Biography


Richard de Grijs obtained his PhD from the University of Groningen (Netherlands) in 1997, and subsequently held two postdoctoral positions (at the University of Virginia, USA, and the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK), before being appointed to a permanent post at the University of Sheffield (UK) in 2003. He joined the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University in September 2009 as a full professor, where he actively contributed to the Institute's development (until February 2018). In March 2018, he took up an appointment as Professor of Astrophysics and Associate Dean (Global Engagement) at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Richard has been one of the scientific editors of The Astrophysical Journal (2006-2012). He was promoted to deputy Editor of The Astrophysical Journal Letters in September 2012, in which role he served until mid-2018. He is the founding director of the East Asian Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (2012-2016). He also served as the international coordinator for China of the Institute of Physics (UK; 2009-2018). He was awarded the 2012 Selby Award for excellence in science by the Australian Academy of Science, a 2013 Visiting Academy Professorship at Leiden University by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, a 2017 Erskine award by the University of Canterbury (Christchurch, New Zealand), and a 2017 Outstanding Undergraduate Instructor Award, nominated by the student body at Peking University.

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Current appointments

 
03/2018 - present Professor of Astrophysics
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Macquarie University (Australia)
07/2023 - present Executive Director
International Space Science Institute-Beijing (China)

Honorary appointments

09/2022 - present Associate
INASP (International Network for Advancing Science and Policy)
02/2021 - present Associate Editor
Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage
09/2002 - present (for life) Prize fellow
Hughes Hall (College), University of Cambridge (UK)

Previous appointments

08/2022 - 11/2023 Specialty Chief Editor (Fundamental Astronomy)
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences (resigned owing to high workload)
03/2018 - 02/2021 Associate Dean (Global Engagement)
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Macquarie University (Australia)
09/2009 - 02/2018 Professor of Astrophysics
Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics
Peking University (China)
04/2012 - 12/2013 Associate Director
Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics
Peking University (China)
01/2008 - 02/2010
10/2005 - 12/2007
06/2003 - 09/2005
 
 		 Reader in Astrophysics
Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics
Lecturer in Astrophysics
Department of Physics & Astronomy
The University of Sheffield (UK)
11/2000 - 05/2003 Research fellow
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge (UK)
11/1997 - 10/2000 Research associate
Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia (USA)

Previous honorary appointments

06/2020 - 05/2023 Senior Adviser (Job Level 3)
Australia Awards in Indonesia Joint Selection Team, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
09/2012 - 06/2018 Deputy Editor
The Astrophysical Journal Letters
12/2016 - 02/2018 Visiting Professor and Advisory Board Member
Department of Astronomy, China West Normal University, Nanchong (Sichuan), China
05/2015 - 02/2018 Visiting Professor
Qiannan Normal College for Nationalities, Duyun City (Guizhou), China
04/2015 - 04/2021 Discipline Scientist (Astrophysics)
International Space Science Institute--Beijing
02/2013 - 01/2014 Visiting Academy Professor
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
(held at Leiden University)
08/2012 - 08/2016 Director
East Asian node of the Office of Astronomy for Development (International Astronomical Union)
2012 Selby Fellow
Australian Academy of Science
12/2010 - 02/2018 Guest professor
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (China)
11/2006 - 08/2012 Scientific Editor
The Astrophysical Journal
04/2011 - 03/2012 Visiting professor (distinguished international scholar)
Kyung Hee University (Republic of Korea)
03/2010 - 02/2012 Honorary Reader
Department of Physics & Astronomy
The University of Sheffield (UK)
09/2005 - 08/2009 Adjunct professor
National Astronomical Observatories (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Beijing (China)

Education

1993 - 1997 PhD in Astrophysics
University of Groningen (Netherlands)
1988 - 1992 M.Phil. in Physics & Astronomy
University of Groningen (Netherlands)
See my full CV for more details.


(IOP schools outreach in Sichuan, July 2011)