Choosing an Advisor: All applications to the Fellowship Program are required to list the SAO scientist who has agreed to serve as a sponsor for each proposed research project. Applicants must directly contact SAO scientists in their particular research areas.

• A full list of potential advisors is listed here.
• A partial list of predoctoral project openings is available.
• The consent form for potential advisors is available here.

Length of the Award: The SAO Predoctoral Fellowship is awarded for a period of one year at a time. It is possible to renew a SAO Predoctoral Fellowship Award to a maximum of three years based on the availability of funding, satisfactory progress, and the agreement of both the home institution advisor and the SAO advisor.

Start Date: Acceptance letters are generally sent out in May. Consequently, SAO Predoctoral Fellows begin their program in July or September. However, Predoctoral awardees work with their selected SAO advisors in choosing an appropriate start date.

Compensation: Stipends for the current academic year are $27,600. Funds may also be available for relocation, travel, and other expenses.

Predoc Research Review Committee: In order to support and evaluate the research work of each predoctoral candidate while in residence at SAO, a Predoctoral Research Review Committee (PRRC) is established for each SAO predoc consisting of three members. Each predoctoral candidate presents their work annually to their committee for review and discussion. The evaluation form is available here.

Predoc Annual Symposium: SAO Predoctoral Fellows have the opportunity to present their work in an all-day lecture format each winter at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.