Becoming a Postdoc

1. Apply for Specific Position -  We encourage all prospective applicants to apply directly to a specified position posted on the lanl.jobs website. Modifying your resume and cover letter for the desired job requirements as listed will make your application more competitive.
2. Interview by a Mentor - All postdocs must have a mentor/sponsor who is a lab staff member. By applying to a specific job ad, there is a mentor (or mentors) already identified with that position. The mentor(s) will review and downselect from all applicants.  They will contact you if you are under consideration for the position.
3. Create Postdoc Application Package - If selected for the specified position through an interview process, you and your potential mentor will work together to create your Postdoc Application Package. Requirements and instructions for creating the package.
4. Submit Postdoc Application Package - Submit a completed package to the Postdoc Program office, postdocprogram@lanl.gov. The Postdoctoral Committee will review all packages to ensure quality of the applicant and scope and relevance of proposed research to Los Alamos National Laboratory missions.
    

If prospective postdocs have not identified a specific position posted on the lanl.jobs website, they can submit a general application. *Note - this application is for general vacancy at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and does not guarantee consideration for specific positions or interview process. We encourage all prospective postdocs to follow the first process outlined above.

Identify a Mentor - To be considered for a postdoc appointment, a candidate must be nominated and sponsored by a member of the Laboratory's technical staff. A candidate can identify a sponsor by:

• Asking your thesis committee or others in your network if they have contacts at the Lab.
• Reviewing research being conducted at the Lab.
• Networking at conferences and workshops.
• Reviewing journal articles (see below).
• Attending university recruiting events.

If you would like to learn about specialists in a certain field, we recommend that you search the Lab’s individual researcher web pages. As you write to the staff member, we recommend that you include some information about your research background, what you found interesting about their research, and how your research compliments that of the Lab staff member.  Please be aware that not all of the Lab’s technical staff is currently hiring looking for a a postdoc on their team. 

1. Interview for the Position - If your general application is viewed by a potential staff member seeking a postdoc, they may contact you for more information or interview.
2. Create Postdoc Application Package - If selected, you and your potential mentor will work together to create your Postdoc Application Package. Requirements and instructions for creating the package.
3. Submit Postdoc Application Package - Submit a completed package to the Postdoc Program office, postdocprogram@lanl.gov. The Postdoctoral Committee will review all packages.

Postdoc Research Associates conduct research for LANL science and engineering programs. Funding for Research Associates is provided by their specific program or Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) funds.

Sponsored Postdoc Research Associated packages are reviewed and approved at any time throughout the year. 

Center for Nonlinear Studies (CNLS) Postdocs - This appointment is for postdocs who work in the areas of theory and computation of complex systems. Postdocs performing experimental work and applying or developing theoretical approaches and computational methods to model their systems are also considered. The usual model of CNLS funding is that postdocs are supported at a 50% effort by CNLS and 50% by other funded projects at LANL during their first two years, and at 25% CNLS effort during the third year upon request from the mentor. To maintain an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment , CNLS sponsored postdocs are required to reside at the CNLS building (TA-03, Building 1690) during the first two years of their appointment, and to contribute to this environment through participation in social and technical activities with other CNLS postdocs, students, affiliated staff, and visitors.  The sponsored candidates are hired into their mentor’s group and division. Sponsored candidate packages will be considered as funding and space in CNLS is available. Applications are accepted during each quarterly review.

Applications for CNLS Postdoc sponsorship that are also being considered for other LANL Postdoc Fellow appointments, will also be evaluated during the Quarterly Postdoctoral Committee Meetings. If these candidates meet the fellow qualifications established by the Postdoctoral Committee, the CNLS supported postdocs will be named a CNLS Postdoctoral Fellow.

G.T. Seaborg Postdocs – Named after the principal or co-discoverer of ten transactinide elements and co-recipient of the 1951 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, this fellowship is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding ability to conduct research and have proposed experimental or theoretical projects that advance the Laboratory’s actinide and nuclear science mission. Further information can be found on the Seaborg Postdoctoral Fellowship website.

Information Science & Technology (ISTI) Postdocs - pursue cutting-edge research in data science and artificial intelligence infrastructure as well as computational and data integrity. Initial appointment is for two years and is funded through ISTI. The allocation of funds will be as follows: 1st year at 1/2 funding, 2nd year at 1/2 funding, and if extended a 3rd year at 1/4 funding. Sponsored candidate packages will be considered as funding is available.

Harold Agnew National Security Postdoctoral Fellows

pursue cutting-edge experi­mental, theoretical, computational science, and engineer­ing research aligned with the national security mission. Appointments are for two years and full funding is provided. The Weapons Program provides the funding for these appointments. 

Mark Kac Postdoctoral Fellows in Applied Mathematics

pursue cutting-edge research in DOE-relevant areas of applied mathematics.  Up to one Fellowship is selected each year. The DOE Office of Applied Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) and the Center for Nonlinear Studies (CNLS) jointly sponsor these appointments.

Chick Keller Postdoctoral Fellows in Space and Earth Science

pursue cutting-edge experimental, theoretical, computational, and engineering research covering one of the four Center for Space and Earth Science (CSES) Science Disciplines: Astrophysics and Cosmology, Space Science, Solid Earth Geoscience and Climate Science. Initial appointment is for two years and is funded thru CSES.

Nicholas C. Metropolis Postdoctoral Fellows

pursue cutting-edge research in the areas of computational and computer science, physics, and engi­neering. Computer simulation capabilities are developed in support of the stockpile stewardship program together with broader national nuclear security needs. Selected candidates will have access to the most powerful supercomputers in the world. The Advanced Simulation Computing (ASC) Program provides the funding for these appointments. Appointments are for two years and full funding is provided.

Candidates must display extraordinary ability in scientific research, demonstrate potential to impact Laboratory programs and/or ability to establish new capabilities, and show clear promise of becoming outstanding leaders. These fellowships provide the opportunity to collaborate with LANL scientists and engineers on postdoc-initiated research. To be considered for one of the Distinguished Fellow appointments, candidates must be nominated and sponsored by a member of the Lab's technical staff. Sponsored candidate packages will be reviewed during the December Quarterly Review.

Richard P. Feynman Fellow in Theory and Computing - Named after the famed theoretical physicist and winner of the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics, this fellowship recognizes individuals whose research is in theory or computing.

Darlene Christian Hoffman Fellow - Named after the distinguished Los Alamos nuclear scientist and recipient of the U.S. National Medal of Science, this fellowship recognizes, encourages, and rewards outstanding scientific and engineering contributions by women.

J. Robert Oppenheimer (JRO) Fellow - Named after the Laboratory’s first Dir­ector, this fellowship recognizes individuals whose research aligns with the Laboratory’s mission.

Frederick Reines (FR) Fellow in Experimental Sciences - Named after the former LANL researcher who was awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physics, this fellow appointment recognizes individuals whose research is in experi­mental sciences.

The Laboratory postdoc population is a primary pipeline for the next generation of scientific and engineering talent at the Lab, and the Director’s and Distinguished Postdoc Fellows are intended to represent the most promising among them. While full-time support allows the Postdoc Fellows considerable freedom to pursue their own ideas, at the same time it tends to isolate them from projects and programs throughout the Lab. Involvement in programmatic work, even part time, builds ties between the postdoc and the overall Laboratory research community. Fellows become better known, if only because project leaders pay careful attention where they spend their funds. This familiarity could lead to possible long-term Lab career opportunities.