What is the NRC looking for in a Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellowship candidate?
Drs. Luise and Gerhard Herzberg were inspirational Canadian scientists. Dr. Luise Herzberg was an astrophysicist in a time when few women were, and her calculations were instrumental in Canada's first communications satellite Alouette. From mining deep into the earth, to measuring the distance to the stars, Dr. Gerhard Herzberg's seminal work on molecular spectroscopy opened doors to a spectrum of scientific discovery. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1971 for discovering some of the simplest and most important molecules in the universe.
In February 2022, in the presence of Dr. Agnes Herzberg, their daughter, the President of the NRC announced the National Research Council of Canada Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellowship in their honour.
An NRC Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellowship will be granted to a recent PhD graduate who identifies as a woman and who has demonstrated research excellence. For the purpose of this fellowship a recent PhD graduate will be defined as someone who has completed her PhD within the last 3 years or is expected to obtain it in the next 6 months.
Interested candidates from any science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) discipline can submit their projects for consideration. The successful candidate will be hired as an NRC Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellow for a 2-year term. The candidates will need to submit a research project proposal as part of their application.
Who can apply?
For the NRC Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Fellowship, we are seeking candidates who are recent PhD graduates that have demonstrated research excellence and who identify as women.
The NRC Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellowship is open to citizens of all countries, although preference will be given to Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.
How firm is the deadline?
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. We ask that all applicants carefully review the application requirements and provide the requested documentation by the deadline.
Are there any opportunities to supervise students?
Yes, interactions with local students, faculty and postdocs are welcomed and encouraged, and often result in fruitful collaborations that continue for many years.
Each year, the NRC hires a number of top undergraduate students from Canadian universities. An NRC Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellow may propose to supervise or co-supervise a student to work with them on a research project. Opportunities for staff to request a student typically happens 3 times per year, with the number of students hired at any given time depending on the funds available.
Occasionally, a fellow's interests and experience align early enough in their appointment that they have the opportunity to be an advisor to a local graduate student.
I received my PhD more than 3 years ago. Can I still apply?
For the purpose of this fellowship a recent PhD graduate will be defined as someone who has completed her PhD within the last 3 years or is expected to obtain it in the next 6 months.
Are there other job opportunities for postdocs at the NRC?
Explore job opportunities at the NRC, access career tools and resources, learn about the NRC's programs for researchers and students, find out about our awards and fellowships, and discover what makes the NRC a great place to work.
Why is this fellowship called the NRC Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellowship?
Dr. Gerhard Herzberg received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1971, "for his contributions to the knowledge of electronic structure and geometry of molecules, particularly free radicals."
Dr. Gerhard Herzberg joined the National Research Council of Canada in 1948, and shortly after became the director of the Division of Pure Physics. On his retirement, he became its first distinguished research scientist. Dr. Herzberg's research encompassed physics, chemistry, molecular spectroscopy and astrophysics.
Dr. Luise Herzberg received her PhD in astrophysics in Germany in 1933. Dr. Herzberg worked at the NRC as a volunteer research associate, then at the Dominion Observatory of Canada and later at the Radio Physics Laboratory in Ottawa where she worked on the development of Alouette, Canada's first satellite.
The postdoctoral fellowship commemorates the contributions of Drs. Luise and Gerhard Herzberg to science. The NRC Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellowship will be an award granted every year to a recent PhD graduate who identifies as a woman and who has demonstrated research excellence.
How can I find out more?
For more information, please contact us at NRC.NRCHiring-EmbaucheCNRC.CNRC@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca. We will try to reply as quickly as possible.