Postdoctoral Scholar Program

The C-DEBI Postdoctoral Scholar Program supports postdoctoral research in C-DEBI community laboratories. Candidate fellows are encouraged to examine the IODP Expedition Schedule prior to developing their research proposal as all fellowship research is expected to align with the objectives of an IODP Expedition that involves research into the deep biosphere. C-DEBI encourages underrepresented groups to apply. This funding is only available to postdoctorals sponsored in US institutions.

C-DEBI provides support for postdoctoral fellowships awarded on the basis of scientific excellence and the appropriateness of the subject matter to Center objectives. The goal of the postdoctoral program is to stimulate the advancement of deep biosphere research through the training of a new generation of innovative scientists. Potential fellows should contact and discuss research topics for fellowships with potential advisors, as successful candidates will be expected to have well-conceived research plans as well as willing C-DEBI advisors.

C-DEBI seeks to support deep biosphere research concerning life in marine sediments and life in the ocean crust. There are four central research themes:

1. Activity in the deep biosphere: function & rates of global biogeochemical processes
2. Extent of life: biomes and the degree of connectivity (biogeography & dispersal)
3. Limits of life: extremes and norms of carbon, energy, nutrient, temperature, pressure, pH
4. Evolution and survival: adaptation, enrichment, selection, and cell repair

C-DEBI seeks to integrate across these disciplines and encourages knowledge transfer and collaborations across different laboratories. Although proposals are not limited to these areas, they should clearly state how they contribute to advance our knowledge within these themes.

Proponents may also contact theme team leaders for advice on linking specific project and proposal ideas to research themes and program objectives:

Theme 1 (Activity): Wiebke Ziebis (wziebis@usc.edu)
Theme 2 (Extent of Life): Andreas Teske (teske@email.unc.edu)
Theme 3 (Limits of Life): Tom McCollom (tom.mccollom@lasp.colorado.edu)
Theme 4 (Evolution and Survival): Bill Nelson (wcnelson@usc.edu)

The proposal should specify the relevance of the research project to C-DEBI, provide information about varying degrees of collaboration with C-DEBI investigators, indicate sources of samples if necessary, and specify the qualifications of the applicant.

The proposal should also clearly state how it will meet C-DEBI research goals. Proposals will be considered for pre- and post-cruise research, as well as for shipboard work and shore-based analyses. On the one hand, proposed projects may focus on pre-cruise methods development, testing novel approaches to deep biosphere research, and shore-based research that requires subsurface samples (for example, from site surveys or analogous habitats) before an IODP cruise. On the other hand, research projects can be directly linked to IODP cruises, via shipboard participation, sample requests, or shared samples and collaborative projects with cruise participants. Here, applicants who wish to use IODP samples or data must be sure that their proposed projects do not conflict with existing expedition-related projects (e.g., shipboard scientists’ projects). Proponents and their intended advisors should resolve this issue by contacting expedition co-chiefs and shipboard scientists before they submit their proposals.

Please note, receiving research support from C-DEBI does not guarantee access to samples or data that are not available to the community at large. A moratorium period of one year is granted to members of the expedition science party to conduct drilling project-related research before core samples and data are made available to the general scientific community. Applicants for C-DEBI support are responsible for securing access to all samples and data needed to complete proposed work. For the IODP Sample, Data and Obligations Policy and other sample and data access information, visit http://www.iodp.org/access-data/.

Postdoctoral fellowships are available for a maximum of 2 years, depending on a successful evaluation near the end of year 1 of the fellowship. Current funding rates are $50,000 and will be distributed as stipend funds directly to the advisor’s home institution with a $10,000 benefits allowance if requested. The home institution must be a US institution able to receive NSF funding as a subaward and agree that no part of the award will be used for overhead.

Each postdoctoral applicant will identify a primary advisor, who agrees to sponsor them and manage logistical aspects of their support (office and lab space, materials and supplies for conducting research). The primary advisor will be required to commit to meeting with the postdoctoral to discuss research progress at least twice monthly and to provide means of allowing broader discussion about her or his research – this can be in the form of departmental seminars, group meetings, etc. The primary advisor also is required to provide support for the postdoctoral to attend the Fall American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco. Fellows are expected to attend yearly C-DEBI meetings. The advisor should include a statement agreeing to these points in their recommendation letter.

Fellows will submit a progress report on their achievements (2 pages maximum including any presentations given or papers published that can be listed separately), a one page summary of the proposed work for the second year and a letter of progress from the advisor to an ad-hoc oversight committee whose approval will be required for the release of the second year of fellowship funding.

Applications should include a cover page (PDF form), a proposal for research to be conducted (maximum 5 pages), a curriculum vitae, a recommendation with statement of commitment (see requirements below) from the anticipated fellowship advisor (submitted either together or separately, as desired) and the names of 3 references. The next deadline for this semiannual call will be in the Spring of 2012.

Please submit your proposal by email to C-DEBI at submissions@darkenergybiosphere.org, to the attention of:

Rosalynn Lee Sylvan
Associate Managing Director
Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations

Questions about the postdoctoral fellowship can be addressed to:

Jennifer Biddle
University of Delaware
Email: jfbiddle@udel.edu

> What postdoctoral research projects have been funded?
> See also the opportunity for Interridge Postdoctoral Fellowships of up to $5000.
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