CAREER STORY #8 - DIVYA RAWAT
1. 2014 - 2021: from Master to Ph.D.
Divya Rawat holds a Master’s degree in Physics with specialisation in Space Physics from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in India. She was awarded a scholarship from the government to support her studies, and during her Master's, she developed an interest in experimental simulations, specifically in optical fibers. During this time, she completed her MSc thesis, which had a computational focus and deepen her understanding of space physics. However, her studies led her toward X-ray astronomy, a field in which she has found real interest.
Following her MSc, Divya was selected as a Junior Research Fellow, receiving a scholarship to begin her Ph.D. Her research focused on X-ray astronomy, where she studied accretion disks in compact objects and relativistic jets. She utilised observations from major X-ray observatories like AstroSat and NICER for her work. Throughout her PhD, Divya actively collaborated with other institutes across India, contributing to the development of the astrophysics research community.
She became a teaching assistant for four semesters while pursuing her Ph.D. During her doctoral journey, Divya had the opportunity to expand her research internationally. She received a travel grant from the Commitee on Space Research (COSPAR) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to spend three months in the UK, where she collaborated with leading researchers in her field. She also received an international travel grant funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) to present her work at a conference in the USA.
Divya also published a paper in a prestigious journal, which garnered attention from the local media which had been a major milestone in her career.
2. 2021 - present : postdoctoral experiences
After completing her Ph.D. at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), Divya took up her first postdoctoral position at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, India. Between 2021 and 2023, she worked in the AstroSat Science Support Cell, helping other researchers with data analysis and organising webinars and workshops for Ph.D. students.
In 2023, Divya embarked on her second postdoctoral position at the Strasbourg’s Astronomical Observatory (Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg - ObAs) in France, where she is now part of the Science Survey Center of the XMM-Newton project. Her current role focuses on updating the code for the Xcat-DB interface, which manages sources catalogued in the XMM archive.
Divya chose France for her second postdoc because the research at ObAs aligned perfectly with her interests in X-ray astronomy. This marked her first time in France. She is also currently enrolled in a French language course to further integrate into her new environment.
Recently, through the financial support of ObAs, she attended a conference in South Korea where she presented her work and chaired a session. She is also planning to attend an upcoming workshop on machine learning in India.
To date, she has authored 14 research papers, 7 conference proceedings and has acted as a reviewer for prominent journals like Nature Astronomy and The Astrophysical Journal, and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
3. Future Career Goals
Divya’s primary career goal is to secure a permanent position in Academia where she can focus on her research. She enjoys the freedom that comes with academic research and is keen on continuing her work in this environment, either through a purely research-focused role or one that combines research and teaching.
In her current position at the Strasbourg’s Astronomical Observatory, she is exploring opportunities to mentor Master’s students, to continue guiding and teaching young researchers, which would enhanced her teaching skills.
While academia is her first choice, Divya is open to considering opportunities in the private sector, provided that they offer research positions.
Divya remains flexible and mobile, willing to relocate for the right position, whether in France or another country.
In the coming years, she hopes to expand her professional network and continue participating in national and international conferences and workshops. She is deeply engaged in the research community and will continue to publish and collaborate with top scientific journals.
4. Advice for Early Career Researchers
Divya's advice to young researchers are to :
« Actively engage and attend conferences as early as possible » : the active participation to national and international conferences is the key for building a professional network and for enhancing visibility.
« Focus on sharpening technical skills and revisiting fundamental concepts » : to stay competitive in an evolving field and build a strong research core.
« Be proactive » : use dedicated portals, send emails, and reach out, even when no positions are advertised !