The Nature Conservancy and the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes at Arizona State University are pleased to solicit applications for the NatureNet Science Fellows program, a trans-disciplinary postdoctoral fellowship program aimed at bridging academic excellence and conservation practice to confront climate change.
The Nature Conservancy recognizes climate change as the single greatest threat to our mission, and to humanity. Never before has there been an issue that so tightly integrates the health of the planet with the economy, food production, clean, reliable water, health, and equality. The NatureNet Science Fellows program seeks to bring leading early career scientists and engineers from diverse fields into the realm of problem solving at the interface of climate change, technology, and conservation. ASU’s Center for Biodiversity Outcomes (CBO) strives to accelerate the success of sustainable biodiversity outcomes by cultivating interdisciplinary collaboration and co-producing solutions with government agencies, non-governmental agencies, foundations and corporations through an “actionable science” model. With over 100 Faculty affiliates with expertise ranging from supply chain management to biodiversity informatics, CBO is poised to address research questions relevant to applied research working. Fellows will work with a Nature Conservancy mentor and an interdisciplinary team of CBO-affiliated faculty to develop a research program. The joint mentorship model is unique, and additional training of up to two weeks each year is provided in science communication and cross-disciplinary collaboration. The NatureNet Fellow will engage in research relevant to climate change risks, impacts or mitigation of impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. In particular: • Research should have an application to multi-stakeholder (including corporations, agencies and policy makers) collaboration, communication and decision making. • Research should advance work to incentivize companies to account for natural capital in business decisions about ecosystem services impacted by climate change and for biodiversity at high risk due to climate change. • Example topics may include (but not limited to) a scoping analysis on how companies in different business sectors impacted by climate change interpret and manage biodiversity and ecosystem services risk; biodiversity big data networking management and tools; inventorying and integrating biodiversity data under the lens of climate change impacts; and, developing analytic approaches to quantify risks in decision-making. Faculty affiliated with the CBO are eligible mentors and applicants are encouraged to select a primary and two secondary mentors from the seven participating academic units (see https://sustainability.asu.edu/biodiversityoutcomes/people/#affiliated-faculty). Please contact Katie Dietrich, NatureNet Fellows Program Manager, at [email protected] to discuss potential TNC mentors. The Fellow will work with CBO leadership and their university and TNC mentors to develop partnerships with nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations and businesses. The Fellow will be required to reside in Tempe, AZ, to enable active engagement with ASU community, TNC, and external partners, policymakers and conservation practitioners Eligibility and Award Terms The Conservancy expects fellow appointments to start by October 1, 2016. Eligible individuals will have completed their doctorate within the past five years. Applicants who have not yet completed their doctorate must clearly indicate on the application the date the degree is expected. Each fellow will receive a non-negotiable annual salary of $50,000 plus benefits, with the postdoctoral position expected to run for two consecutive years. In addition to the stipend, each fellow receives an annual travel budget of approximately $5,000 and an annual research fund of approximately $20,000. Second-year renewal of the fellowship is contingent upon satisfactory progress and contribution to the collective program. Application Materials Applications must be submitted by July 1, 2016 to Dr. Katie Dietrich at [email protected]. In the subject line of the e-mail place your last name and Arizona State University. Submit the following materials (#1 & 2) as one PDF file: 1. Cover letter and research proposal (2 pages). Applicants should describe experience and suitability for the program through a brief research proposal. Unlike a standard cover letter, this proposal should highlight a research question of interest, the research approach and methods, the scientific significance, and significance to The Nature Conservancy and action-oriented research. The proposal should illustrate the strengths of the applicant’s experience towards developing and implementing this research. 2. Curriculum Vitae or resume. 3. Letters of recommendation. Arrange to have three letters of reference submitted to [email protected] with your name in the subject line. For further information about the NatureNet Science Fellows Program please contact Katie Dietrich, NatureNet Program Manager, at [email protected] or Anita Hagy Ferguson, Program Manager for the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes at [email protected].
