NOMIS–STRI
Fellowship

3 Year Postdoctoral Fellowships
in Animal Behavior

STRI Panama

Fellowships

D. Ross Robertson Fellowship for field
research on neotropical shore-fishes

A one-year predoctoral fellowship for field-oriented
research of marine and brackish-water fishes found
in nearshore, tropical, and subtropical waters.

STRI Panama

Fellowships

D. Ross Robertson Research Award
Fellowship for Field Studies of
Neotropical Deep-Reef fishes

A research award to a predoctoral student or recent
PhD for fieldwork on deep-reef fishes, anywhere in the Neotropics

Overview

Much of STRI’s success is due to its ability to attract some of the brightest scholars from diverse fields of tropical research. We invest more than $3 million every year to support creative young researchers at critical stages in their careers. Fellowships range from three months to three years and allow young scholars to explore their own research questions across Panama’s rich tropical ecosystems while based at our state-of-the-art facilities.

Before you apply

Prior to submitting the formal application, applicants must first reach out to the staff scientist they are interested in working with to determine if that scientist is available to serve as a research advisor and mentor. Staff research profiles and contact information can be found here and a list of research associates is here. Also, applicants should review the specific guidelines of each fellowship. You must use the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA) available through the Office of Fellowships and Internships webpage to apply for all internships for which you are eligible.

* Tax Information – This information is being offered as a courtesy only for fellows and interns.  Fellows and interns are solely responsible for determining their own tax liability and complying with all applicable tax laws and reporting obligations.

Note: Neither the Smithsonian, on behalf of STRI, nor the Republic of Panama withholds taxes on any fellowship awards.  This is because fellows are performing their own, independent research and are neither treated as employees or contractors of the Smithsonian. 

US citizens: Payment of income tax is a personal obligation of each individual.  The Internal Revenue Service of the United States (IRS) specifies that all income of citizens and residents of the USA, and their spouses if filing jointly, that is generated from fellowship or internship appointments is reportable.

Smithsonian stipend recipients who are U.S. citizens or residents will NOT receive an IRS tax form (W-2 or 1099) from the Smithsonian because they are not employees of or contractors for the Smithsonian. Stipend recipients are responsible, however, for including the entire award (stipend, travel and research allowances) in their income tax return for each full or partial tax year during which he/she received an award. U.S. citizens who reside in the U.S. will receive a Financial Statement from the Smithsonian that includes the amount of the stipend paid but this is for the fellow or intern’s personal records and is not submitted to the IRS.  U.S. Citizens who reside in Panama will not receive a Financial Statement unless they request one.  Persons who are residents of other countries are responsible for complying with the applicable tax reporting requirements for their home country,

For those required to report their income to the IRS, various income exemptions and the tax credits on fellowship and internship awards may be available, depending in part on the length of time the fellow or intern spends in Panama during a tax year. These exemptions vary tremendously with individual circumstances and each fellow/intern is responsible for determining his/her own exemptions and tax liability. The Smithsonian cannot provide tax advice on these matters. Fellowship recipients are encouraged to consult IRS publications 970 "Tax Benefits for Education" at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf, and publication 54 “Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad” at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p54.pdf. You may call the IRS at 1-800-829-3676 for further information and to request forms by mail. Commercial online tax preparation services also are available.

Current fellowship opportunities

Three-year NOMIS–STRI Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Animal Behavior in the Tropics

Deadline

July 15, 2024

Duration

Three years

Program dates

Selection decisions will be communicated by September 15, 2024. The start date is flexible but should begin within six months of notification of the award.

Description

The NOMIS Foundation, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), headquartered in the Republic of Panama, are seeking outstanding biologists for three-year postdoctoral fellowships in tropical animal behavior (see: NOMIS and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute launch new fellowship program). Successful candidates will explore fundamental questions addressing social behavior and its proximate and ultimate causes. Areas of specialty may include, but are not limited to, the evolution of social behavior, sensory biology and neuroethology, cognitive ecology, socioecology, neurogenetics, and the genetic or physiological bases of social behavior. Candidates working on any animal taxa, marine or terrestrial, will be considered. NOMIS–STRI fellows will be resident in Panama, and will have the opportunity to conduct comparative research throughout the tropics. Awards are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, or disability. STRI is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity in its workforce.

About the NOMIS Foundation

The NOMIS Foundation supports and enables insight-driven science across all disciplines, focusing on researchers who put forth bold new ideas, exhibit a pioneering spirit, and seek to inspire the world around them. NOMIS’ vision is to “create a spark” in the world of science by enabling and supporting pioneering research in the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities that benefits humankind and our planet. In 2024, NOMIS partnered with STRI to establish the NOMIS–STRI Fellowship Program for Animal Behavior Research in the Tropics.

Eligibility
  • PhD studies must be completed before the fellowship begins. Preferably, candidates will be more advanced in their scientific career, and will have already acquired their first postdoctoral experience. However, the Selection Panel will also consider exceptionally promising candidates who fall outside the above criteria.
  • NOMIS–STRI Fellows are expected to commit a significant portion of their research at STRI’s field locations in Panama.
Award

A yearly stipend of $US 62,000 and a research and travel budget of up to $13,000 per year.

Postdoctoral Position in Airborne Laser Scanning of Tropical Forest Carbon Stocks

Employer:  GEO-TREES and ForestGEO

The GEO-TREES initiative, in partnership with the Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) and through support from the Bezos Earth Fund, invites applications for a postdoctoral position in airborne laser scanning of tropical forest carbon stocks.

GEO-TREES is an ambitious collective effort to set up the world's first ground-based, standardized reference system to transparently and independently ensure that satellite observations accurately represent real forest carbon stocks, in all forest types and conditions, today and into the future. This unprecedented multi-network collaboration will use innovative technologies, partnerships and training, broad sampling, as well as long-term commitment and fair funding for field partners to establish 100 core sites and 200 supplementary sites around the globe to measure and monitor forest biomass stocks. It will deliver these data through a first-of-its-kind online portal – openly accessible to the public, to the science and corporate communities, and to space agencies driving critical advances in satellite technology.

ForestGEO is a global network of forest research plots and scientists dedicated to the study of forest function and diversity. ForestGEO conducts long-term, large-scale research on forests around the world to increase scientific understanding of forest ecosystems, guide sustainable forest management and natural-resource policies, monitor the impacts of environmental change, and build capacity in forest science. ForestGEO has joined forces with ForestPlots.net and TmFO, as well as ESA, CNRS, and other forest plot networks including RAINFOR, AfriTRON, 2ndFor, and SEOSAW to implement the GEO-TREES initiative.

High-quality, above-ground biomass reference data collected by the GEO-TREES initiative will involve three sets of co-located measurements at all core sites: forest inventory data, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and airborne laser scanning (ALS). These standardized measurements share a common requirement for high-quality data acquisition, transparent measurement protocols, and a long-term monitoring strategy. The integration of these three sets of measurements provides the greatest reduction in uncertainty associated with biomass measurements.

This postdoctoral position will focus on the acquisition, processing and analysis of ALS data. The role will involve (i) coordinating the acquisition of ALS data across numerous GEO-TREES sites, (ii) developing best-practices for the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of ALS data, and (iii) leading the writing of research papers based on the work. Importantly, the postdoc will be responsible for coordinating efforts to acquire ALS data using a range of different platforms (e.g., drones, helicopters, airplanes) in a way that ensures consistent, accurate and comparable datasets across sites and campaigns.

Candidates should hold a PhD in forest ecology, geography, environmental science, surveying, engineering or related discipline, have strong written and communication skills, and demonstrated ability to work in a team environment. They should have demonstrated expertise in technical field measurements, particularly in lidar data collection and analysis using ALS, ideally with forest-related applications. Candidates should have a strong analytical background, with expertise in handling large datasets and excellent coding skills (R, Python, GitHub etc.), and an established track record of independent research and scholarly publication in their area of expertise.

The position will be based at one of the institutions leading the ALS research for the GEO-TREES initiative (https://geo-trees.org/about_us/), including the collaborating Smithsonian units, the University of Maryland (USA) and the University of Bristol (UK). The position will be co-supervised by ALS research leads at those institutions (Prof. Laura Duncanson, University of Maryland and Dr. Tommaso Jucker, University of Bristol) and Dr. Stuart Davies (ForestGEO, STRI). The position will require occasional travel to coordinate activities among GEO-TREES project partners and oversee the acquisition of ALS data.

The successful candidate will be appointed at the standard postdoctoral salary and benefits at the selected host institution. The appointment is for two years initially, with opportunity for extension based on successful performance. The start date is flexible, but earlier start dates are preferred.

To apply, send a single PDF file containing a cover letter including a statement of research interest, CV, contact information for three references, and three relevant publications or manuscripts to Lauren Krizel, ForestGEO Program Manager (krizell@si.edu).

Review of applications will begin on 11 March 2024 and continue until the position is filled.

For further information, contact Stuart Davies (daviess@si.edu) or Jérôme Chave (jerome.chave@univ-tlse3.fr).

Job Locations: Various

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Tropical Forest Mortality

Employer:  ForestGEO & NGEE-Tropics

The Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) is a global network of forest research plots and scientists dedicated to the study of forest function and diversity. ForestGEO conducts long-term, large-scale research on forests around the world to increase scientific understanding of forest ecosystems, guide sustainable forest management and natural-resource policies, monitor the impacts of environmental change, and build capacity in forest science.

ForestGEO is one of several institutions involved in the Next Generation Ecosystem Experiments-Tropics (NGEE-Tropics), a ten-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER). NGEE-Tropics aims to fill critical gaps in knowledge of tropical forest-climate system interactions. The overarching goal of NGEE-Tropics is to develop a predictive understanding of the role of tropical forests in the Earth’s coupled biogeochemical cycles and forest disturbance/recovery processes and how they will respond to changing environmental drivers over the 21st century.

ForestGEO and NGEE-Tropics invite applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in tropical forest mortality. The causes and dynamics of tropical tree mortality remain poorly understood, resulting in significant uncertainty in how tropical forests will respond to future environmental changes. Long-term ForestGEO data, coupled with annual mortality surveys, will be used to explore the drivers and dynamics of tree mortality. Additional field data may be needed to advance understanding of mortality (e.g., measurements of plant stress, traits associated with disturbances, fire resistance, drought tolerance, carbon starvation, etc.). The overall goal is to significantly improve model representation of tree mortality in tropical forests.

More information about ForestGEO’s mortality protocol here.

Candidates should hold a PhD in forest ecology or environmental science with experience directly relevant to the topics described above, strong written and communication skills, and demonstrated ability to work in a team environment. Candidates should have a strong analytical background, an established record of research, and scholarly publication in forest science. Research topics should include subjects related to the dynamics of tropical forests including comparative studies of demography, growth, mortality, biomass change, emphasizing comparative studies among forests. Candidates with empirical, theoretical or modeling backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The position will be based at the ForestGEO headquarters at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. The fellowship will require travel for field work in a range of tropical forest countries involved in the ForestGEO program.

The appointment is for two years initially, with an opportunity for extension based on successful performance. The starting date is flexible; earlier start dates are preferred.

To apply, send a single PDF file containing a cover letter including a statement of research interest, CV, contact information for three references, and three relevant publications or manuscripts to Lauren Krizel, ForestGEO Program Manager, krizell@si.edu.

Review of applications will begin on 15 March 2024. The search will continue until a qualified candidate is appointed. For further information, contact ForestGEO Director, Stuart Davies, daviess@si.edu.

Job Locations:
Washington, DC, USA

Postdoctoral Position in Tropical Forest Terrestrial Laser Scanning to Estimate Tropical Forest Carbon Stocks

Employer:  GEO-TREES and ForestGEO

The GEO-TREES initiative in partnership with the Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) through support from the Bezos Earth Fund invite applications for a postdoctoral position in tropical forest terrestrial laser scanning for the estimation of tropical forest carbon stocks.

GEO-TREES is an ambitious world-wide initiative – the world's first ground-based, standardized reference system to transparently and independently ensure that satellite observations accurately represent real forest carbon stocks, in all forest types and conditions, today and into the future. This unprecedented multi-network collaboration will use innovative technology, partnerships and training, broad sampling, as well as long-term commitment and fair funding for field partners to establish 100 core sites and 200 supplementary sites around the globe to measure and monitor forest biomass stocks. It will deliver these data in a powerful portal – openly accessible to the public, to the science and corporate communities, and to space agencies driving critical advances in satellite technology.

The Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) is a global network of forest research plots and scientists dedicated to the study of forest function and diversity. ForestGEO conducts long-term, large-scale research on forests around the world to increase scientific understanding of forest ecosystems, guide sustainable forest management and natural-resource policies, monitor the impacts of environmental change, and build capacity in forest science. ForestGEO has joined forces with ForestPlots.net and TmFO, as well as ESA, CNRS, and other forest plot networks including RAINFOR, AfriTRON, 2ndFor, and SEOSAW to implement the GEO-TREES initiative.

High-quality, above-ground biomass reference data collected by the GEO-TREES initiative will involve three sets of co-located measurements at all core sites: forest inventory data, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and airborne laser scanning. These standardized measurements share a common requirement for high-quality data acquisition, transparent measurement protocols, and a long-term monitoring strategy. The integration of these three sets of measurements provides the greatest reduction in uncertainty associated with biomass measurements.

This postdoctoral position will focus on the collection and analysis of TLS data, and will involve field data collection, data processing, management and analysis, and the development of research papers based on the work. Importantly, the postdoc will be responsible for coordinating efforts of different TLS teams to ensure consistent, accurate and comparable data acquisitions across different sites and campaigns. The postdoc will also be involved in training and capacity-sharing with GEO-TREES partners and associated students in TLS-based research.

Candidates should hold a PhD in forest ecology, geography, environmental science, surveying, engineering or related discipline, have strong written and communication skills, and demonstrated ability to work in a team environment. They should have demonstrated expertise in technical field measurements, particularly in lidar data collection and analysis using TLS, ideally in forest-related applications. Candidates should have a strong analytical background, with expertise in handling large datasets and excellent coding skills using 3D data (R, Python etc.), and an established record of research and scholarly publication in their area of expertise.

The position will be based at one of the institutions leading the TLS research for the GEO-TREES initiative including the collaborating Smithsonian units, University College London, UK, or GFZ Potsdam, Germany. The position will be co-supervised by TLS research leads at those institutions and Dr. Stuart Davies (ForestGEO, STRI).

The position requires travel for extensive field work in tropical forest countries involved in the GEO-TREES initiative.

The successful candidate will be appointed at the standard postdoctoral salary and benefits at the selected host institution. The appointment is for two years initially, with opportunity for extension based on successful performance. The start date is flexible; earlier start dates are preferred.

To apply, send a single PDF file containing a cover letter including a statement of research interest, CV, contact information for three references, and three relevant publications or manuscripts to Lauren Krizel, ForestGEO Program Manager, krizell@si.edu.

Review of applications is ongoing and will continue until the position is filled.

For further information, contact Stuart Davies, (daviess@si.edu) or Jérôme Chave (jerome.chave@univ-tlse3.fr).

Job Locations: Various

D. Ross Robertson fellowships for field research on neotropical shore-fishes

Deadline

TBA

Duration

The 2023 fellowship is a 12-month predoctoral fellowship.

Program Dates

Fellowships usually begin about two months after notification of acceptance.

Description

Supported by an endowment created to further the accomplishment of field research on the evolution, ecology, natural history and related taxonomic and systematic issues, of marine and brackish-water fishes found in nearshore, tropical and subtropical waters of North, Central and South America, and the Panama Canal. This includes research in neotropical countries other than Panama, although the fellow is expected to be based at STRI during at least part of the tenure of the fellowship.

Eligibility

PhD students formally enrolled at a university.

Award

In 2023 this endowment will support a 12-month predoctoral fellowship for a student pursuing a PhD. Stipend: US$46,000;  Research allowance: up to $25,000 (note that this is intended to cover, and be the sole source of STRI funding for, all reasonable expenses for the research planned in the proposal, so prepare the budget accordingly); Round trip airfare to Panama; Health insurance - up to $2,500.

D. Ross Robertson Research Fellowship Awards for Field Studies of Neotropical Deep-Reef fishes

Deadline

TBA

Duration

Research must be conducted within one year after accepting the award.

Program Dates

Fellowships usually begin about two months after notification of acceptance.

Description

The endowment supports field research on any aspects of the biology of living reef-fishes found between 40-300m, anywhere in the Neotropics. Awardees are not required to use STRI facilities nor to conduct research in Panama.

Eligibility

PhD students formally enrolled at a university, and recent PhDs (up to 3 years after receipt of their degree) who are formally affiliated with a research- or teaching institution. Proposals for collaborative research involving both the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the Division of Fishes of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) are encouraged.

Award

Up to $40,000.00. The fellowship will support the costs of conducting fieldwork on deep-reef fishes. Those costs include the awardee’s travel to and from the research site and living expenses while conducting fieldwork there. Awards do not provide a stipend or cover costs of related laboratory research.

Short-Term fellowships

Deadlines

February 15, June 15 and October 15

Duration

Three months

Program dates

Fellowships usually begin about two months after notification of acceptance.

Description

The Short-Term Fellowship Program allows selected candidates to come to STRI at any time of the year and is an excellent resource to provide support for graduate students and introduce them to tropical research. Although focused primarily on graduate students, awards are occasionally given to undergraduate and postdoctoral candidates. These fellowships enable selected candidates to work in the tropics and explore research possibilities at STRI.

Eligibility

Graduate students, undergrads and postdocs.

Award

Fellowships provide a modest stipend to cover living expenses while at STRI (currently $1,250/month, a total amount of $3,750 for stipend), a modest research allowance, NOT to exceed $2000; and a round-trip coach airfare. Partial awards are occasionally given depending on funding availability. Applicants are encouraged to seek additional sources of funding.

Sabbatical for Visiting Scientists

Program Dates

Up to twelve months

Description

Sabbatical for up to twelve months may be given to an individual who will do full-time research or other activities at STRI and has demonstrated the achievements expected of an established and independent research scientist, scholar, professional or creative.  Sabbatical Fellows are expected to pursue independent research, scholarship, or creative work, although collaboration with STRI scientists and/or members of the Panamanian scientific community is highly desirable.

3-YEAR POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP

Deadline

June 1, 2024

Duration

Three years

Program Dates

Fellowships usually begin about two months after notification of acceptance.

Description

STRI’s most prestigious postdoctoral fellowship is awarded once a year to an outstanding candidate in one of the many research fields practiced at STRI. Successful candidate will conduct a three-year research program based at a STRI facility, typically in the lab of a staff scientist who serves as host or advisor on the project.

Eligibility

Researchers whose Ph.D. studies are completed before fellowship begins.

Award

A yearly stipend of $US 57,000 and a research budget of up to $16,000.

Smithsonian Institution fellowships

The Smithsonian Institution’s central fellowship program awards scholarships to conduct independent study at one or more of the Smithsonian’s 19 units and research centers. Fellowships are designed for young scholars at different stages of their academic career from graduate students to senior postdoctoral researchers. Please follow the links below for information about duration, eligibility and stipends related to specific SI fellowships.

There are numerous Smithsonian Institution fellowships that can be hosted at STRI, ranging from 10 weeks to three years, depending on the fellowship. These academic appointments are targeted to a range of young scholars from graduate students to senior post-doctoral researchers. All applicants for fellowships are eligible and considered for the Secretary’s Distinguished Research Fellowship, which provides the awardee with an additional year of support.

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP) is listed in SOLAA under the Office of Fellowships.

Resilience and Sustainability Science Postdoctoral Fellowship

Deadline

August 31

Duration

Two years

Program Dates

Fellowships usually begin about two months after notification of acceptance.

Description

Successful candidate will conduct a two-year research program, typically in the lab of a staff scientist who serves as host or advisor on the project.

Eligibility

Researchers whose Ph.D. studies are completed before fellowship begins.

Award

A yearly stipend of $US 62,000 and a research budget of up to $16,000/year.

Graduate student fellowships

Deadline

November 1

Duration

10 weeks

Program dates

Fellows must begin within one year from the date of their award letter.

Description

Graduate student fellowships are for students formally enrolled in a graduate program. Before appointment, students must have completed at least one full-time semester or equivalent of their graduate program. These fellowships are intended for students who have not advanced to candidacy if enrolled in a doctoral program.

Eligibility

Students currently enrolled in a graduate program.

Award

$10,000

Predoctoral student fellowship

Deadline

November 1

Duration

3-12 months

Program dates

Fellows must begin within one year from the date of their award letter.

Description

Pre-doctoral student fellowships are for university students currently enrolled as a candidate for a Ph.D. or equivalent. Before appointment, the university must approve the undertaking of dissertation research at the Smithsonian Institution and certify that the requirements for the dissertation have been met.

Award

$45,000 annually; up to $5,000 research allowance

Postdoctoral Researcher Fellowship

Deadline

November 1

Duration

3-24 months

Program dates

Fellows must begin within one year from the date of their award letter.

Description

Postdoctoral fellowships require that the fellow’s doctorate be complete by the time the fellowship begins.

Award

$57,000 annually; up to $5,000 research allowance

Senior postdoctoral researcher fellowship

Deadline

November 1

Duration

3-24 months

Program dates

Fellows must begin within one year from the date of their award letter.

Description

Senior postdoctoral positions are available to those who have held a Ph.D. for at least seven years or equivalent.

Award

$57,000 annually; up to $5,000 for research allowance.

Biodiversity Genomics Postdoctoral Fellowship

Deadline

November 1

Duration

12-24 months

Program dates

Awards announced in April; fellows must begin within one year from the date of their award letter.

Description

The Smithsonian Institution Biodiversity Genomics Postdoctoral fellowship promotes collaborative research in fields involving comparative genomic approaches such as phylogenetics, population genomics, metagenomics or transcriptomics, and has a component that involves significant bioinformatics analysis. STRI is one of four Smithsonian units with molecular research facilities. Cross-unit collaboration is encouraged under this fellowship. The National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute/National Zoological Park and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center are the other molecular facilities. Researchers who have completed their Ph.D. by the start date of the fellowship are eligible to apply.

Award

$55,000 annually; up to $4,000 research allowance

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