EAR Postdoctoral Fellowships | 21 605

Opportunity Information: Apply for 21 605

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) offers EAR Postdoctoral Fellowships to support early-career scientists who have recently earned a doctoral degree and are ready to launch an independent research trajectory. The fellowship is designed as an integrated package that combines a self-directed research project with intentional professional development, mentoring, and training. The overall goal is to help promising new investigators build the track record, skills, and visibility needed to move into leadership roles within the Earth sciences community.

Proposed research must fit within the scope of EAR disciplinary programs and align with the overarching theme set for the postdoctoral fellowship program. Projects can be firmly grounded in a single EAR discipline, but proposals that bridge multiple EAR areas are explicitly welcomed, especially work at the intersections of programs. Examples highlighted for this kind of cross-cutting science include interdisciplinary Critical Zone (CZ) research and topics connected to Cooperative Studies of Earths Deep Interior (CSEDI). In practice, this means applicants can craft proposals that integrate methods, datasets, or conceptual frameworks across subfields, as long as the central scientific questions clearly sit within EARs mission and priorities.

A key feature of the program is portability. The fellowship can be taken to an institution of the Fellows choice, including institutions outside the United States, giving applicants flexibility to select the host environment, collaborators, facilities, and mentorship that best match their proposed work. Support can extend for up to two years. Importantly, the award is made to an individual rather than to an institution, and the fellowship is administered by the Fellow, emphasizing independence and personal responsibility for managing the research and professional development plan.

EAR also places strong emphasis on improving inclusivity and equity in the geosciences. The program highlights EARs BAJEDI priorities: belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Applicants are encouraged to address these priorities directly in their proposed activities, for example through mentoring, outreach, training approaches, partnership-building, broadening participation efforts, or other actions that measurably improve access and inclusion within their research and professional context. The solicitation also makes clear that applications are especially encouraged from women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and individuals from groups underrepresented in STEM, as well as from people who attended two-year colleges or minority-serving institutions at the undergraduate or graduate level, or who plan to conduct their fellowship at such institutions (including HBCUs, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Alaska Native Serving Institutions, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions).

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary NSF grant opportunity in the science and technology research and development category (CFDA 47.050) under Funding Opportunity Number 21-605. The opportunity anticipated making around 12 awards. While an award ceiling is not specified in the provided listing, the fellowship structure indicates support is provided for up to two years. The original closing date listed for the opportunity was November 3, 2021, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of August 11, 2021.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "EAR Postdoctoral Fellowships" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.050.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 11, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 03, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 21 605

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