Research Opportunities for Postdocs and Visitors

✦ Fall colors at the Broad Branch Road campus of Carnegie's Earth and Planets Laboratory (EPL) in residential northwest Washington, DC.

Postdoctoral Fellowships in astronomy, cosmochemistry, data science, geodynamics, experimental petrology, geobiology, geochemistry, geophysics, mineral physics, planetary science and volcanology

2026 Carnegie Fellowships for the Earth and Planets Laboratory

Carnegie Institution for Science’s Earth and Planets Laboratory (EPL) invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships at its campus in Washington, DC.  Multiple positions are available.  EPL is an interdisciplinary basic research laboratory;  research and collaboration with multiple research areas on campus is encouraged. EPL scientists engage in observational, experimental and theoretical research in fields including geophysics, geodynamics, geochemistry, geobiology, volcanology, experimental petrology and mineral physics, planetary science, cosmochemistry, astrobiology, astronomy, data science, and the chemistry and physics of materials.  Fellows conduct independent research in collaboration with Carnegie scientists, and their primary field of research should overlap with one or more of the areas listed above.  New fellows will join a supportive community of about 25 postdoctoral scientists and 30 staff and research scientists engaged in understanding the origin and evolution of Earth and planets and materials under extreme conditions. More information about our research and facilities can be viewed at https://carnegiescience.edu/epl and about our postdoctoral fellowships and experience at https://carnegiescience.edu/about/working/postdocs/epl.

 Deadline for applications is November 3, 2025 

Address any questions to eplfellowship@carnegiescience.edu

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If you are interested in having EPL host your external fellowship, please contact us. Externally funded fellows also have access to our facilities described below. 

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Instrumentation specific to geochemistry and cosmochemistry is listed below at the bottom of this page. A description of the Geochemistry/Cosmochemistry Group is here.

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Learn about the amazing science our predecessors have carried out on the Broad Branch Road campus in this short video: A History of Carnegie's Broad Branch Road Campus.

More Details

Our postdoctoral fellows have access to: world-class laboratory facilities in analytical geochemistry and cosmochemistry, high-pressure research, materials spectroscopy, and astrobiology; Carnegie’s Las Campanas Observatory in Chile for astronomical observations; and state-of-the-art computational facilities to support theoretical and data-analytic investigations. Funding is available for travel to scientific conferences and observation sites, as well as publications. At EPL, we value a culture of mentoring and offer professional development opportunities specifically for post-doctoral scientists. 

Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded once a year. The Fellowship is initially for one year but is typically renewed for up to a total of two years. The positions allow start dates between July 1 and December 31, 2026. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in a relevant field at the time of the start of the Fellowship. The principal selection criteria will be research accomplishment, promise of future achievement, originality and achievability of the research proposal, independence, and relevance to the ongoing scientific pursuits at EPL. Only complete applications submitted online at https://apply.interfolio.com/172660 will be considered and must include: 1) a cover letter (1 page max), 2) curriculum vitae, 3) list of publications; 4) research plan / proposal (4 pages max, inclusive of figures and references), 5) a brief description of previous research (3 pages max, all inclusive); and 6) contact information for three references familiar with the applicant’s work who will be emailed by Interfolio to submit their letters of support.  Applicants may use the cover letter to describe why EPL is a great fit for their research including how they will contribute to a positive research atmosphere. Please read the details and pay attention to page limits given on the Interfolio page.  The deadline for all application materials is November 3, 2025. Address any questions to eplfellowship@carnegiescience.edu.

Visitors to the Geochemistry/Cosmochemistry Group

The Geochemistry/Cosmochemistry Group (see detailed description here) is known for hosting a wide range of visitors in addition to its postdoctoral fellows. These visitors can range from student interns (normally high school or college students) to graduate students and former postdocs who are now early career scientists. These visitors come to campus to finish studies or analyses in the lab or to finalize papers. For these types of visitors, it is necessary to make a visiting investigator application by filling out a Non-Employee Visitor Application Form. Contact a staff scientist directly about the possibility for such visits. 

Global Visitors Fellowship

Overview: The goal of this program is to bring distinguished researchers from around the globe to the Earth & Planets Laboratory to enhance our intellectual environment and research activity through collaboration, scholarship, and fellowship. Senior scientists are welcome for short stays of a month or more to intellectually contribute to campus life: giving a named lecture and/or other seminars, mentoring, sharing research ideas, or using our facilities. They are perfect for portions of a sabbatical or for writing, and when not teaching at the home institution. Awards will be made based on brief research statements from staff-sponsored applicants as selected by a small panel and are made for a duration of 2 weeks up to 3 months. Visitors receive assistance with local accommodation and travel costs and a desk in a shared visitor space. See program description here. Click here to apply.

History: This program grew out of an earlier program called the Tuve Fellowships established at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism (DTM) by the generosity of former DTM staff members Thomas Aldrich and Erik Hauri in in memory of former director Merle A. Tuve. Tuve served as DTM director from 1946-1966. Among his many scientific accomplishments, he supervised the design of a pressurized Van de Graaff generator, which achieved energies above 4 MeV. He also began construction of a 60-inch cyclotron designed to produce large quantities of radioactive isotopes.  

Analytical facilities available to postdocs and visitors

Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS):   Thermo-Fisher Triton™ Plus, IsotopX Phoenix™ (coming in late 2025)

Multi-collector inductively coupled mass spectrometery (MC-ICPMS): Nu Plasma II (w/ Plasma III source), 

Laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometery (LA-ICPMS): Cetac/Teledyne Iridia™ Laser (193nm), Thermo-Fisher iCap Qc, Agilent 8900 TripleQuad (coming in late 2025)

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS):  Ametek Cameca NanoSIMS 50L

Gas source stable isotope mass spectrometry: Thermo-Fisher Delta V Plus with Carlo Erba elemental analyzer

Scanning electron miscroscopy (SEM):   Zeiss Auriga™ SEM

Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA):   JOEL Field Emission EPMA 

Focussed Ion Beam (FIB):  FEI Gallium Plasma FIB 

X-ray diffraction, powder and single crystal: Bruker D8 Venture™, Bruker D8 Discover™

Raman Spectroscopy:  WiTec confocal Raman

Cathodoluminescence: NewTech Cathodyne™ cathodoluminescence system

Experimental Capabilities:  Piston cylinder, multi-anvil, diamond anvil, electrical conductivity

Chemistry Labs:  Multiple clean-room facility equipped for all aspects of sample preparation

Other supporting labs:  Optical microscopy, microsampling, rock room, machine shop, electronics lab, diamond cutting and polishing