The Center for Interstellar Catalysis – InterCat – aims to discover the origin and evolution of the molecular building blocks of life (MBBL) – amino acids, nucleobases, sugars and fatty acids – in space. The scientific aim of InterCat is to determine whether the production and evolution of the molecular building blocks of life, e.g., sugars, amino acids, fats and DNA bases, predates the formation of stars and planets, and occurs at the extremely low temperatures and pressures found in interstellar space. InterCat brings together research teams within surface science, nanoscience, heterogeneous catalysis and experimental and observational astrochemistry situated at Aarhus, Copenhagen and Leiden Universities. InterCat is a Center of Excellence funded by the Danish National Research Foundation and is hosted at Aarhus University with nodes at the Niels Bohr Institute at University of Copenhagen and Leiden University.
There are currently several fully-funded PhD and postdoc positions available within the center at Aarhus University, University of Copenhagen and Leiden University; across experimental astrochemistry, computational modelling and observational astronomy.
Start dates fall between Autumn 2026 and January 2027.
More information on all positions, and on the InterCat center, is available at https://phys.au.dk/intercat/
Positions will be filled as candidates become available.
