From the archive: Seeing astronomy up close

Enthusiasm and independence are needed to win a postdoctoral fellowship at the European Southern Observatory

The postdoctoral fellowships on offer at the European Southern Observatory are career-defining for many astronomers. They open each year in the summer—the 2023 competition is not yet open—with a deadline on October 15. Fellowships can be undertaken at either the ESO headquarters in Germany or at the observatories in Chile.

While early-career astronomers of any nationality can apply, the ESO says that “except for outstanding applications, recruitment preference will be given to nationals of Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Chile.” (These are the ESO member states and the two partner countries—Australia and Chile.)