Overview:
The GEO-TREES Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports researchers and projects associated with the GEO-TREES network of Biomass Reference Measurement (BRM) sites. The program is intended to provide opportunities for recent PhD graduates to conduct research at existing GEO-TREES sites in collaboration with site PIs and associated researchers.
Projects Supported by the Program:
The Fellowship Program supports fellowships directly tied to any GEO-TREES site. The postdoctoral fellow is expected to be based at a GEO-TREES host institution under the supervision of a site Principal Investigator or associated researcher.
The fellowship will also enable opportunities for successful candidates to collaborate with international GEO-TREES partner institutions. Upon request, funds will be made available for fellows to spend up to 25% of their fellowship time as a visiting scholar in an international GEO-TREES partner institution.
The fellowship must be for research, and may include field- or lab-work, data analysis, and the generation of complementary data that strengthens the GEO-TREES program. Research projects can be basic or applied in nature and based in the social or natural sciences.
Fellowships are initially offered for two years, with the possibility of a third year pending successful progress.
Projects must use GEO-TREES site data and the site data must be integral to the completion of the project. Site data include the plot census, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. Projects that integrate more than one of these data sources are encouraged.
Fellows will be expected to participate in GEO-TREES workshops and training opportunities. They will also be expected to work closely with the GEO-TREES Technical Implementation Working Groups on data processing and analysis.
Applicants do not need to be associated with a site prior to applying, but applicants need the approval of the site Principal Investigator prior to submitting a proposal.
Applicants do not need to have prior experience with ALS or TLS data, but will encouraged to make use of these data during the fellowship.
Eligibility:
PhD holders within 5 years of graduation are eligible to apply. Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply.
Priority will be given to researchers with less access to other institutional funds. Projects that include multiple data streams and multiple sites, that include a strong educational/capacity-building component, or engage local community members are encouraged.
Budget Information:
Research fellowships will include:
- 2-year stipend at locally competitive levels,
- funds to support up to 6-months as a visiting scholar in an international GEO-TREES partner institution (optional according to application),
- up to USD$15,000 in research support.
Research support funding is restricted to expenses directly related to field research, laboratory research, and data analysis. Examples of eligible expenses include travel, stipend and living expenses for field work during the project period, supplies, and research assistance. Publication fees and travel to meetings or conferences may be supported on an individual request basis.
Funding may support indirect costs for institutional support up to a maximum of 10% of total budget costs.
Application Instructions:
Applicants must submit a single PDF with all information in the following order:
- A proposal with a 1500-word limit. Proposals that exceed 1500 words will be disqualified prior to review. The proposal should include:
- Title
- Introduction
- Description of the proposed research that specifically describes the relevance to one or more GEO-TREES sites
- Research objectives, including clearly stated questions and expected significance
- Research plan, including detailed field and analytical methods
- Anticipated scientific outcomes
- Broader significance of the project to GEO-TREES and the discipline
- How the proposal builds scientific capacity through education
- References (not included in the word limit)
- A letter of support from the proposed postdoctoral advisor(s) indicating approval of the research project, and institutional support to host the candidate in their institution.
- A letter of support from the proposed co-advisor in the international host institution, if the visiting scholar option is requested.
- A list of project collaborators and partners involved in the work.
- A Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages), including the applicant's contact information, educational background, publications, current and previous fellowships and grants, and research interests.
- Copies of two recent publications by the applicant.
- A detailed budget with justification. The budget should include all costs related to carrying out the project. See the above Budget Information for expenses that can be included in the proposal.
- A project timeline. A timeline with the schedule for proposed research activities should be included.
Submission Instructions:
Proposals must follow the Application Instructions.
Submit the single PDF document to: geotrees@si.edu
Please address questions on this call to: geotrees@si.edu
All materials must be submitted by 21 January 2026. Late applications will be returned without review.
How will applications be evaluated?
Applications will be evaluated by a panel of scientists associated with the GEO-TREES program. Outside scholars may also be invited to join the review panel. Awards are made based on the proposal's merit, the applicant's ability to carry out the proposed work, the likelihood that the project can be carried out in the proposed time frame, the extent to which GEO-TREES site(s) are integral to the proposed work, and the broader significance of the project.
Further questions? Send an email to geotrees@si.edu or attend our Zoom Q&A session on Wednesday, January 7 at 8:30am ET (register here).
Supporting Partners
