Astronomy Mentorship Program for Upcoming Postdocs (AMP-UP)

Important Dates for 2023

AMP-UP Hybrid Meeting

We will be having a hybrid (in-person and virtual) meeting between mentees and mentors in September. We encourage everyone to attend in-person if possible. All travel expenses will be covered to help the mentees attend the meeting. 

Important Information:
Dates: September 8 - 9, 2023
Location: Carnegie Observatories, Pasadena, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Questions: Contact us at amp.up.contact@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns

Statement of Purpose

The 2020 Decadal Survey has emphasized the need for astronomers to take an active role in removing barriers to pursuing careers in astronomy. The recent NASA Hubble Fellowship Program Review has highlighted the underrepresentation of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx fellows and the concentration of fellowship awards among a small number of institutions. The past few years have also been especially challenging for early career astronomers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted research and reduced networking opportunities. 


We are piloting a new virtual mentorship program in which current and previous NHFP fellows will provide professional and academic advice and support to PhD students performing astronomy-related research, especially those who may not have the same level of access to the resources and connections that many NHFP, NSF, and 51 Pegasi b fellows have benefited from. We seek to improve the diversity of recipients of independent postdoctoral fellowships, which have traditionally served as key stepping stones for leadership positions in astronomy. 


This program is independently organized by NHFP, NSF, and 51 Pegasi b fellows and is not managed or sponsored by the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program, NSF Fellowship Programs, or the Heising-Simons Fellowship program. Participation in this program does not influence the NHFP application review process. Opinions expressed by individual fellows do not represent those of the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program, NSF Fellowship Programs, or the Heising-Simons Fellowship program

Mentors

Mentors are recruited from current and former participants of various prize fellowships in astronomy, including the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program and its predecessor programs (Hubble, Einstein, Sagan, Chandra, Fermi, Michelson, Spitzer), NSF Fellowship Programs (e.g. AAPF), and the Heising-Simons 51 Pegasi b Fellowship. Mentor bios for 2023-2024 are available here

Student application and selection process for 2023-2024


The application deadline for 2023 program is April 17, 2023.  


We hope to accommodate as many students as possible. However, since the number of interested students may exceed the available mentorship capacity, we ask all interested students to fill out an application form, which will open March 17, 2023 and close April 17, 2023. If you are unable to access Google Forms, please e-mail us at nhfp.equity@gmail.com. 


We welcome applications from Ph.D. students (including students from outside the U.S.) who are performing research relevant to astronomy and have completed any required coursework and preliminary/qualifying exams. Since most mentors will be located inside the U.S., students may need to be flexible in what time they are willing to meet in order to facilitate getting matched with a mentor. If the number of interested students exceeds the available mentorship capacity, we will prioritize the following applicants:

We will match mentors and mentees based on their stated experiences, goals, and interests, as well as time-zone compatibility. We will separately contact mentors and mentees to confirm the matches.

Program Structure

Last Updated on June 27, 2023 (By Jake Turner)