Gabriela Calistro Rivera is focusing her postdoctoral research on the role of molecular gas in active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity and galaxy evolution. She also plans to use a portion of the fellowship support for astronomy outreach activities. “It is a great honour for me to be awarded this prestigious Fellowship. I feel most grateful to the IAU and the Gruber Foundation for valuing the achievements of my scientific career so far. This award will support my future research endeavours in the field of galaxy and black hole evolution, and it will boost my ongoing outreach and education efforts to promote scientific literacy in communities currently underrepresented in astronomy.”

Anupam Bhardwaj is currently investigating pulsating stars as a means to develop a better understanding of stellar evolution and cosmic expansion. “I am extremely proud and honoured to have been awarded the Gruber Foundation Fellowship 2020. This prestigious fellowship is a huge boost for my fledgling research career. In particular, it will support me in strengthening international collaborations in which I am involved, and ensure the successful development of my research projects. It has given me the confidence and motivation to continue making significant scientific contributions in my research fields."

Ioannis Liodakis has recently embarked on a postdoctoral appointment studying the emission processes in blazars, a subclass of active galactic nuclei (AGN) that host the most massive black holes at their centres and produce highly relativistic jets. He plans to use a portion of the fellowship to promote diversity and inclusion within astronomy through international visitor programmes at FINCA, having previously led similar projects at Stanford University. “I am greatly honoured to be selected as one of the 2020 TGF fellows. It is incredibly rewarding to see my work recognised by the community. The Gruber Fellowship will not only support my research, but will also allow me to continue my efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in astrophysics, by supporting collaborative trips from researchers in typically underrepresented countries.”

Read more in the IAU announcement ann20021