The Department of Physics and the Integrated Space Science and Technology Institute (ISSTI) in the College of Arts and Sciences at American University invites applications for a Research Scientist position, funded by a cooperative agreement with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The appointment is a 12-month term position, with the possibility of renewal based on performance and funding availability. The research will be conducted at the Instrument Systems and Technology Division of GSFC in Greenbelt, MD, and will focus on development and testing of a compact laser desorption heterodyne spectrometer for future lunar missions.