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Bird

SHORT-TERM VISITORS


Short-term visitors are supported to enable synthetic research on any aspect of evolutionary biology and relevant disciplines.   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.  Such collaborations might include 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. 

Short Term Visitors are intended to, and will be evaluated on,

  • address an important and outstanding evolutionary question,
  • be "risky" endeavors but with a reasonable chance of success,
  • reflect NESCent’s scientific mission to advance research that addresses fundamental questions in evolutionary science by integrating methods, concepts, and data within and across disciplines (For more on the context and a classification of synthesis in evolutionary science please read Linking Big: The Continuing Promise of Evolutionary Synthesis),
  • possess sufficient data to tackle the question,
  • possess appropriate analytical tools or will develop them during the project.
  • produce products that typically fall into three broad categories (but are not restricted to):
    • Synthetic papers and reviews
    • Databases allowing others to build on your foundation
    • Software or mathematical tools that solve a major analytical problem

 

NESCent will not support collection of new data or field research, but encourages the mining of public and private databases.  NESCent is committed to making data, databases, software and other products that are developed as part of NESCent activities available to the broader scientific community. Applicants should review the Data And Software Policy for NESCent.

Examples of recently supported short term visitors can be found on NESCent’s funded project page.


Proposals are considered four times a year, with deadlines on January 1, April 1, July 1 and September 1.   Proposals will be evaluated in terms of both the scientific value of the project and the qualifications of the applicant.  Visitors will receive support for travel to and from NESCent, a housing allowance, and a meal per diem. 

Before you Apply

All applicants are encouraged contact Allen Rodrigo, Director of NESCent or Susan Alberts, Associate Director of Science and Synthesis, for feedback on project ideas.  Please review our Conflict of Interest, Reporting Requirements, and Data And Software policies before applying.  For technical support, write

Proposals for Short-term Visitors

Proposals for short-term visitors are short, not to exceed 2 single-spaced (12-pt type) pages, plus a 2-page CV.  If joint proposal is being submitted, each investigator is required to submit an individual proposal.  Proposals should be organized as follows:

  1. Title (80 characters max)
  2. Name and contact information
  3. Project Summary (250 words max)
  4. Public Summary (250 words max) – written for the public and visible on the NESCent web site
  5. Introduction and Goals – A statement of the outstanding question in evolutionary science being addressed and a concise review of the concept and the literature to place the project in context.
  6. Proposed Activities - A clear statement of any specific data (include citations or urls) and analytical tools that will be required for the project.  The proposal should also include a clear statement on how synthesis will occur.  Letters of support are required from the proprietor of datasets, analytical tools, or software not publically available or not owned by the applicant.
  7. Rationale for NESCent support - Why can this activity be most effectively conducted at NESCent?
  8. Collaborations with other NESCent Activities – We greatly encourage synergy between sabbatical scholars, short-term visitors, working groups, catalysis groups, and postdoctoral fellows.  If you plan for such collaboration please provide specifics.
  9. Proposed Timetable - include start date, month, and year
  10. Anticipated IT Needs - Briefly describe any needs for IT support that are important to the success of the proposed project. Please indicate whether development of a database or software will be required.
  11. Anticipated Results - include a clear statement of anticipated papers, data and software products, and anticipated public release of data and products
  12. Short CV of the applicant (2 pages)


Proposal Submission

Proposals (including CV) will be accepted in digital format only as a single pdf file. . Graphics should be embedded directly into the proposal document. Note that proposals should be submitted as a single pdf file including all of the components listed above. Proposals are submitted electronically. Please login first if you have already created a profile.