The Flatiron Institute, an internal research division of the Simons Foundation, is a community of scientists who are working to use modern computational tools to advance our understanding of science, both through the analysis of large, rich datasets and through the simulations of physical processes.
Our mission is to advance scientific research through computational methods, including data analysis, theory, modeling and simulation.
The Flatiron Institute comprises the Center for Computational Astrophysics (CCA), the Center for Computational Biology (CCB), the Center for Computational Mathematics (CCM), the Center for Computational Neuroscience (CCN) and the Center for Computational Quantum Physics (CCQ). These five centers are supported by the Scientific Computing Core (SCC).
Employees of the Flatiron Institute are integral members of the Simons Foundation. For those looking for career opportunities at the foundation, please visit the Simons Foundation Careers page.
Collaboration is an important component at the Flatiron Institute, and the space is designed to optimize such opportunities. From dedicated common areas to blackboard walls and classrooms on each floor, the institute is primed to encourage ongoing discussions and an exchange of ideas amongst researchers within and across centers. The dining room’s coffee bar is a popular meeting spot as a central gathering place for members throughout the work day.
Why Work at the Flatiron Institute?
Interdisciplinary Research Environment
We foster a highly interactive and interdisciplinary research environment where scientists and collaborators come together to work on computational problems.
Financially Supported Research
Computational researchers at the Flatiron Institute are fully supported. They can pursue independent research projects and do not need to write their own grants. Each center is also supported by a robust administrative team.
Industry-Leading Computational Resources
Along with state-of-the-art workstations, we make available to our researchers a tremendous amount of data storage and have one of the fastest research networks in the country. This includes 30 petabytes of high-performance storage to enable researchers to create and run algorithms with little to no wait time.
Outreach Opportunities
Scientists are invited to engage with local science and math organizations, mentoring programs and New York-area public school teacher initiatives in partnership with the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society and Culture division.
Commitment to DEI
We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging. We value the rich diversity in identity and experiences of our staff.
Professional Development
There are many opportunities for continuous learning and development through our Flatiron Institute Professional Development program. The program promotes and enhances the careers of Flatiron scientists by offering professional development and skill-building workshops, along with networking opportunities.
Positions at the Flatiron Institute
The Flatiron Institute’s research positions can be generally classified into the following categories. From time to time, however, other opportunities may be available based on the varying needs of each center. Please visit our Job Openings tab for a comprehensive list of current opportunities.
Flatiron Research Fellow (Postdoctoral Researchers)
The Flatiron Research Fellow positions, which are similar to postdoctoral fellow positions outside the institute, are research positions for eligible candidates who have recently completed their Ph.D. programs, or for eligible Ph.D. candidates who have completed at least one postdoctoral fellow position at a university or another organization. Fellows’ work may be regularly reviewed or assessed by managers or mentors and they may have some flexibility with independent research projects. They may be involved in hiring and supervising student interns. This is a term-limited position.
Associate Research Scientist and Research Scientist
Associate research scientists may have up to four years of postdoctoral experience. Their research may be more independent than those of Flatiron Research Fellows. Their work may be regularly reviewed or assessed by managers or mentors. Associate research scientists may have research affiliations with neighboring universities or institutes and may be involved with grant writing or teaching at these organizations. They may be involved in hiring and supervising Flatiron research fellows and student interns. This is a term-limited position.
Research scientists may have a general equivalency of tenured faculty rank, based on research qualifications and experience. They may supervise or mentor Flatiron research fellows, associate research scientists and student interns. In addition to research affiliations with neighboring universities or institutes, and involvement in grant writing or teaching, they may have oversight of independent research projects. Research scientists may be involved in hiring and supervising associate research scientists, Flatiron research fellows and student interns. This is generally not a term-limited position.
Associate Data Scientist and Data Scientist
Associate data scientists and data scientists generally have a Ph.D. and background in software development. They are responsible for developing software tools and algorithms. These positions may also support the associated scientific community by contributing to open source software packages, creating documentation, responding to user questions and/or addressing bug reports. These positions may also collaborate with scientists on publishing papers.
Senior Research Scientist
The title of senior research scientist has a general equivalency of tenured professor rank at the university level. Senior research scientists oversee research groups and projects within centers, and are involved in the hiring and supervising of research scientists, associate research scientists, Flatiron research fellows, students and interns. They report to the center director. This is generally not a term-limited position.
Predoctoral Researchers
Predoctoral research positions are geared towards entry-level scientists who are interested in pursuing a career in the STEM fields. Predoctoral researchers may be students pursuing an advanced degree or in consideration of enrolling in an advanced degree educational program. These positions are temporary in nature, with the typical period of time varying between half a year to a full year, depending on each center.
Software Engineers
Whether working for the Scientific Computing Core (SCC) or a specific center, the Flatiron Institute has a wide variety of software engineers working on software projects, data visualizations, platforms, applications and libraries.
Research Assistants and Research Associates (Internships)
These positions tend to be seasonal, generally in the summer. Interns must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program (undergraduate or higher) and work on a specially designed project with their mentor(s).
Day-to-Day
On a typical day, it is common to have the opportunity to meet with scientists at the top of their field and have in-depth conversations with researchers about their work. Additionally, the Flatiron Institute offers a wide variety of lectures, seminars and workshops led by subject matter experts from around the world about the latest developments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. By assembling groundbreaking scientists from around the world, the Flatiron Institute is building a vibrant and leading scientific community in New York City.
Visit the Flatiron Institute events calendar to learn more about our events.
Technology at the Flatiron Institute
The Flatiron Institute is supported by the Scientific Computing Core (SCC). SCC is a dedicated team of experts in software design and optimization who collaborate with each computational center on various projects.
SCC has two functions: software and infrastructure. The software team builds tools, applications and websites to support teams across the Flatiron Institute. The infrastructure team builds hardware and systems for high performance and high throughput computing and supports the scientists using these technical resources.
The Flatiron Institute has the latest GP processors, including 65,000 cores and 2 regions of data sites on the east and west coasts.
Visit the Flatiron Institute’s software page to learn more about current software projects.