Grand Canyon Astronomer in Residence

The program is similar to the Artist in Residence Programs hosted by various national parks throughout the country. However, the Astronomer in Residence program accepts dark sky advocates and astronomy educators from a variety of disciplines with the intention of expanding public awareness of night skies, astronomy, and the various disciplines studying natural darkness.

Annually, a review panel of peer professionals selects 3-4 astronomers to live and work at the Grand Canyon South Rim in Arizona for up to six weeks in a private one-bedroom apartment above the historic Verkamp's Visitor Center. In addition to free live/workspace, a weekly stipend of approximately $400 is offered to offset the costs of travel, food, and supplies. Residents have first-hand access to the natural beauty of Grand Canyon National Park, park leadership, staff expertise, on-site resources, archives, and visitors from around the world.  

Each resident lives and works in a private one-bedroom apartment above Verkamp’s Visitor Center overlooking the Canyon. The apartment has semi-private access with many of the amenities of a traditional living space, including a full-size kitchen (no oven) with appliances, living room, bedroom (queen-sized bed), bathroom (shower & tub), one large workspace, and two smaller rooms. There is heating/cooling, one parking spot, ample internet, linens, and a VCR. Laundry facilities are available in the park. The apartment is in a historic building and as a result, is not wheelchair accessible, does not allow for easy temperature adjustments, and suffers from sound-bleed during open store hours. That said, the space is ample and many residents enjoy being able to see the Canyon from their windows. Resident guests are considered on a case-by-case basis and may be allowed with prior written approval by GCC staff.

Applications can be submitted online through Café by 7/31/23 and should include:

Brief Bio (200 words max)

CV or resume (upload)

Astronomer Statement or Teaching Philosophy (optional upload)

Documentation of astronomy-based work. Samples that detail your work with the public are encouraged. Three - five (3-5) images, pages, and/or minutes of media with titles, dates, medium, and descriptions of work.

Press / Media: Articles, publications, relevant media (optional upload)

Donation receipt (more info below)

Responses to the following questions:

- How does your work advocate for dark skies? (100 words maximum)

- Please provide a brief marketing description of 4 different public programs you'd like to provide while on site, including a title and a 1-2 sentence description of each (maximum 75 words per program description with title).

- Please briefly describe a project you will work on while on-site that creatively connects people emotionally and intellectually with the Grand Canyon. (200 words max)

Residents are selected through a jury of park rangers, Grand Canyon Conservancy employees, and night sky advocates and are determined based on artistic and educational merit. 

Instead of an application fee, we ask that you give a gift in any amount to the Astronomer in Residence program. While you will be asked to include proof of your gift in the application, your donation amount will not be shared with the review panel or relevant to the decision-making process.  

Selected astronomers are asked to provide:  

2-3 public programs per week in their area of expertise (Please note: One can expect up to three hundred people per program depending on the program offering and time of year.) 

One community event. This could include a program, workshop, or presentation for Grand Canyon School (K-12), GRCA National Park Service staff, Lowell Observatory visitors (Flagstaff), or others. Grand Canyon staff can work with you to shape this event. 

The development and/or implementation of a creative project that fosters emotional and intellectual ties to the Grand Canyon's night skies. Please review our alumni pages for examples of projects pursued in the past.

Grand Canyon National Park is located high on the Colorado Plateau, far from the lights of large cities, in the dry desert southwest. Combined with the clean air and clear skies, Grand Canyon National Park protects some of the most pristine night skies in the United States.

In 2019, Grand Canyon National Park was certified as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association. Later that year, the park received the award for International Dark Sky Place of the Year. These distinctions were the culmination of a long history of night sky appreciation at Grand Canyon National Park.

The Astronomer in Residence program is made possible because of support and grants to Grand Canyon Conservancy. Donations to this program will help fund future astronomers’ work in residency as they celebrate and preserve Grand Canyon's dark skies.

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