The Simons Foundation’s Life Sciences division invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships to support candidates who intend to pursue a career in basic research on fundamental problems in marine microbial ecology, with an emphasis on understanding the role of microorganisms in shaping ocean processes and vice versa.

The foundation is interested in applicants with training in different disciplines, including modeling and theory development, as well as applicants already involved in ocean research.

Eligibility

Applicants should have received their Ph.D. or equivalent degree within three years of the fellowship’s start date. Preference will be for applicants with no more than one year of postdoctoral experience. U.S. citizens may choose a postdoctoral research sponsor in either the U.S. or Canada. Foreign applicants may choose a sponsor in the U.S. Awards can only be issued to nonprofit research universities or research institutions in the U.S. or Canada (in a campus within these countries).

Applications must include:

• Short personal autobiographical statement, including a summary of prior research experience (one page)
• Brief research proposal with title and abstract (two to three pages, plus references, and one page for figures)
• Biosketches of the applicant and sponsor, including publications; the applicant should provide full citations. Do not include funding sources for the applicant’s graduate work.
• List of sponsor’s current and pending other support, including names of PI and co-PIs and total award amount.
• Letters of recommendation from applicant’s thesis adviser and two additional research scientists, who should address the applicant’s potential for future leadership in the field, and letter of support from the postdoctoral research sponsor, who cannot be the applicant’s thesis adviser and who must acknowledge acceptance of the applicant to their laboratory. Only one application from a postdoctoral research sponsor will be considered in any year. Confidential letters must be submitted through the Simons Award Manager (SAM).
• Budget (three years)
• Brief budget justification
• Renewable reagents and data-sharing plan
• 501(c)(3) determination or equivalency letter (Canadian institutions only) — A determination letter from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stating exemption under 501(c)(3) and, furthermore, either a 509(a)(1), (2) or (3) classification is required. Applicants do not need to have this letter at the time of application. If an international institution is selected for funding and does not have the aforementioned documentation, we will require the institution to complete an equivalency determination with NGOsource (see policies and procedures).
• Submission of the application with institution signature will document the commitment from the fellow’s institution to administer the fellowship.

Instructions for Submission

Applications must be completed electronically and submitted through the Simons Award Manager (SAM) by May 7, 2024, 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time.