NESCent provides a range of funding options for synthetic evolutionary research. These include Post-Doctoral Fellowships, Sabbatical Fellowships, Short-term Visitor positions, Catalysis Meetings and Working Groups.
Questions regarding NESCent’s programs can be directed at Allen Rodrigo, Director of NESCent or Susan Alberts, Associate Director of Science and Synthesis.
If you are considering submitting a NESCent proposal in any of these categories, we encourage you to read Linking Big: The Continuing Promise of Evolutionary Synthesis, which provides context and a classification of synthesis in evolutionary science."
Post-Doctoral Fellowships (December 1st deadline)
An important aspect of NESCent's mission is providing professional training for postdoctoral fellows in the field of evolutionary science. NESCent Postdoctoral Fellowships provide two years of funding to support ambitious, synthetic research on any aspect of evolutionary biology and relevant disciplines. Application Process and Details
Sabbaticals (July 10th and December 1st deadlines)
Traditional sabbatical stipends offer the equivalent to one half of their salary while in residence at NESCent to allow visiting faculty to carry out synthetic evolutionary projects. These can involve a wide range of activities. We are especially interested in projects of grand scale and ambition. Sabbatical fellows may join visiting working groups, or even propose a working group to coincide with a sabbatical.
The Center will also pay stipends up to the equivalent of a full salary for targeted sabbaticals (monthly stipend equal to 1/12 of 9-month salary at home institution). Targeted sabbaticals currently include (1) a program for faculty from minority-serving institutions to engage in research and educational scholarship, and (2) the Distinguished Scholar program, designed to allow senior researchers to archive extensive data collections. Application Process and Details
Short-Term Visitors (Jan. 1st, April 1st, July 1st, Sept. 1st deadlines)
Short-term visitors are supported to enable synthetic research on any aspect of evolutionary science. Visitors will work on-site at NESCent for periods of 2 weeks to 3 months. Proposals can include any type of synthetic evolutionary project, but we particularly welcome collaborative projects. We encourage scholars to consider collaborations with NESCent in-house scientists or informaticians; joint proposals from two or more investigators to spend time together at NESCent; or proposals from leaders of working groups to work on their project with NESCent informatics staff. Application Process and Details
Catalysis Meetings (July 10th and December 1st deadlines)
These one-time meetings bring together ~ 30 scientists from diverse disciplines to focus on a major question or research area in evolutionary science and intended to increase the scale and ambition of our scientific vision. These meetings identify avenues for scientific synthesis and classes of primary data that must be collected before grand-scale synthesis is possible and catalysis meetings are intended to facilitate the assembly of networks to realize these. Application Process and Details
Working Groups (July 10th and December 1st deadlines)
Working Groups involve small groups of scientists (~10-12 participants) collaborating intensively on the analysis or synthesis of data, models, or both, to address a major question in evolutionary science. The working groups will typically meet 3-4 times over two years, with each meeting lasting 3-7 days. However the number of participants, number of meetings, and duration of each meeting is flexible, depending on the needs and goals of the group. The Working Group is intended as a mechanism for scientists to collaborate productively. Products could include software, databases, manuscripts, or education materials. Application Process and Details
