Exploring the Astrobiology and Organic Chemistry Potential of Enceladus, Europa, Titan and/or Mars

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA's missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. This specific opportunity focuses on the search for biosignatures and interesting organic chemistry throughout the solar system. Research in the Planetary Science Section at JPL focuses on groundbreaking, largely laboratory-based work to help interpret measurements made by missions such as the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, the Europa Clipper mission, and the Dragonfly mission to Titan. Project proposals may address hypervelocity impacts of ice grains for Enceladus and/or Europa, Titan surface organic cryominerals and chemistry, or potential biosignatures on Mars. Research may include laboratory investigations, modeling, field work, mission data analysis, or any combination thereof.