Gil Herrera Postdoctoral Fellowship

Seeking Applicants!

Are you looking to perform innovative research in Quantum Information Science? Are you excited about research informed by real-world needs and problems of national importance? If so, envision the opportunities as Sandia’s next Gil Herrera Postdoctoral Fellow in Quantum Information Science.

We are now accepting applications for the 2026 Gil Herrera Fellowship in Quantum Information Science. This is a prestigious postdoctoral research and academic fellowship with funding from Sandia’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development program. Selected fellows will also be able to take part in our strong academic partnerships between Sandia and our partner universities, which include the University of New Mexico (UNM), UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Illinois, Purdue, GA Tech, UT Austin, and many others.

As a fellow, you will:

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Applications will be accepted through January 31, 2026

Learn more and apply
Address complex problems in support of broad-ranging national security areas
Collaborate with highly motivated researchers and faculty in partner universities on challenging research questions using state-of-the-art resources
Collaborate with Sandia physicists developing multi-qubit systems on a variety of physical platforms
Present your work at leading publication and conference venues
Share your knowledge with students at our partner institutions, reaching across cultural and institutional barriers

We encourage exceptional and highly motivated new Ph.D. scientists and engineers to apply. The selected Fellows will receive a two-year appointment with the option for a possible third year, which includes a competitive salary and benefits, moving expenses, and a generous professional travel allowance. All interviews will be conducted virtually with an option for selected fellows to visit their physical campus as part of the interview process prior to accepting an offer.

Requirements

  • You have completed, or are pursuing, a Ph.D. in Physics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Chemistry, or a related science or engineering field
  • A background that includes research experience as evidenced by a strong record of research publications and presentations
  • A compelling research proposal for self-directed research to be conducted as a Gil Herrera fellow in the broadly defined interdisciplinary QIS area domain
  • Built into the proposal, plans to mentor early graduate students, or engage with other educational outreach activities through Sandia’s academic alliance with partnering universities
  • Ability to acquire and maintain a DOE security clearance which requires US Citizenship

Application Process

To apply, please do the following:

  • Search “Herrera Fellowship” or “Job ID 696129” on Sandia’s Careers portal and complete the online application
  • Submit a single PDF file containing your cover letter, CV, and a 2-5 page research proposal
  • Have three letters of recommendation submitted to herrerafellow@sandia.gov with “2026 Herrera QIS Fellowship” as the subject line.

Complete applications received through January 31, 2026 will receive full consideration.

More Information

Visit Gil Herrera Fellowship in Quantum Information Science on Sandia’s Careers website.

Questions? Reach out to herrerafellow@sandia.gov