Postdoctoral Fellows

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NEON Postdoctoral Fellows contribute to NEON’s scientific mission through advancement of science and engagement of the user community. The fellows leverage NEON data in collaboration with NEON staff and community contributors to generate scientific outcomes and peer-reviewed publications, while engaging the scientific community in NEON data use and potentially generating new tools to facilitate use of NEON data. Fellows receive funding for a period of two years, contingent on successful performance and available funding.

Terms for the NEON’s 2020 cohort of postdoctoral fellows commence January 2021. The next call is tentatively planned for 2022.

These postdoctoral positions are ideally suited for researchers with interests in open, reproducible data science, cross-scale approaches, and/or scientific engagement. Although proposals related to any aspect of NEON science are invited, approaches that leverage the unique characteristics of NEON are of particular interest, including:

  • synthesis of continental-scale and/or decadal-scale datasets
  • synthesis of data to enable ecological forecasting
  • temporal or spatial scaling of approaches
  • integration of disparate data streams across the Observatory (e.g., integrating data from the Airborne Observation Platform with data from the Terrestrial or Aquatic Observation Systems)
  • increasing diversity and inclusion in NEON user communities

NEON scientists suited to the fellows’ areas of interest serve as an internal NEON mentor for each fellow. Prior to applying, fellows identify an external collaborating mentor(s) (and associated institution) with whom they work to complete their project. Travel funds to interact with the collaborating mentor and to attend conferences will be provided to the fellow. Fellows are expected to be based at the NEON Headquarters in Boulder, CO.

Fellowship Opportunities

The fellowship includes professional development and mentoring opportunities beyond the fellow-led research project, as well as opportunities to participate in ongoing NEON activities. The postdoctoral fellows will join the NEON Science team, which includes approximately 60 scientists, most of whom are located at the headquarters in Boulder. Monthly seminar series and informal discussion with peers and the large cadre of NEON scientists will provide opportunities for fellows to form collaborations, discuss and identify solutions to research challenges, and expand their professional networks. The scientific community beyond NEON headquarters also offers a wealth of such opportunities, including leveraging existing collaborations with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Long-term Ecological Research Network, and the University of Colorado. Battelle also offers extensive training resources as well as funds to support external training opportunities that will uniquely facilitate career development for each fellow.

Fellowship Eligibility Criteria

Applicants may hold a doctoral degree in any ecological/environmental science field (e.g., ecology, conservation, biometeorology, ecosystem science, atmospheric modeling), data science, or related field. Candidates must complete all requirements for their Ph.D. by their start date. Applicants should have experience with complex data analyses and have strong problem solving and analytical skills. Proven ability to both speak in public to a diversity of audiences and to write and edit scientific literature or content for public delivery is also required. Applicants should also be able to plan and conduct independent research projects from beginning to end. For data-intensive research proposals, applicant should also be a proficient programmer in interpreter languages (e.g., R or Python). Desired qualifications include experience working with large, publicly available datasets; experience working on highly collaborative scientific projects; and experience working with online collaboration and development tools such as Trello, GitHub, JupyterHub, and DockerHub.

NEON encourages applications from individuals from groups underrepresented in NEON research, including U.S. minorities (e.g. African Americans, American Indians including Native Alaskans, Hispanics, Native Pacific Islanders) and persons with disabilities.

Postdoctoral Support

Appointments will be through Battelle and fellowship awardees will be based full-time (minimum 80% of Battelle workdays) at NEON’s facilities in Boulder, CO. The fellowship provides a competitive annual stipend, full employee benefits, and an annual travel allowance to attend meetings, meet with collaborators, and support the external Collaborating Mentor’s travel to NEON to work with the Fellow.

The Application Process

Note that this was the process used for the now closed 2020 call. Modifications to this process may be made for the next call.

Step 1: Selecting a Collaborating Mentor

Applicants are responsible for initiating and developing a relationship with an external collaborating mentor to co-develop a research project. Co-mentors are permitted provided: 1) co-mentors both agree to contribute to the project and mentor the applicant, and 2) there are no more than two co-mentors.

Collaborating Mentor Requirements

All collaborating mentors must have:

  • Demonstrated expertise in a relevant science discipline (Ph.D. required)
  • Sufficient research experience to provide substantive intellectual and methodological mentoring to the postdoctoral fellow for the proposed research (i.e., they should be beyond the postdoctoral career stage)

A collaborating mentor may be affiliated with any organization or institution, and we welcome mentors from universities, NGOs, government agencies, other research institutions or the business sector. NEON encourages mentors from groups underrepresented in NEON research.

Collaborating Mentor Responsibilities

NEON postdoctoral fellows are independent researchers, and thus prospective fellows should take the lead on writing and developing the proposal. The collaborating mentor is expected to work closely with the fellow on the proposed project for a period of two years and to provide mentorship on the research. Successful applications will clearly delineate the roles of the fellow and the collaborating mentor in the proposed project. We encourage fellows and mentors to discuss these roles and expectations prior to submitting the proposal.

In addition to assisting in the development of the research proposal for the fellowship application, collaborating mentors will be required to write a letter of commitment, which describes their:

  • Expected role in the project
  • View of and enthusiasm for the proposed collaboration
  • Plan to stay engaged with the prospective fellow and the project
  • Endorsement of the proposed project and its potential scientific outcome
  • Perception of the prospective fellow’s ability to conduct the proposed research

Successful applicants will be funded by NEON and based at NEON headquarters in Boulder, CO. They are expected to meet regularly with their collaborating mentor; travel funds will be provided to fellows for mentor travel to NEON, if feasible. Annual written evaluations of the fellows research progress will be requested from collaborating mentors; a successful evaluation from both the collaborating mentor and NEON mentor will be required to receive the second year of funding.

Step 2: Proposal Co-Development with Collaborating Mentor

All proposals must be co-developed with a collaborating mentor, with the applicant taking the lead in writing and developing the proposal.

Step 3: Application Components

Applications must be submitted as a single PDF, using single spacing, 12-pt type fonts, and 1-inch margins with all sections in the following order:

  1. Cover Sheet
  2. Collaborating Mentor(s) Letter of Commitment
  3. Research Proposal
  4. Full CV of the Applicant
  5. Full Text of a Representative Publication
  6. Contact information for 2 References

Incomplete applications are not advanced to the review panel. Proposals failing to follow format instructions or exceeding specified page limits will also not be advanced to panel.

[1] Cover Sheet

  • Descriptive title
  • Short title (50 characters max)
  • Name and contact information
  • Date of Ph.D. defense: If the defense has not yet occurred, applicants need a letter from their graduate advisor or committee member verifying the expected date of completion. This should be added to your application immediately after the Cover Sheet
  • Name, title, and affiliation of external collaborating mentor(s)
  • Project summary (250 words), appropriate for the public and to be posted on the NEON website if applicant is awarded a fellowship (may be edited by NEON staff before posting)
  • Keywords (up to 5 keywords different from those used in the title)
  • Statement of how this program aligns with applicant’s career goals (250 words)
  • Statement of how applicant will contribute to diversity and inclusion in the NEON user community (250 words)
  • Potential conflicts of interest with NEON staff members. A conflict of interest will not disadvantage your application. Rather, we need this information to follow proper review protocol

[2] Letter of Commitment from Collaborating Mentor(s)

A single letter of commitment should address the following:

  • Expected role(s) in the project
  • View of and enthusiasm for the proposed collaboration
  • Plan to stay engaged with the prospective fellow and the project
  • Endorsement of the proposed project and its potential scientific outcome
  • Perception of the prospective fellow’s ;ability to conduct the proposed research

[3] Research Proposal (4 pages max, excluding references)

  • Clear and concise statement of the project goals including specific research questions and how the project will advance NEON science
  • Methods to be used for the project
  • Description of research results and products expected from the project, including products (beyond manuscripts) that support outreach to and engagement of NEON users
  • Description of prospective fellow’s and collaborating mentor’s respective roles in the project and plans for maintaining communication throughout the project

[4] Full CV of the Applicant and Collaborating Mentor(s)

Include an up-to-date CV in the proposal package. Proposal packages missing an individual’s CV will be considered incomplete and will not be advanced to the Review Committee.

[5] Full Text of One Representative Publication

Include a PDF of one peer-reviewed paper authored by the applicant; lead-authored publications are preferred, if available.

[6] Contact information for 2 References

Each application requires email and telephone contact information for two references who are willing to provide a letter commenting on the applicant’s ability to carry out both independent and collaborative research. These references should be individuals other than the collaborating mentor(s).

Selection Criteria

Postdoctoral applications will be evaluated by the following criteria. Each is given equal weight by the Review Committee:

  1. Applicant qualifications and experience, including assessment from references, and alignment of the applicant’s specific career objectives with the NEON postdoctoral program.
  2. Likelihood of proposed research to advance NEON science, including novelty, creativity, and/or urgency of proposed work.
  3. Feasibility of producing meaningful research results within a two-year time frame, including identifying and showing ability to access appropriate data and methods.
  4. Clear delineation of the respective roles for the fellow and collaborating mentor in the project and the value of the collaboration.
  5. Potential to contribute to scientific engagement of user community, including increasing diversity and inclusion of the NEON user community.

Questions?

Please contact NEON at postdoc.application@battelleecology.org.