Smithsonian Marine Global Earth Observatory (MarineGEO)
Call for Postdoctoral Fellowship Proposals
Submission Deadline: December 1, 2014
The Smithsonian's Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network (TMON)
invites proposals for Postdoctoral Fellowships that will advance
goals of the Marine Global Earth Observatory. MarineGEO is a
developing partnership among diverse organizations united by focus on
global-scale, long-term study of coastal biodiversity and ecosystems
using standardized approaches. MarineGEO is coordinated by TMON,
which includes the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center on the
Chesapeake Bay (SERC), the Smithsonian Marine Station on the Indian
River Lagoon in Florida (SMSFP), the Carrie Bow Cay Marine Field
Station in Belize (CCRE Program), and sites in Caribbean and Pacific
Panama administered by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
(STRI). Additional partner sites are under development.
Eligibility and Award Amount. Postdoctoral scientists must
collaborate directly with two or more Smithsonian scientists as named
sponsors (see Smithsonian Marine Research Staff at
<http://www.si.edu/marinescience/staff.htm>http://www.si.edu/marinescience/staff.htm)
and must select co-Advisors from more than one SI unit (NMNH, SMSFP,
SERC, STRI, NZP). Stipend is $48,000 per year with an allowance for
health insurance, travel, and supplies up to a total $60,000 maximum
(including stipend) per year. Awards will be made for a maximum of
two years, pending first-year performance review. Proposals must
focus on comparative research related to MarineGEO goals
(http://www.si.edu/marinegeo) and involve at least two TMON
facilities. Applicants must have completed the Ph.D. before
commencing the fellowship. Individuals who have been employees at the
Smithsonian within the previous year are not eligible. Applicants are
strongly encouraged to contact prospective sponsors in developing
their proposals.
MarineGEO goals. MarineGEO and TMON are dedicated to understanding
change in and relationships among the biodiversity, structure, and
functioning of marine ecosystems at local through global scales. Our
research aims to advance scientific capacity for forecasting change
and informing policy. A cornerstone of MarineGEO is the use of
standardized, repeated measurements and experiments, maintained over
decades, conducted across the Smithsonian's facilities and an
expanding global network of diverse partners. This approach is
designed to achieve rigorous comparative understanding across space
and time, to understand variation in coastal marine ecosystems, and
to assess links between local and global environmental forcing,
biodiversity, and functioning of ecosystems. We seek applications for
Postdoctoral research projects that address at least one of TMON's
overarching research themes:
1. How does marine biodiversity vary through space and time across the globe?
2. How do natural and human forces (e.g. fishing, land-use,
invasions, habitat loss) drive changes in marine biodiversity and
ecosystem functioning and resilience?
3. What are the consequences for human well-being of these changes in
marine ecosystems?
4. How does anthropogenic alteration of carbon cycles affect coastal
marine systems and ecosystem service provision?
5. How are marine ecosystems connected via dispersal and
metapopulation dynamics, and how do these connections affect
responses to change and human well-being?
6. How do nearshore food webs change through space and time?
7. How can the past aancient through historic help us understand the
connsequences of local human activities and global change?
8. Where are the critical tipping points that lead to rapid and
unwanted shifts in marine ecosystems, and how can these best be avoided?
Proposal submission. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged
to consult with Smithsonian staff scientists prior to proposal
submission. Proposals must be submitted electronically as a single
PDF by midnight EST on December 1, 2014 to tosca...@si.edu. Two
non-Smithsonian referees must be identified in the proposal and
submit letters of support separately to the same email by this deadline.
Proposal Review and Award Notification. Proposals will be
peer-reviewed by a panel of Smithsonian scientists for scientific
merit, project feasibility and match with MarineGEO goals. Award
notification will be forwarded electronically by 1 March 2015 to the
applicants and their Smithsonian sponsors.
Smithsonian Scientific Diving Authorization. See www.si.edu/dive
Progress Reports and Publications. A progress report is required for
all projects and must be submitted electronically no later than ten
months after start of fellowship appointment. A final report is due
upon completion of the fellowship appointment. All publications
resulting from work supported by the Smithsonian Institution must
include an acknowledgment of the appropriate Smithsonian Research
Unit(s) and the Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network.
Proposal parts. Proposals are submitted via e-mail as a single PDF to
tosca...@si.edu, to whom questions can also be directed. The proposal
must include the following elements:
I. Curriculum Vitae
II. Abstract (not to exceed 300 words)
III. Proposal Body (not to exceed 8 pages):
1. Introduction: Background, rationale, and support from published
scientific literature.
2. Goals and Objectives: A clear statement of the central questions,
problems, and/or hypotheses to be addressed, and the major objectives
that will address the goals.
3. Methods: Brief summary of approach, procedures, experimental
designs, technical methods, and/or statistical treatment. Summarize
the types of equipment and technology required (boats, microscopes,
scuba equipment, etc.) and the frequency of their need. Information
on existing facilities can be found at the Smithsonian Marine Science
website (www.si.edu/marinescience ).
4. Work plan and schedule: Locations and preferred dates of field
travel and schedule of work.
5. Research facilities: Description of which TMON facilities will be
used, including SERC, SMSFP, Carrie Bow Cay, STRI's Caribbean and Pacific labs.
6. Significance: Anticipated contributions and significance of the
project for MarineGEO.
IV. Literature Cited
V. Budget and Justification (max. $12,000/year): Specify costs for 1)
Research Allowance to include
supplies, equipment needs, and travel for research purposes
(including per diem and transportation);
2) Relocation Travel Expenses to include transportation from point of
origin to Smithsonian, and return after appointment concludes (does
not include moving expenses); 3) Health Insurance. Indicate source
and amounts of matching funds from other sources, if available.
VI. Letters of Recommendation from 2 non-Smithsonian referees.
Contacts. TMON Executive committee contacts: Emmett Duffy (TMON
Director, SERC), Nancy Knowlton (NMNH), Greg Ruiz (SERC), Valerie
Paul (SMSFP, CBC), Andrew Altieri and Rachel Collin (STRI), Mary
Hagedorn (NZP). For questions about application process and status,
please contact Dr. Marguerite Toscano (tosca...@si.edu).
_____________________________
J. Emmett Duffy
Director, Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network
Smithsonian Institution
PO Box 37012
NHB MRC 106
Washington DC 20013-7012
ph: 202-633-4037
duf...@si.edu
