuals whose backgrounds are underrepresented in planetary astronomy, and whose innovative ideas can have catalytic impacts on the field.  

The 51 Pegasi b 2024/2025 application period has closed. Applicants will be notified about the status of their applications by mid-February. 

Eligibility Criteria
Review Criteria
Applications
Application FAQ

Eligibility Criteria

  • Applicants may come from any academic institution or research lab, both nationally and internationally.
  • Applicants are not required to have U.S. citizenship; however, all visa and work permit paperwork is the responsibility of the fellow and host institution.
  • Applicants must have received a doctoral degree in astronomy, physics, earth and planetary sciences, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, or a related discipline. Doctoral degrees must be awarded after January 1, 2023 and before December 31, 2025. Exceptions for family/personal or other reasons may be granted in certain circumstances. To request an exception, please email [email protected] 
  • 51 Pegasi b Fellowship research must be pursued at one of the 24 following participating institutions. If you have any questions about research collaborations, faculty mentors, resources at these host institutions, etc., please contact the people listed below.

Contact: Michael Line

Contact: Dimitri Mawet

Contact: Anat Shahar

Contact: Nikole Lewis

Contact: John Johnson

Contact: Sarah Horst

Contact: Julien de Wit

Contact: Jason Wang

Contact: Eric Ford

Contact: Joshua Winn

Contact: Ji Wang

Contact: Jared Males

Contact: Courtney Dressing

Contact: Edward Young

Contact: Jonathan Fortney

Contact: Fred Ciesla

Contact: Zachory Berta-Thompson

Contact: Michael Liu

Contact: Eliza Kempton

Contact: Elena Gallo

Contact: Adam Kraus

Contact: Victoria Meadows

Contact: Thomas Beatty

Contact: Malena Rice

Review Criteria

In preparing your research proposal and supporting materials, please consider that fellowship applications will be evaluated based on the following six equally-weighted criteria:

    • Research significance to the field:  Does the research address an important problem or a critical barrier in planetary astronomy? Will meeting the science objectives have broad, long-lasting, cross-cutting, or catalytic impacts on the field?
    • Research innovation:  Is the proposed research original and innovative?  Does the proposed research challenge existing research approaches and ideas? Does the project develop or employ novel concepts, approaches, tools, or technologies?
    • Research approach:  Is the overall strategy well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplishing the project goals? Are the resource requirements and proposed timelines reasonable? Are project risks recognized and addressed?
    • Applicant qualification: Does the applicant have the necessary education and training to carry out the project? Does the applicant have relevant research experience? Has the applicant demonstrated the ability to lead and complete projects?
    • Suitability of host institution(s): Does a proposed host institution have the necessary resources and faculty to support the postdoctoral fellow both scientifically and professionally?
    • Contributions towards Building a Diverse and Inclusive Field: Has the applicant demonstrated personal experiences, professional skills, and a commitment to mentoring or leading initiatives that promote inclusivity and support historically underrepresented groups in the field? Does the applicant provide thoughtful, specific, and actionable ideas for fostering a more inclusive and equitable environment, both through their own work and by empowering others?

Applications

The 51 Pegasi b 2024/2025 application period has closed. Applicants will be notified about the status of their applications by mid February.

Interested candidates are asked to submit an online application, and will be asked to include:

  • Abstract of your Ph.D. dissertation.
  • Curriculum Vitae.
  • Samples of your journal or conference publications (up to 3 samples).
  • Summary of previous and current research (1 page).
  • Rationales for up to three host institutions (1 page each).
  • Two letters of recommendation from your Ph.D. advisor, a senior collaborator, or scientific mentor.
  • Science research proposal describing the work you want to perform as a 51 Pegasi b Fellow (up to 3 pages, with an additional 2 pages for references, figures, and tables).
  • Contributions towards Building a Diverse and Inclusive Field.

Application FAQ

  • Foundation receives applications (Deadline October 4, 2024). 134 applications were received for the 2023/2024 cycle. 
  • Foundation sends every application that selected a host institution to that host institution. 
  • Host institutions select up to four candidates from their pool of applicants (Ranging from 4-25 applicants per institution last year).  
  • Candidates that were selected by at least one host institution advance to the next round (50 last year). 
  • External review panel evaluates candidates based on the six-criteria rubric (see “Review Criteria” on our website). 
  • External review panel down-selects further and makes recommendations. 
  • Foundation considers recommendations, forms cohorts and makes offers. 
  • Candidates should reach out to faculty/reps at potential host institutions – it is important to do research on institutions to write a good institution justification which will make your application more impactful as institutions select their four candidates. 
  • Because each institution can only select four candidates, it is much harder to get through to the next round if you select an institution that has a lot of applicants (most applicants last three years: Caltech, Harvard, UCSC, MIT). 
  • The Foundation does not share an applicant’s ranking of selected host institutions and distributes Host Institution Justifications only to the applicable institution.  This keeps your choices of institutions and ranking anonymous.  If you want it to stay this way, make sure to keep all such information out of other application materials (e.g., the research proposal, DEI statement, letters of recommendation).

The funding for your fellowship is routed through your host institution. Temporary working arrangements at external sites (observatories, national labs, etc.) are permissible if they support your proposed research and are endorsed by your faculty mentor and institution.

The 51 Pegasi b Fellowship has forged a partnership with your host institution to ensure a rich experience by establishing access to faculty mentors and other resources to excel in your research endeavors. Therefore, we highly encourage you to stay at your host institution during the duration of your fellowship term. Should a fellow require a location change, they should notify the Foundation immediately. Each request will be assessed and approved on a case by case basis.

No, the three-page limit does not include references, figures, and tables. An additional 2 pages may be included for references, figures, and tables for a total of 5 pages.

Yes, following the review and final selection process, the excel budget template and guidelines will be shared with the 51 Pegasi b recipient. The budget must be reviewed and endorsed by the host institution’s office of sponsored projects

No, you may only submit two letters of recommendation. These letters must be provided by the candidate’s Ph.D. advisor, a senior collaborator, or a scientific mentor.

Changes to your submitted application can only be made during the open period of the online application platform.

The deadline cannot be extended. There are no exceptions.

All selected applicants will be notified in February.