Mentorship Program Opportunity for Postdoctoral Applicants

The 2020 Decadal Survey underscores the vital role of astronomers in dismantling barriers to career advancement in astronomy. The Astronomy Mentorship Program for Upcoming Postdocs (AMP-UP) program is designed to engage current and former postdoctoral fellows from all fellowship programs in providing professional and academic support to senior graduate students and junior postdocs involved in astronomy-related research. This program particularly emphasizes individuals who may lack access to the resources and networks available to independent prize fellowship recipients. Our goal is to improve the diversity of independent postdoc prize fellows, which have traditionally served as a key stepping stone to leadership positions in astronomy.

Over the past two years, we have facilitated over 50 mentor-mentee pairs, with participants expressing overwhelming satisfaction with the program. We are launching the third iteration of the program this year. We have curated a dedicated group of independent postdoc prize fellows as mentors.

We seek late-stage PhD students and recent graduates who are navigating the postdoctoral application process this fall. Selected participants will each be matched with a prize fellow, who will guide them through the application process and offer them career advice. If you are interested in participating in this program as a mentee, we ask that you fill out this form no later than 7 June 2024. More information can be found on our website.

Please share with any graduate students or recent graduates who might be interested. We particularly encourage applications from students with backgrounds traditionally underrepresented among professional astronomers. Note that this program is not sponsored or managed by the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program or any other postdoctoral fellowship programs, and participation in it does not influence the review process for the NASA Hubble Fellowships.