TGF Fellowship Programme
The Gruber Foundation (TGF) has created the GF Fellowship Programme with the aim of promoting the science of cosmology and other branches of astronomy.
The IAU Executive Committee recognizes this contribution to our science and shares the desire of TGF to give this distinction the highest possible scientific standing and international character. Accordingly, at its 73rd meeting in Manchester, UK, in August 2000, the IAU EC decided to collaborate with TGF in the nomination of candidates and the selection of recipients, effective as of 1 January 2001.
TGF provides an amount of $75,000 (US) for Fellowships every year, with the next one in 2024 (applications currently closed for 2023). The awarded Fellowship amount is intended as a research grant covering travel, subsistence and research expenses supplementing a postdoctoral appointment at a host institution starting no later than October 1st of the award year. The Fellowship may be held in conjunction with any other fellowship or award. The Fellowship will be awarded to an extremely promising, early career astrophysicist, working in any field of astrophysics, either theoretical, observational or experimental. The jury may decide to split the grant between two equally promising candidates. Applicants in the last months of their PhD, having already received a contract offer for a post-doctoral position, or post-docs in their first year of appointment, are encouraged to apply. In the case of applicants at the PhD level, the PhD must have been awarded by the start of the Fellowship, i.e., no later than Oct. 1st of the award year. There are no limitations on nationality, but, while the scientific quality of the application is the prime criterion, preference will be given to applicants from countries in difficult economic conditions.
The host institute for the postdoctoral appointment, must be a center of excellence in the applicant's field of research and located in a country different either from that where the PhD was awarded, or from where the first post-doc contract is being completed (in the case of a second post-doc). While the IAU Secretariat will administer the grant, the host institute should agree to offer basic research facilities, since the GF grant is intended to cover primarily travel and living expenses during research periods outside the host Institute as well as conference attendance and specific research expenses during the post-doctoral appointment. The grant will be handed out directly to the selected applicant(s). Upon agreement between the host institute and the IAU General Secretary, a small part of the grant may also be used to complement the basic salary, on the condition that the host institute covers the salary overheads (social benefits, salary and income taxes, personal insurance, etc.) and all other similar legal obligations valid in the country where the host institute is located, so that the recipient should be able to use freely the full amount of the fellowship.
The application procedure is available here.
The composition of the jury for the GF Fellowship Programme is here.
A list of past recipients and their citations is available here.