frontier research deep techastronomyastrophysicsobservational datatelescope time
Complete evaluation framework
What to assess and how to score it
Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Theoretical command
35% weight
Check command of the subfield they claim: stellar populations, exoplanet transits, radio interferometry, cosmological parameters. Ask which models or codes underpin their conclusions and where those break down.
Evidence to listen for
Explains the underlying theory at the level the role demands, and can go a layer deeper when pushed
Knows which results are established and which are contested
Distinguishes their own contribution from the field's
Comfortable saying where the theory runs out
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Recites terminology without understanding; cannot go one layer deeper.
2
Needs Improvement
Surface familiarity; conflates established results with speculation.
3
Satisfactory
Solid grasp of the core theory; thin at the frontier.
4
Very Good
Strong command; separates settled results from open questions.
5
Excellent
Names specific formalisms and their limits, distinguishes model assumptions from observed quantities, cites papers that changed their own thinking.
02
Evaluation factor
From theory to hardware or code
30% weight
Probe actual reduction and analysis work: CASA, IRAF, astropy, DrizzlePac, MCMC fitting, pipeline code on GitHub, instrument commissioning or detector characterisation they did hands-on.
Evidence to listen for
Has built, simulated, or run something real, not only published about it
Knows the gap between the idealised model and the actual apparatus or system
Names the practical constraint that dominates in real conditions
Can describe a result that did not match prediction
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Purely theoretical; no contact with implementation.
2
Needs Improvement
Some exposure but unaware of practical constraints.
3
Satisfactory
Has implemented work; understands the main real-world limits.
4
Very Good
Strong practical record; articulate about theory-versus-reality gaps.
5
Excellent
Walks through a pipeline they built or debugged, from raw frames to calibrated photometry, with version-controlled code others reuse.
03
Evaluation factor
Research judgement
20% weight
Assess how they choose targets and defend time: successful HST, JWST, ALMA, VLT or NRAO proposals, survey strategy trade-offs, when they abandoned a null result.
Evidence to listen for
Chooses problems by tractability and value, not novelty alone
Knows when to abandon a line of work
Reads and evaluates others' results critically
Can say what would falsify their own approach
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Chases novelty; no sense of tractability or when to stop.
2
Needs Improvement
Weak problem selection; persists past the point of value.
3
Satisfactory
Reasonable judgement within a defined programme.
4
Very Good
Selects problems well and knows when to abandon a line.
5
Excellent
Shows awarded telescope time with a clear science case, and explains a project they killed once the signal-to-noise made it unwinnable.
04
Evaluation factor
Explaining it to non-specialists
15% weight
Look for evidence of translating results outward: press releases, planetarium or public talks, undergraduate supervision, briefing funders or observatory directors without collapsing into jargon.
Evidence to listen for
Explains the work to an engineer, an executive, or a funder without either mystifying or dumbing it down
Writes clearly
Collaborates across disciplines
Makes the case for resources in terms the audience cares about
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot communicate outside their specialism.
2
Needs Improvement
Explanation is either impenetrable or hollow.
3
Satisfactory
Adequate with technical peers; less effective with lay audiences.
4
Very Good
Explains clearly to specialists and non-specialists alike.
5
Excellent
Explains a result such as a redshift measurement or transit depth in plain terms while keeping the uncertainty honest.
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