University of Minnesota to serve as host institution for prestigious fellowship in planetary astronomy
The University of Minnesota has been selected as a host institution for the 51 Pegasi b Fellowship in planetary astronomy. Planetary astronomy scientists study objects both within and beyond our solar system, bridging planetary science and astronomy. The 51 Pegasi b Fellowship is named for the first exoplanet discovered orbiting a Sun-like star.
The Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics (MIfA) was instrumental in supporting the University during the highly competitive host institution application process. Professor Claudia Scarlata, MIfA Director, is the contact for the fellowship.
Each postdoctoral scientist fellowship recipient receives an initial three-year grant of up to $450,000 to pursue their proposed research at their selected host institution. The University of Minnesota will be invited to nominate up to four scholars from the pool of applicants that select UMN as their desired host institution for the 2026 grant cycle.
Planetary scientists who study the surfaces, atmospheres, magnetospheres, and interiors of the planets, moons, and small bodies in our solar system with telescopes, spacecraft, or models, are welcome to apply. Planetary astronomers who study exoplanets, planet formation and evolution, protoplanetary disks, or other closely related topics such as brown dwarfs are also welcome to apply.
Planetary research at MIfA is underpinned by involvements in large-class NASA and ESA missions such as Juno, Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, and Cassini-Huygens. Exoplanet research at MIfA has successfully utilized various observational capabilities at the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO), where the next generation of exoplanet instrumentation is under construction, supported by the National Science Foundation and collaboration among LBTO partners.
The fellowship is sponsored by the Heising-Simons Foundation (HSF), a family foundation which provides funding to assist with scientific breakthroughs. Fellowship winners will present their work at an annual summit hosted by HSF in Half Moon Bay, CA.