Munich Center for Geoastronomy Fellowships

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Position

Munich Center for Geoastronomy Fellowships

Employer

Munich Center for Geoastronomy | Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Germany

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München is a leading research university in Europe. Since its founding in 1472 it has been committed to the highest international standards of excellence in research and teaching. At LMU, researchers from all over the world encounter excellent conditions for their work — in their own research field and in interdisciplinary networks alike.

LMU offers state-of-the-art research infrastructure, an outstanding international network, attractive career opportunities and a broad spectrum of continuing personal development programs. In doing so, LMU supports its members in nurturing their talents and helping to shape their working environment.

Homepage:

Location

Munich, Germany

Sector

Academic

Relevant divisions

Atmospheric Sciences (AS)

Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology & Volcanology (GMPV)

Planetary and Solar System Sciences (PS)

Type

Full time

Level

Experienced

Salary

The exact E13 salary depends on work experience, but is estimated to be between 60,000 and 70,000 euros (pre-tax) for candidates on their first postdoctoral position.

Required education

PhD

Application deadline

15 December 2025

Posted

6 October 2025

Job Description
The
Munich Center for Geoastronomy
invites applications from outstanding early-career postdoctoral researchers for its inaugural fellowship program in Munich - one of the major epicenters of astrophysics and the geosciences in Europe. The Center is a new interdisciplinary initiative between the Faculties of Physics and Geosciences financed by the Frontier Fund of the
Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
,
Germany
. Its co-directors are Prof. Kevin Heng and Prof. Yan Lavallée. Prof. Kevin Heng leads a Chair (sub-department with multiple staff scientists) that works broadly on exoplanets and their atmospheres and Prof. Yan Lavallée leads a Chair on mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry and is deeply involved in volcanology. The Center has a dedicated scientific coordinator (Dr. Janhvi Jaiswal) and organizes a weekly interdisciplinary seminar that the Geoastronomy Fellows are expected to play a leading role in. It is also affiliated with the European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant Geoastronomy (PIs: Gaillard, Heng, Mojzsis) as well as the ARIEL space mission of ESA. In the coming year, the Center will initiate a new interdisciplinary Master program in exoplanet science at the LMU. It will also lead the organization of the Exoplanets VII international conference in Munich in 2028.

We are looking for excellent researchers who have obtained their PhD within the past five years and are aiming to establish their own independent research portfolio in a dynamic intellectual environment. The search will be conducted broadly across theory, simulation, observation and experiment. Postdoctoral research profiles that will fit within this inaugural call include - observers who use the James Webb Space Telescope to observe rocky exoplanets; theorists who strive to understand the geochemistry and geophysics of the mantles/cores of small exoplanets (super Earths and sub-Neptunes); experts in atmospheric escape from exoplanets, etc. We are broadly interested in researchers who are capable of bridging knowledge between Earth and Planetary sciences (the Solar System) and Exoplanet science (beyond the Solar System).

Geoastronomy Fellows have no formal teaching duties, but are encouraged to deliver guest lectures and tutorials/exercises in exoplanet science as part of their professional development. There are also opportunities to co-supervise Ph.D students (in collaboration with Prof. Kevin Heng) and to participate in outreach and science communication activities (with Dr. Janhvi Jaiswal). As the website is currently under construction, you can find more information about the Center on our LinkedIn page.

The deadline to
submit applications
and to receive reference letters is
15th December 2025 (Monday). Detailed application instructions are below.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to Munich for
in-person interviews in January/February 2026
. Inquiries may be made to Prof. Kevin Heng ) or Dr. Janhvi Jaiswal ).

Salary and benefits are paid according to the German public service pay agreement TV-L, E13. Appointments will be made for an
initial period of 3 years, renewable for a further 2 years
depending upon research performance. There are ample funds available to our fellows for travel expenses and computing - including a startup laptop purchase. Beyond statutory insurance (health insurance and standard social benefits) under the TV-L scale, LMU also offers a range of supplementary benefits, which you can find here: Academic Careers | Additional Services

How to apply

Application Instructions
Applicants Should Submit

• a cover letter (maximum of 1 page)
• a research proposal describing past, present and future research interests (maximum of 4 pages including references and figures, in size 11 font)
• a CV (maximum of 2 pages) and
• a ranked publication list (maximum of 2 pages; please rank most important or favorite publication first).

The publication list should include a one-sentence summary of each peer-reviewed paper describing its impact and significance. The cover letter should state the names, email addresses and affiliations of the applicant's referees, as well as explaining any deviations from the application requirements (e.g., if the PhD was completed more than 5 years ago).

At the Center, we value quality over quantity/volume; more/longer is not always better.
All four components of the application should be combined into a single PDF file (max 10 MB)
, saved with the filename "[Lastname]_[Firstname]_Geoastronomy Fellowship Application" and uploaded to the linked Google Forms. The Center reserves the right to ignore applications that do not follow these stated guidelines.

The advancement of women in science is an integral part of LMU's policy. Therefore, women are especially encouraged to apply. German language skills are not required for this position.

Reference Letters
The applicant should also arrange for
at least two letters of recommendation
(PDFs) to be submitted by their referees -
three letters would be ideal, but is not mandatory
. The letters should be addressed to Prof. Kevin Heng and
sent directly by the referees to

(with the subject line: Geoastronomy Fellowship - Reference Letter for [Applicant Full Name]) before the deadline.

The deadline to submit applications and to receive reference letters is 15th December 2025 (Monday).
Link To Online Application

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