Kartik Sheth

Kartik Sheth is an astrophysicist specializing in galaxy formation and evolution who left his position as NASA's Associate (Deputy) Chief Scientist in Washington to join the Marseille Astrophysics Laboratory (LAM) at Aix-Marseille University through the Safe Place for Science programme, beginning in 2026.

On March 10, 2025, Sheth received sudden notice that NASA's Office of the Chief Scientist and Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy — the structures responsible for advising the NASA administrator on all science and technology matters — were being eliminated entirely. "Receiving such news came as a real shock," Sheth said. "The biggest challenge was that, overnight, I found myself unemployed and didn't know how I would be able to continue my work." During his decade in government, following nearly twenty years in academia, Sheth managed a research budget of $8.5 billion at NASA. His research focuses on barred spiral galaxies and star formation, using instruments including the Hubble Space Telescope and, more recently, the James Webb Space Telescope.

Sheth met French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the recruitment programme before his move. "The French have been extremely wonderful and generous in offering a pretty sizable start-up package," he said, while urging European funders to allow American recruits to retain some ties to their former US institutions and collaborators.