There will be a 1-day symposium held at Caltech on Monday, June 24, sponsored by the International Geobiology Course. The topic of the symposium is “Geobiology of Symbiosis” (see PDF for the detailed schedule). The symposium will be held in the Sharp Lecture Hall on Monday, June 24 starting at 9am. It is open to the scientific public and free of charge. You are cordially invited to attend, either in part or for the entire symposium depending on interest. A continental breakfast and buffet lunch will also be served to symposium participants. If you are interested in participating, please click here to RSVP so that we can plan appropriately for food and drink. If you want to just stop by to hear a speaker or two, please feel free and there is no need to respond.
Apply for one of four grants totaling $20,000. Winners will receive credit toward any GENEWIZ service, including Next Generation Sequencing, Synthetic DNA Solutions, and Sanger Sequencing. Simply submit a 250-word abstract describing your project. Winners will be announced at the end of GENEWIZ Week (June 14, 2019). Submit your application by June 7, 2019 for consideration.
The Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Las Vegas, NV invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in Microbial Ecology. This innovative research aims to tie genomic data to microbial function by examining rates of environmental processes at the level of the individual cell. Our NSF-funded project combines microbiology, environmental biogeochemistry, and bioinformatics, with an emphasis on the continental and marine deep biosphere and biodegradation of contaminants of emerging concern. The successful applicant will join a dynamic project team with collaborators at the Single-Cell Genomics Center (Bigelow Lab, ME) and the University of New Hampshire. This multidisciplinary position is based in DRI’s Environmental Microbiology and Astrobiology Labs, which focus on life in extreme environments, water quality, and molecular archaeology, in collaboration with the University of Nevada Las Vegas, NASA Ames, the University of New Mexico, NASA GeneLab, and the DOE Joint Genome Institute. Our group is well-positioned within the Microbial Ecology, Deep Life, and Astrobiology Communities, providing excellent opportunities for early career recognition, networking, and publishing. To ensure full consideration, application packages should be received by June 8, 2019.
Deadline: June 24, 2019.
The U.S. Science Support Program, associated with the International Ocean Discovery Program, is currently accepting proposals for planning workshops. Proposed workshops should promote the development of new ideas and strategies to study the Earth’s processes and history using scientific ocean drilling. Workshops may focus on a specific scientific theme or topic, or they may focus on a geographic region, integrating multiple topics. Regionally-focused workshops offer opportunities to synthesize scientific results from past expeditions, or to develop drilling proposals for future expeditions. Prospective workshop proponents should consider long-term projected ship tracks in identifying potential geographic areas for focus. Funding may be requested for U.S.-based meetings or to support U.S. participants at larger international workshops. Broad-based scientific community involvement, co-sponsorship by related programs, and the active participation of early career researchers are strongly encouraged. The submission deadline is June 1, 2019.
The Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is soliciting pre-applications for investigator awards. Each award will fund research in a single investigator’s laboratory. Our goal with the awards is to provide scientists with the resources and flexibility to pursue innovative, risky research that has high potential for significant conceptual and methodological advances in aquatic symbiosis. We anticipate investigators will generate new technologies, resources, theory, natural history and hypotheses to spark discovery in understanding aquatic organisms and their symbioses. We envision a vibrant cohort of investigators that serves as a source of ideas for the initiative, collaborates among peers, and moves the community towards a more comprehensive understanding how marine and freshwater organisms interact in symbiotic associations involving microbes. We anticipate awards encompassing one or more of three central themes: origins and evolution, mechanisms of symbiotic interactions, and/or ecology and natural history. We are interested in symbioses where at least one partner is a microbe and where the symbiosis takes place in a marine or freshwater environment. We anticipate the initiative will support approximately 12 scientists for five years (2020-2025) who represent both early and established career stages and include both current and emerging leaders in their fields. Investigators will convene at an annual symposium to share research findings and build connections across symbiosis researchers. Awards will range from approximately $200K-$400K/year in direct costs. Pre-application deadline: June 3, 2019.
To further scientific and technological cooperation between the United States and the European Community, the National Science Foundation and the European Research Council signed an Implementing Arrangement on July 13, 2012 to enable U.S. scientists and engineers with NSF-funded CAREER awards and Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to pursue research collaboration with European colleagues supported through EU-funded European Research Council (ERC) grants. Connecting researchers with complementary strengths and shared interests promotes scientific progress in solving some of the world’s most vexing problems. This international research opportunity is mutually beneficial to the U.S. participants and the hosts through cooperative activities during research visits and establishing international research partnerships to enrich future research activities in the U.S. and Europe. Under the Arrangement, the ERC Executive Agency (ERCEA) identifies ERC-funded research groups who wish to host NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellows for research visits of up to one year within their ERC funding. The 2018 Dear Colleague Letter for this opportunity noted that 2018 would be the final year in its current form. NSF is extending the current opportunity for one additional year. NSF intends to announce a new, related opportunity in FY 2020. Requests must be received at NSF at least 3 months prior to the proposed visit, but no later than June 21, 2019, for consideration using Fiscal Year 2019 funds.
Don’t miss the first of the 2019 online seminars with Dr. Jeanine Ash (Rice University) on “Making and Breaking Molecules.” Abstract: Gases like molecular oxygen and methane are fundamentally significant to Earth’s habitability and the evolution of life. The concentration of these gases in our atmosphere are the result of constant interplay between the biological and geological process that create and consume them. My work focuses on the enzyme-level processes that make and break these molecules, and how recent advances in isotope ratio mass spectrometry can provide new tools for tracing these process at the global level. In this talk I’ll introduce the concept of multiply-substituted isotopologues (commonly called “clumped” isotopes), and share case studies that show how these tools can be used to illuminate deep biosphere processes.
The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) is soliciting ocean exploration proposals to address knowledge gaps and support growth in the Nation’s Blue Economy and/or to contribute to Seabed 2030 goals. Proposals are being requested on the following three topics: 1. OCEAN EXPLORATION. Ocean exploration to inform management, sustainable use, and conservation of marine resources in poorly explored deep ocean areas of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Areas proposed for exploration and/or initial characterization must be at a minimum depth of 200 meters. 2. MARINE ARCHAEOLOGY. Discovery and characterization of underwater cultural heritage representing past marine-based economic activities or early human occupation to inform decisions on preservation and seabed use, and to identify sources of potential environmental impacts. Marine archaeology proposals can be conducted in any water depth. 3. TECHNOLOGY. Application of new or novel use of existing ocean technologies or innovative methods that increase the scope and efficiency of acquiring ocean exploration data and improve usability of and access to ocean exploration data. Proposed technologies must be applicable to water depths of 200 meters or greater, though testing in shallower water or lab-based test facilities will be supported. The deadline for the pre-proposal submission is May 24, 2019.
The major goal is to bring PhD students and young Postdocs in touch with IODP at an early stage of their career, inform them about the exciting research within IODP as (I)ODP and DSDP have been proven to be the most successful internationally collaborative research programs in the history of Earth sciences, and to prepare them for future participation in IODP expeditions. Such training will be achieved by taking the summer school participants on a “virtual ship” where they get familiarized with a wide spectrum of state-of-the-art analytical technologies and core description and scanning methods according to the high standards of IODP expeditions. In addition, the thematic topic of the summer school will be reviewed by various scientific lectures by the leading experts in the field. Application deadline: June 19, 2019.
The USSSP Onboard Outreach Program gives formal and informal educators, artists, writers, videographers and other participants the opportunity to spend an entire expedition with an IODP shipboard party and translate their experiences for students and the general public via blogs, videos, social networking sites, live ship-to-shore video events and development of educational resources. Onboard Outreach Program participants are selected through a competitive application and interview process. All expenses for Onboard Outreach Program participants, such as travel to and from the ports of call, and a $10,000 stipend, are paid by USSSP. The selected individual(s) will also be flown to a three-day training session prior to their expedition. Non-US applicants will be directed to their country’s IODP Program Member Office but are still encouraged to apply. We are now accepting applications to sail as an Onboard Outreach Officer on Expedition 387: Amazon Margin or Expedition 388: Equatorial Atlantic Gateway. Application period closes April 26, 2019.
The Simons Foundation invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships to support research on fundamental problems in marine microbial ecology. The foundation is particularly interested in applicants with training in different fields who want to apply their experience to understanding the role of microorganisms in shaping ocean processes, and vice versa, as well as applicants with experience in modeling or theory development. While these cross-disciplinary applicants will receive particular attention, applicants already involved in ocean research are also encouraged to apply. The foundation anticipates awarding five fellowships in 2019. Application deadline: June 14, 2019.
The National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT)’s Early Career Workshops provide a stimulating and resource-rich environment where participants can engage in topical sessions involving effective teaching strategies, course design, establishing a research program in a new setting, working with research students, and balancing professional and personal responsibilities. The Early Career Geoscience Faculty Workshop application deadline is March 24, 2019.
As AGU marks its Centennial in 2019, we return to San Francisco, the home of the Fall Meeting for more than 40 years. Join our diverse community at the newly renovated Moscone Center as we collaborate across borders and boundaries to explore and develop our research. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in Centennial presentations and special events that will bring to life the past, present and the future of our science. Today we experience “Science at the Speed of Life.” Fall Meeting will prepare you for what’s ahead: rapid developments in our science, new approaches to observing our Earth and beyond, the introduction of new data streams, growing demand for accessible science, the expansion of convergent science, and more. There is no better place than Fall Meeting to look into the future and develop your skills and your understanding of other disciplines at the same time. At Fall Meeting, we will draw inspiration from each other and will show how earth and space science enables a more resilient and sustainable future for all. Proposal deadline: April 17, 2019.
Pete Girguis (Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University) leads the next C-DEBI Professional Development Webinar on “Broadening your thinking and your impact: Tips on how to develop effective outreach programs.” The access URL for the webinar is http://usccollege.adobeconnect.com/cdebiremote/. Missed the last Professional Development Webinar on “Lessons Learned: Adventures in Online Teaching and Trying to Balance Research & Teaching” with Jason Sylvan (Texas A&M)? Watch it on YouTube.
This workshop will be held in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, on September 22-26, 2019. Workshop goals are to stimulate progress in single cell genomics (SCG) through the exchange of breakthroughs in research applications and method development, with a focus on microorganisms and the prediction of cell’s phenome. During this four-day workshop, we aim to create an opportunity for effective, creative interactions among principal investigators, postdocs and students who utilize microbial SCG in research and/or develop SCG technology, building on the success of our prior SCG workshops that were held in 2007, 2010 and 2015. To ensure the best experience by workshop participants and due to logistical constraints, the number of participants will be limited to 90. Application deadline: March 31, 2019.
The Geochemical Society is offering grants to qualifying students to attend the 2019 Goldschmidt Conference, the world’s largest meeting devoted to geochemistry and related fields. These grants are available to students who meet any one of these criteria: 1) Undergraduate or graduate students who are US citizens or permanent residents and who self-identify as members of underrepresented groups in the science and engineering student population, as designated by the NSF, in this case African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders; 2) Undergraduate or graduate students from underrepresented institutions, including Baccalaureate Colleges, M1, M2, M3 universities, tribal colleges or community colleges; 3) Graduate students or postdoctoral scholars working at universities or institutions in the U.S. and its territories on subjects related to planetary science (e.g., planetary geology, cosmochemistry, astrobiology). All applications must be completed by March 15, 2019.
We are opening a call for the selection of current M.Sc. or Ph.D. students along with early career scientists to participate in the NSF funded project AXIAL aboard the R/V Marcus Langseth during the summer of 2019. The 33 day research cruise will allow participation in all facets of ship operation, including deployment of scientific instrumentation, keeping watch during data collection, initial onboard data processing, an onboard reading and discussion group and workshops for mapping and seismic processing. We encourage a diverse group of participants including women and demographics underrepresented in the geoscience community. Applications due April 1, 2019.
UNOLS is pleased to announce that the US National Science Foundation together with the Office of Naval Research and the State of Hawaii have provided funding for a Chief Scientist Training Cruise Opportunity with an emphasis on Biological and Chemical Oceanographic research. The research cruise will take place in June 2019 (15-24 June 2019) aboard the R/V Kilo Moana. The cruise will depart from and arrive into Honolulu, HI. Participants will help plan and execute 10 days of at-sea oceanographic research that will take advantage of shipboard and PI supplied equipment to address scientific questions related to the role of biology in regulating vertical exchanges of bioelements between the upper ocean and the ocean’s interior waters. The research cruise will focus on biogeochemical and ecological dynamics at Station ALOHA (22°45´N, 158°W), field site for the Hawaii Ocean Time-series program in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean. The wealth of contextual information available from decades of research at this field site will help guide the scientific foci for this training cruise. Pre-cruise meetings and workshops will be used to identify participant-specific research questions and objectives. Travel costs and research supplies will be provided. Space is limited. To apply you must be an employee, trainee, or student (U.S. Citizen or permanent resident) at a U.S. institution or a U.S. citizen working abroad. To be considered, applications must be received by March 18, 2019.
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California San Diego invites applications for a full-time Researcher position to be funded largely by extramural research grants and contracts in any of two areas: 1) Marine aquaculture research including micro and macroalgae, shellfish, or finfish and may include the basic biology of aquaculture species with application for enhanced productivity; 2) Marine “omics” research including applications of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics to address fundamental questions in ocean biosciences and issues related to human health and the oceans. The Researcher series at SIO parallels the Professor series in terms of expectations for research and service but carries no teaching requirements. Researchers receive nine-month appointments with 25% salary support from institutional sources. Externally funded research programs are expected to provide the remaining salary support, including an opportunity for summer salary. Researchers at SIO often obtain lecturer appointments in the SIO department, which provides a mechanism to serve as a graduate student advisor. For full consideration, please apply by the April 1, 2019.
The University of New Hampshire (UNH) School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering (SMSOE) of the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS) invites applications at the rank of Associate or Full Research Professor in the broad area of Marine Science. The successful applicant can expect to interact with faculty from the life sciences, ocean engineering, Earth sciences, and oceanography as well as the social sciences and humanities to address critical coastal and marine science problems in new and coordinated ways. The successful candidate will have a strong track record of research demonstrating outstanding potential for establishing his or her own independent research program and to raise his/her salary from external grants, be a proven programmatic and organizational leader, and a distinguished scientist with international connections and diverse perspectives. While primarily a research appointment, graduate level teaching and research interaction with diverse students is encouraged.
C-DEBI seeks nominations for three speakers for the 2019 program. C-DEBI is continuing the Networked Speaker Series (begun in Fall 2011) as a means to enhance communication and the exchange of ideas among our spatially distributed community. Potential speakers can be nominated by colleagues, mentors, or those mentored by C-DEBI participants; they can also self nominate. Selected C-DEBI Networked Speakers will make a presentation online, using video conferencing tools, with assistance from the C-DEBI main office at USC. Nominated C-DEBI Networked Speakers should be capable of combining compelling visual materials with the ability to communicate effectively to a broad audience. We are particularly enthusiastic about giving young researchers a chance to present work to the C-DEBI community. Being selected to be a C-DEBI Networked Speaker is an honor.
Enjoy a day under the blue whale exploring the five “zones” of the oceans, where a diverse array of marine species and ecosystems can be found at different depths. Find out how temperatures, salinity, and the amount of sunlight changes from zone to zone. Plus, learn how some species can only survive in the oceans’ sunlit uppermost layer, while others must dive deep to find food. The Milstein Science: Layers of the Ocean program includes a 45-foot inflated replica of the JOIDES Resolution from the C-DEBI-supported, travelling, pop-up outreach, In Search of Earth’s Secrets.
For over 20 years, the Ocean Discovery Lecture Series (formerly the Distinguished Lecturer Series) has brought the remarkable scientific results and discoveries of the International Ocean Discovery Program and its predecessor programs to academic research institutions, museums, and aquaria. Since 1991, over 1,000 presentations to diverse audiences have been made through the Lecture Series. For the 2018-19 academic year, an exciting lineup of distinguished lecturers is available to speak at your institution, including C-DEBI researchers Ginny Edgcomb and Brandi Kiel Reese. The topics of their lectures range widely, and include monsoon history, ice sheet dynamics, sediment diagenesis, and more. Open to any U.S. college, university, or nonprofit organization. Application deadline to host an Ocean Discovery Lecturer: May 17, 2019.
The 2019 Petrophysics Summer School will provide a unique workshop that will bring together experts from both academia and industry to give training in the theory and practice of petrophysics and, notably its applications across both IODP and industry. It will include lectures, discussion groups, and practical exercises on the different elements and data types used in petrophysical analysis. In addition, basic training in an industry-standard software package, Schlumberger’s Techlog, will form a core part of the school. The European Petrophysics Consortium and its collaborators offer this unique training opportunity for a summer school through the provision of technical and scientific expertise in the fields of downhole logging and core petrophysics. The course is open to applicants from the international community, but applications from early career researchers (including PhD students) are particularly encouraged. U.S.-affiliated students and researchers may apply for partial travel support through the U.S. Science Support Program. The deadline to apply for travel support and for the course is April 22, 2019.
CC-RISE is an eight-week, paid, summer research internship program for community college students run by the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations. Students will gain firsthand exposure to the scientific process by working in a faculty-led research lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, MA. In addition to research, students will participate in activities focusing on how to transition from a two-year college to a university and information on graduate school. At the end of the program, students will present their results to an audience of peers and mentors. Applications are due March 29, 2019.
Following a very successful “Geobiology 2017” with 200 registrants, the Geobiology Society will again host a 3-day meeting at the Banff Conference Center. The dates for the conference are June 9-13, 2019. As before, this meeting will be an ideal venue for us to discuss the latest developments in Geobiology and build international collaborations in a relaxed but stimulating environment. Please register to confirm your attendance by April 19, 2019.
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to study planetary-scale interactions among the evolutionary, biogeochemical and biogeographic processes of marine bacterioplankton, taking advantage of a unique, massive dataset of single cell genomes. The hired scientist will join Dr. Stepanauskas’ research group and will be engaged in collaborations with Dr. Penny Chisholm’s group (MIT) and other partners. The postdoctoral scientists at Bigelow Laboratory have access to an active professional training program and possibilities for undergraduate student mentoring and teaching. Candidates must have either a PhD degree or a PhD ABD in a relevant field and demonstrated experience in microbial genomics, environmental microbiology and evolutionary biology. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to work harmoniously in a collaborative research team are crucial. The position is offered for a period of two years. We want to fill this position as soon as possible, but the start date may be negotiated. Applicants should submit the following to our online application portal by February 11, 2019.
The Asahiko Taira International Scientific Ocean Drilling Research Prize (The Taira Prize) is given annually to one honoree in recognition of “outstanding transdisciplinary research accomplishment in ocean drilling.” Established in 2014, the Taira Prize is a partnership between the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the Japan Geoscience Union (JpGU), and is made possible through the generous donation from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Management International (IODP-MI). The prize is given in honor of Dr. Asahiko Taira of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. Deadline to nominate: April 15, 2019.
This training course will encompass the different technical and scientific aspects of downhole measurements and their analysis in scientific drilling, including borehole logging under various conditions and scientific demands, seismic borehole measurements, downhole hydraulic tests, fluid logging & sampling, and fibre optical methods. The training course is recommended for graduate students, PhD students, Early-Careers and Senior Scientists involved in running or upcoming scientific drilling projects. Preference will be given to applicants involved in ICDP drilling projects, applicants from ICDP member countries, developing countries, and those from countries considering ICDP membership. For the successful candidates, expenses including those for travelling, visa, meals and accommodation will be covered by ICDP. The deadline for applications is February 15, 2019.
Registration is now open for the Southeastern Biogeochemistry / Geobiology Symposium. The submission deadline for presenters is February 15, 2019. General registration will remain open through March 16, 2019. For planning purposes early registration is appreciated.
The Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) recognizes that a lack of methods for analysis of gene function represents an obstacle to progress in a range of diverse non-model organisms. These organisms are important for understanding numerous basic science questions in organismal biology as funded through the Division’s core programs. Enabling Discovery through Genomic Tools (EDGE) is designed to provide support for development of tools, approaches and infrastructure necessary for direct tests of cause and effect hypotheses between gene function and phenotypes in diverse plants, animals, microbes, viruses and fungi for which these methods are presently unavailable. Such approaches are essential to advance understanding of the genomes-to-phenomes relationship, an area relevant to Understanding the Rules of Life: Predicting Phenotype, one of the 10 Big Ideas for future NSF investment. To meet the goal of catalyzing communities to enable direct tests of cause-and-effect hypotheses about genes and phenotypes in organisms for which such tools and infrastructure are presently lacking, EDGE proposals must include training and rapid dissemination plans enabling larger communities of investigators to utilize the newly-developed tools quickly, thereby catalyzing an increase in the capacity of research communities to test cause-and-effect hypotheses about genes and phenotypes in organisms for which such tools and infrastructure are presently lacking. Full Proposal Deadline Date: February 12, 2019.
The FRES program will support research in Earth systems from its core through the critical zone. The project may focus on all or part of the surface, continental lithospheric, and deeper Earth systems over the entire range of temporal and spatial scales. FRES projects will typically have a larger scientific scope and budget than those considered for funding by core programs in the Division of Earth Sciences (EAR). FRES projects may be interdisciplinary studies that do not fit well within the core programs or cannot be routinely managed by sharing between core programs. Innovative proposals within a single area with results that will have broad relevance to Earth Science research are also encouraged. Investigations may employ any combination of field, laboratory, and computational studies with observational, theoretical, or experimental approaches. Projects should be focused on topics that meet the guidelines for research funded by the Division of Earth Sciences. Full proposal deadline date: February 21, 2019 .
The Instrumentation and Facilities Program in the Division of Earth Sciences (EAR/IF) supports meritorious requests for infrastructure that promotes research and education in areas supported by the Division. Under this solicitation EAR/IF will consider proposals for Laboratory Technician Support to provide for optimal and efficient operation of advanced instrumentation, analytical protocol development, and user training for Earth science research instrumentation. Support is available through grants in response to investigator-initiated proposals. Technician support duties that promote human resource development and education are expected to be an integral part of proposals. Efforts to support participation of underrepresented groups in laboratory and/or field instrument use and training are encouraged as part of any described technician’s duties. Proposals from early career (tenure track but untenured) lead investigators are also encouraged. Such proposals will be given due consideration as part of the Broader Impacts merit review criterion. Full proposal deadline date: February 14, 2019
Jason Sylvan, (Assistant Professor, Texas A&M) leads the next C-DEBI Professional Development Webinar on “Lessons Learned: Adventures in Online Teaching and Trying to Balance Research & Teaching.” The access URL for the webinar is http://usccollege.adobeconnect.com/cdebiremote/. Missed the most recent C-DEBI Professional Development Webinar on “Scientific Editing as a Career” with Delphine Defforey (Nature Communications)? Watch it on YouTube.
Attending the Astrobiology Science Conference taking place from June 24-28, 2018 in Seattle, Washington? Submit your abstract to our session and we hope to see you there! Description: Recent discoveries on ocean worlds as well as remnants of ancient aqueous environments on Mars set important foundations in the search for extraterrestrial life. To better prioritize targets for investigation, select high-value analysis sites, and develop exploration strategies for potential ancient or extant biosignatures, a diverse set of analog environments on Earth are extremely valuable. Given the rapidly emerging nature of the field, as well as the ocean world missions under development, key details of how such findings translate into habitability are timely. We welcome in particular abstracts addressing geological contexts or spatial scales that could inform the search for habitable environments or biosignatures on our solar system’s Ocean Worlds. Relevant work will contextualize terrestrial studies – including those pertaining to Pre-Cambrian glacial “Snowball” conditions – within the framework of aqueous paleoenvironments on Mars and our expanding knowledge of celestial bodies like Europa, Enceladus, Titan, Ceres, and Triton. Subjects could include (but are not limited to) geophysical analyses that constrain habitable environments or geochemical gradients, assessments of energetics for past or extant life, the effect of ice cover on physical and chemical processes, or biological activity that could generate diagnostic biomarkers. We also encourage “process-based” abstracts that detail how the exploratory approaches used in terrestrial contexts – such as mission operations, instrument testing, and field site selection – may be mobilized in support of the future astrobiology missions. Abstracts are due March 6, 2019.
As you are aware, scientific ocean drilling is half a century old this year, marked by the maiden voyage of the Glomar Challenger in 1968. Discoveries from scientific ocean drilling through the DSDP, ODP and IODP programs have helped reveal Earth’s history and have been critical to shaping our understanding of how our planet works. But although results from scientific ocean drilling have never have been stronger, addressing future challenges in the Earth sciences will require improved technologies that are not currently available on the JOIDES Resolution. The current phase of scientific ocean drilling will end after 2023, which is only five years away. At that same time the JOIDES Resolution will be 45 years old. In short, we are approaching a critical point with the current science plan expiring and the JOIDES Resolution in need of a replacement. Continuation of scientific ocean drilling beyond 2023 requires planning and action now. We are co-chairing the steering committee Instituting U.S. Scientific Ocean Drilling Beyond 2023 (SOD23+) to lead the U.S. planning for the post-2023 era in scientific ocean drilling and need broad input and support from the U.S. and international communities to consider the scientific plan and our future platform needs. In order to prepare the U.S. community for this critical time, we are organizing a two-day Workshop on May 6-7, 2019 in Denver that will bring together roughly 80-90 U.S.-IODP researchers and perhaps 20 international collaborators from non-U.S. IODP countries. Application window to the Denver3 Workshop opens January 28, 2019 and closes February 15, 2019.
The workshop Anatomy of a Long-Lived Oceanic Arc: Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc System and Analogs aims to: (1) review the results of extensive drilling by four recent IODP expeditions; (2) review other (non-drilling) approaches used to study the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) system; (3) present mantle and ocean floor drilling objectives in other systems and synthesize these with IBM results and goals; (4) make comparisons with arc and ophiolite field analogs around the globe; and (5) identify avenues for future collaborative research. The workshop will involve synthesizing results in the IBM arc system and analogous modern systems and outcrop analogs, a mid-week field trip to examine IBM rocks, and targeted discussion of thematic and geographic areas ideal for collaborative research, synthesis papers, and new research proposals. A number of travel support grants will be available for participants from U.S. institutions and organizations. Support for a limited number of international participants will need to be provided by individuals or IODP member countries. In addition to scientists within the IODP community and early career researchers, we also encourage researchers, including field geologists and modelers, who do not normally participate in IODP projects to apply. Workshop participation is open to U.S. and international researchers and the deadline to apply is May 1, 2019.
Undergraduates in Bigelow Laboratory’s summer REU Program spend ten weeks at the Laboratory conducting independent research with guidance from a scientist mentor. Directed by Senior Research Scientist Dr. David Fields, and funded by the National Science Foundation, the REU Program is designed to give students pursuing degrees in the sciences, mathematics and engineering a laboratory-based research experience with an emphasis on hands-on, state-of-the-art methods and technologies. REU students are immersed in the Bigelow community and participate in seminars, field trips, Laboratory outreach programs, social events, and more. Each student in the program is paired with a Bigelow Laboratory scientist based on mutual research interests. During the ten weeks, students work with their mentors to identify a research question, develop a proposal, conduct their research, and prepare an abstract and poster. At the end of the program, students present their poster and give a talk at a student symposium. Research areas vary year to year, but include marine microbiology, ocean biogeochemistry, optical oceanography, remote sensing, bioinformatics, sensory biology and phytoplankton ecology. The 2019 program dates are May 28 through August 2 and will be held at the Laboratory’s East Boothbay campus. Successful applicants receive a stipend, free housing, and funds for travel to and from Bigelow Laboratory. Application period closes February 15, 2019.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) seeks outstanding candidates for a position to fill one of two roles: 1) Organismal Physiologist, or 2) Zooplankton Ecologist/Curator, at Associate Professor rank. Candidates will be evaluated on their potential to establish a vigorous research program and provide intellectual leadership in their field, acquire extramural funds, teach and mentor graduate students, teach in the marine biology undergraduate major, collegiality, and service towards building an equitable and diverse scholarly environment. For full consideration, please apply by January 31, 2019.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) seeks outstanding candidates for a position to fill one of two roles: 1) Organismal Physiologist, or 2) Zooplankton Ecologist/Curator, at Assistant Professor rank. Candidates will be evaluated on their potential to establish a vigorous research program and provide intellectual leadership in their field, acquire extramural funds, teach and mentor graduate students, teach in the marine biology undergraduate major, collegiality, and service towards building an equitable and diverse scholarly environment. For full consideration, please apply by January 31, 2019.
Scientific drilling through the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) continues to provide unique opportunities to investigate the workings of the interior of our planet, Earth’s cycles, natural hazards and the distribution of subsurface microbial life. The past and current scientific drilling programs have brought major advances in many multidisciplinary fields of socio-economic relevance, such as climate and ecosystem evolution, palaeoceanography, the deep biosphere, deep crustal and tectonic processes, geodynamics and geohazards. This session invites contributions that present and/or review recent scientific results from deep Earth sampling and monitoring through ocean and continental drilling projects. Furthermore, we encourage contributions that outline perspectives and visions for future drilling projects, in particular projects using a multi-platform approach. The abstract submission deadline is January 10, 2019.
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), in fulfilling strategic plans for expansion in key areas, is seeking applications for five new faculty positions as part of its three-part mission to conduct interdisciplinary research in coastal ocean and estuarine science, educate students and citizens, and provide advisory service to policy makers, industry, and the public. The School of Marine Science at VIMS is the graduate school in marine science for William & Mary. We invite applications for the following tenure-eligible Assistant/Associate Professor positions in the School of Marine Science: Coastal & Estuarine Ecology, Estuarine/Coastal Physical Oceanography, Marine Chemistry (Two Positions), and Phytoplankton Ecology. For full consideration, application materials are due January 14, 2019.
The Department of Geosciences at Princeton University is seeking applications for a tenure-track assistant professor faculty position in geology, broadly defined. We are particularly interested in interdisciplinary scientists who could interact productively with existing faculty working in geophysics and/or climate. Possible fields of specialty include, but are not limited to, petrology, volcanology, tectonics, glaciology, rock deformation, earth surface processes, and paleontology. Evaluation of applications will begin as they arrive; for fullest consideration, apply by December 21, 2018, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
The Department of Geosciences at Princeton University announces competition for the 2019-2020 Harry Hess Fellows Program. This honorific postdoctoral fellowship program provides opportunities for outstanding geoscientists to work in the field of their choice. Research may be carried out independently or in collaboration with members of the Geosciences Department. One or more Hess Fellows may be appointed. Applications are welcome from candidates who have earned a Ph.D. in the last five years or expect to have a Ph.D. by the start of the fellowship. Current areas of research include: Biogeochemical Cycles, Paleoclimatology, Environmental Chemistry, Paleontology, Geochemistry, Petrology, Glaciology, Seismology, Geomicrobiology, Tectonics, Mineral Physics, Atmospheric Science, Oceanography, Planetary Science, Geochronology and Earth History. Hess Fellowships provide a competitive annual salary, depending upon experience, along with a significant allowance for travel to meetings and for research support. Initial awards are for one year, with the possibility of renewal for additional years depending upon satisfactory performance and available funding. A preferred starting date is on or before September 1st, 2019. Applications are due on January 1, 2019, but evaluation of applications and interviews of candidates will begin immediately.
Attending Goldschmidt 2019 in Barcelona? Consider submitting your abstracts to Session 09c: Biogeochemical Cycling in Changing Glacial Habitats and Downstream Ecosystems. Conveners: Alexander Michaud, Trista Vick-Majors. Description: Glaciers and ice sheets, as major drivers of weathering and erosion, are important features within the critical zone. As the size, distribution, and melt patterns associated with glaciers continue to change, so too will their impacts to downstream ecosystems. Habitats beneath and downstream of glaciers will contend with hydrologic changes leading to altered nutrient and sediment regimes. The microorganisms that catalyze the transformation of elements within glacial habitats and downstream environments will respond to these changes in unknown ways. This session seeks to synthesize knowledge on the impacts of changing hydrology and sediment transport on the biogeochemistry of glaciated systems, the microbial life in those systems, and the downstream consequences of change. We invite abstracts that address biogeochemical linkages within or among components of glaciated systems, or how microbial or biogeochemical processes are affected by changes in glacier movement, hydrology, or extent. Habitats downstream of glaciers are numerous, so we encourage abstracts from studies conducted in fjords, terrestrial glacial forefields, proglacial lakes, supraglacial, and subglacial habitats. The session aims to contextualize how glacial changes will regulate future biogeochemical processes. Abstract submission opens January 15, 2019, and closes March 29, 2019.
We know more about Mars than we know about Antarctica’s subglacial environment, but new information about its nature is changing the way we view the continent. The Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access (SALSA) project aims to uncover new knowledge about this newly explored biome through an integrative study of subglacial geobiology, water column and sedimentary organic carbon, and geobiological processes in one of the largest subglacial lakes in West Antarctica. Over December 2018 – January 2019, SALSA will set up a field camp of 50 scientists, drillers, and support staff to drill 4,000 feet into the ice and sample from this scarcely studied environment. Located roughly 500 miles from the South Pole, team members will reach the study site using specialized tractors and ski equipped aircraft. Follow us on our Blog, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Click here to view news stories highlighting SALSA’s work.
The Department of Biological Sciences is searching for a tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor to start August 21, 2019. California State University, Chico seeks faculty who are competent in their field, collaborative with colleagues and staff, and committed to student success. The minimum education requirement for appointment to this position is a PhD in microbiology or a related field, with a specialization in prokaryotic or eukaryotic (protist or fungal) microbial pathogenesis, food or industrial microbiology, or microbial ecology. A demonstrated ability or potential to establish externally-funded research, a record of publication, and a strong interest in teaching excellence and enthusiasm for mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in research are also required. The successful candidate should provide evidence of their commitment to or experience promoting and fostering a learning environment that is supportive of individuals from diverse backgrounds. Review of applications will begin on January 10, 2019 and continue until the position is filled.
The Environmental Microbiology and Astrobiology Labs of the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Las Vegas, NV, in partnership with the School of Life Sciences (SoLS) at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), invite applications for graduate studies beginning in Fall of 2019. These joint positions will based at DRI, but coursework, academic advisement, and degrees will be provided through UNLV. We seek highly motivated individuals to contribute to NASA- and NSF-funded research at the interface between environmental science, cultivation-based microbiology, and genomics. The successful applicant will join a dynamic research team with primary collaborators from the Single Cell Genomics Center (Bigelow Lab, ME), the Universities of New Hampshire and New Mexico, and NASA in Silicon Valley (NASA Ames). Major field activities will focus on caves at Lava Beds National Monument, deep boreholes associated with Death Valley, and other (often) extreme desert environments. Open until filled, UNLV application deadline – January 15, 2019.
We are organizing a session on organic matter recycling and diagenesis in sedimentary environment at the next European Geoscience Meeting in Vienna (Austria). We invite all people who are interested in sharing geomicrobiology related work, in soil, lake or ocean sediments. We would like to foster the collaboration between deep biosphere lovers and geoscientists-paleoclimatologists working on environmental reconstructions. For more information, contact session convener Camille Thomas (University of Geneva). The abstract submission deadline is January 10, 2019.
As host to one of only three IODP core repositories in the world – the only one in Europe – the MARUM in Bremen is an important hub for marine geoscientists. Taking advantage of this setting, the new ECORD Training Course will provide a “Virtual Drillship Experience” for scientists from academia and industry. The participants will be early career and established scientists from academia and industry from all over the world who have an interest in scientific drilling and development of professional skills in core analysis. This one week course offers a basic training focusing on the IODP core flow procedures, preparing the participants for participating in an offshore drillship expedition, and instilling them with an appreciation for high standards in all kinds of coring projects. IODP‐style lab exercises will form the foundation of the ECORD Training Course following the pattern of the unique “Virtual Ship” approach developed for the Bremen ECORD Summer Schools. Application deadline: January 18, 2019.
The Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Montana State University invites applications for an Assistant/Associate Professor tenure-track faculty position in the field of environmental microbiology. Microorganisms drive global geochemical cycles and link critical ecosystem processes influencing plant, animal, and environmental health. We seek to attract an exceptional individual to establish a nationally recognized, externally funded research program aimed at understanding the dynamic interactions between microbial life and the environment, to teach both undergraduate and graduate students through development of innovative courses, and to participate in professional/service activities. We are particularly interested in individuals whose work complements and strengthens the research interests of MSU faculty, including those focused on microbial physiology and ecology, molecular evolution, virology, biomedical microbiology, environmental health, and host-pathogen interactions. Screening of applications will begin on February 1, 2019; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.
One or more postdoctoral positions are available for research projects on the origin, residence times and geochemical signatures of deep crustal fluids and the subsurface microbial communities that are sustained by water-rock reactions in the deep Earth. Field, laboratory and modeling opportunities are available to extend the existing program to explore the implications of our work on Earth analogs to the search for life on the rocky bodies and ocean worlds of our solar system. Applicants with a PhD in geochemistry, geobiology, chemistry or related disciplines are encouraged to apply. Contact: Dr. B. Sherwood Lollar, bslollar@chem.utoronto.ca. Position is open immediately and will remain open until the position(s) are filled.
The sampling expedition Biology Meets Subduction: A Collaborative and Multidisciplinary Deep Carbon Field Initiative was designed to develop novel connections between microbiology, volcanic systems, and the cycling of living and dead (biotic and abiotic) carbon as Earth’s plates move and subduct past each other. With the fieldwork complete, the team, led by DCO early career scientists has started to publish their findings. Join Peter Barry (University of Oxford, UK), Karen Lloyd (University of Tennessee Knoxville, USA), and Donato Giovannelli (CNR-IRBIM, Italy and Rutgers University, USA) as they discuss their fieldwork in Costa Rica and Panama and share the value added and problems created by conducting a multidisciplinary scientific investigation in the field. The live webinar will be held January 23, 2019 at 11am PT / 2pm ET.
The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is now accepting applications for scientific participants on Expedition 388 Equatorial Atlantic Gateway, aboard the JOIDES Resolution. IODP Expedition 388 will study the tectonic, climatic, and biotic evolution of the Equatorial Atlantic Gateway (EAG) at three sites on and near the Pernambuco Plateau (northeastern Brazilian continental shelf). These will target Late Cretaceous-Recent sediments and oceanic crust and are strategically located both near the continental margin and at paleo-water depths that are shallow enough (< 2000 m) to provide well-preserved organic biomarkers and calcareous microfossils for proxy reconstructions of greenhouse climates. Core and log data will address four key themes: (1) the early rift history of the Equatorial Atlantic; (2) the biogeochemistry of the restricted Equatorial Atlantic; (3) the long-term paleoceanography of the EAG; and, (4) the limits of tropical climates and ecosystems under conditions of extreme warmth. This expedition will constrain the long-term interactions between tectonics, oceanography, ocean biogeochemistry and climate, and the functioning of tropical ecosystems and climate during intervals of extreme warmth. The expedition will take place from 26 June to 26 August 2020. Opportunities exist for researchers (including graduate students) in all shipboard specialties, including but not limited to sedimentologists, micropaleontologists, paleomagnetists, inorganic/organic geochemists, microbiologists, petrologists, petrophysicists, and borehole geophysicists. U.S.-affiliated scientists interested in responding to the special call should apply to sail through the U.S. Science Support Program. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2019.
The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is now accepting applications for scientific participants on Expedition 387 Amazon Margin, aboard the JOIDES Resolution. IODP Expedition 387 will drill the upper portion of the Foz do Amazonas basin of the equatorial margin of Brazil to recover a complete, high-resolution sedimentary sequence spanning nearly the entire Cenozoic. This expedition is the marine complement to the Trans-Amazon Drilling Project transect of continental drill sites, and will address fundamental questions about the Cenozoic climatic evolution of the Amazon region, the origins and evolution of the neotropical rain forest and its incomparable biodiversity, the paleoceanographic history of the western equatorial Atlantic, and the origins of the transcontinental Amazon River. Core and log data from sites on the uppermost continental slope will be used to: (1) generate a continuous record of climate and biodiversity in Cenozoic South America at unprecedented resolution; (2) reconstruct the oceanographic conditions of the western tropical Atlantic; (3) provide critical marine biostratigraphic control for correlation with the Trans-Amazon Drilling Project; (4) determine the onset and history of trans-continental drainage of the proto-Amazon River into the Atlantic; and (5) test major hypotheses about the originations and extinctions of tropical South American biota. The expedition will take place from 26 April to 26 June 2020. Opportunities exist for researchers (including graduate students) in all shipboard specialties, including but not limited to sedimentologists, micropaleontologists, paleomagnetists, inorganic/organic geochemists, petrologists, petrophysicists, microbiologists, and borehole geophysicists. U.S.-affiliated scientists interested in responding to the special call should apply to sail through the U.S. Science Support Program. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2019.
The Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences invites applications for the position of a Professorship (W3) in Benthic Microbiology commencing as soon as possible. The appointed professor is expected to cover the complete field of teaching microbiology in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs of the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. We seek a microbiologist with distinct expertise in physiology and diversity of prokaryotes, preferentially with anaerobic organisms. The appointed professor should investigate fundamental questions in marine microbiology, combining classical-microbiological and modern OMICS-driven approaches, and bearing the potential for modern and innovative microbiome research. It is expected that the appointed professor will contribute to future interdisciplinary, process-oriented research projects of the ICBM (see collaborative research at www.icbm.de) and participate in joint research cruises. Prerequisites for employment include a dissertation of superior quality, a habilitation or an equivalent scientific achievement, and pedagogical aptitude proven by practical experience. Excellence in research is expected as well as international experience, generally attained by a research stay abroad. Successful acquisition of third-party funds is required. Applications should be submitted by no later than January 15, 2019.
Delphine Defforey, (Associate Editor at Nature Communications) leads the next C-DEBI Professional Development Webinar on “Scientific editing as a career.” The access URL for the webinar is http://usccollege.adobeconnect.com/cdebiremote/. Missed the most recent C-DEBI Professional Development Webinar on “Work-life Balance is Essential and also it can’t Possibly Exist” with Drew Steen (UTK)? Watch it on YouTube.
Now entering its 16th year, the International Geobiology Course is an intense, multidisciplinary summer course exploring the coevolution of the Earth and it’s biosphere, with an emphasis on how microbial processes affect the environment and leave imprints on the rock record. Participants get hands-on experience in cutting-edge geobiological techniques, learn from a broad team of eminent scientists in the field, and work in research groups to solve relevant questions. Geobiology 2019 begins with a 10-day field trip to the Mammoth Springs area of the Eastern Sierra, to study hot springs, ancient sedimentary rocks and fossils, and the modern biogeochemistry of Mono Lake, as well as the coast near Ventura, CA to see sulfur springs and a world-famous exposure of the Monterey Formation. The course then returns to Caltech in Pasadena for ~2 weeks of laboratory instruction and hands-on experience with many of Caltech’s cutting edge facilities and instrumentation. We finish with 11 days at the Wrigley Marine Center on beautiful Catalina Island, learning from a rotating cast of geobiology instructors and working on project data. Geobiology 2019 is open to all graduate students and postdocs interested in pursuing geobiologic research as a career. We expect to admit 16 participants this year via competitive admissions. Preference is generally given to those in the midst of their program, rather than at the very beginning or end. Postdocs with training in other fields who want to work in geobiology are encouraged to apply. Applicants from around the world, including developing nations, are encouraged to apply. Financial aid is available for those with demonstrated need. Applications are due by February 8, 2019.
All Guaymas Basin and deep biosphere aficionados are thoroughly encouraged to join the 2018 R/V Atlantis expedition team via Andreas Teske‘s cruise blog! Expedition participants from Germany, Mexico and all over the USA (Georgia, Massachusetts, Montana, North and South Carolina, Texas) are convening today at the Port of Guaymas on the Gulf of California for a new deep-sea adventure with submersible Alvin and AUV Sentry.
We are looking to fill the Mendenhall Postdoctoral Research Opportunity 17-9 Geology of Marine Mineral Deposits based at the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California. This is a great opportunity for a motivated post-doc to develop their own research proposal related to the geology of marine minerals. Further information about the Mendenhall program may be found here. Applicants are encouraged to contact us early to discuss proposal ideas. Please note that non-US citizens can apply for the Mendenhall, but US citizens are generally given priority. Details about citizenship and other FAQ are found here. Positions are competitive and filled based on availability of funds and qualified applicants; the deadline for submission is Friday, January 18, 2019.
The Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University seeks an Instructional Assistant Professor (Non-Tenure Track) to lead efforts in the development and execution of online courses in an Ocean Data Science track being developed for the online Masters of Geosciences (MGSc) degree program. The candidate is expected to transform and deliver courses on Ocean Observing Systems, Physical Oceanography, and Ocean Data Methods in a distance education environment. The successful candidate will work closely with the College of Geosciences Distance Learning Team, Department of Oceanography faculty and associated content experts to develop online course content material. The Department of Oceanography is part of an alliance of Ocean Sciences at Texas A&M that spans the Marine Biology and Marine Sciences Departments at TAMU Galveston, the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, the International Ocean Discovery Program, and Texas Sea Grant. Review of applications will begin immediately and the advertisement will remain open until the position is filled. The desired start date is February 1, 2019. The full-time position carries 9 months of salary with possibility of additional 3-month summer salary depending on availability of funds and the success of online courses. Application deadline: June 1, 2019.
The Department of Geology and Geophysics at Yale University (www.geology.yale.edu) announces an annual competition for a Bateman Postdoctoral Fellowship. We welcome applicants with research interests across the full range of disciplines within the Earth and Planetary Sciences, including studies of geophysics and planetary physics, tectonics, oceans, atmosphere, climate dynamics, geochemistry, paleoclimatology, and the evolution of life. The Postdoctoral Associate position is awarded for two years, providing a stipend ($60,000/yr) and base research funds ($5,000/yr), plus health care benefits and limited expenses for relocation. Applicants should contact a sponsor in the Department to identify potential research projects, and then submit a short (2-3 page) statement of research interests and proposed research, a curriculum vita with a full list of publications, an endorsement letter from the sponsoring faculty member, and three confidential letters of reference. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is December 15, 2018, and successful candidates are expected to begin their program at Yale between July 1 and December 31, 2019.
The Teske lab is looking for a postdoc who is interested in sequence-based analysis of hydrothermal vent and subsurface microbial communities in Guaymas Basin, a sedimented, hydrocarbon-rich spreading center in the Gulf of California. The position provides excellent collaborative opportunities to link microbial taxonomy, physiology, genomics and biogeochemistry in this hydrothermal ecosystem. Start date: ASAP, 2 year duration. Contact: teske@email.unc.edu (in the field between Nov. 14 and Dec. 1)
We seek to recruit a computational and experimental marine microbiome researcher to complement research strengths at UGA in bioinformatics and marine sciences. Possible areas of research include ocean productivity, global carbon and nutrient cycling, diseases of aquatic organisms, or intersections with public health. The successful candidate will be appointed at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor depending on credentials and accomplishments. This is an interdisciplinary position, with the appointment being split between the Department of Marine Sciences and the Institute of Bioinformatics. A strong record of innovation and ability to develop and apply new computational tools (simulations, flux analyses, data integration and visualization, among others) and microbial ecology approaches to marine microbiome research is preferred. Teaching responsibilities will be in undergraduate and graduate programs and include both bioinformatics and marine science microbiome components. Review of applications will begin on November 15, 2018 and continue until the position is filled.
The Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) awards Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology to recent recipients of the doctoral degree for research and training in selected areas supported by BIO and with special goals for human resource development in biology. The fellowships encourage independence at an early stage of the research career to permit Fellows to pursue their research and training goals in the most appropriate research locations regardless of the availability of funding for the Fellows at that site. For FY 2015 and beyond, these BIO programs are (1) Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology, (2) Research Using Biological Collections, and (3) National Plant Genome Initiative (NPGI) Postdoctoral Research Fellowships. These areas change periodically as new scientific and infrastructure opportunities present themselves. For this reason, this solicitation will be changed as necessary to reflect the areas being funded. Full proposal deadline date: November 6, 2018.
The School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) at Arizona State University invites applications for the postdoctoral research scholar position of Exploration Fellow. The mission of the postdoctoral fellowship is to foster SESE’s interdisciplinary research program by attracting and supporting outstanding early-career scientists and engineers to pursue independent research in collaboration with SESE faculty. Research areas within SESE encompass theoretical and observational astrophysics, astrobiology, cosmology, earth and planetary science, instrumentation and systems engineering, and science education. Anticipated start date for the position is July 2019. Incoming Fellows will receive an annual stipend of $65,000 with health benefits, plus $12,000 per year in discretionary research funds. A relocation allowance will be provided. The initial appointment is for one year with subsequent annual renewal for up to a total of three years, contingent upon satisfactory performance, the needs of the university, and availability of resources. Initial review of complete applications will begin on December 1, 2018.
The U.S. Science Support Program is currently accepting applications for the 2019-2020 Schlanger Ocean Drilling Fellowship Program. The Schlanger Fellowship Program offers merit-based awards for outstanding graduate students to conduct research related to the International Ocean Discovery Program. Research may be related to the objectives of past expeditions or it may address broader science themes. Selected fellows will receive an award of $30,000 for a 12-month period that can be used for research, stipend, tuition, or other approved costs. Schlanger Fellowships are open to all graduate students enrolled at U.S. institutions in full-time M.S. or Ph.D. programs. Applications require reference material from two referees, one of which must be the student’s faculty advisor. The submission deadline is December 7, 2018.
Successful projects of the URoL:Epigenetics Program are anticipated to use complementary, interdisciplinary approaches to investigate how epigenetic phenomena lead to emergent properties that explain the fundamental behavior of living systems. Ultimately, successful projects should identify general principles (“rules”) that underlie a wide spectrum of biological phenomena across size, complexity (e.g., molecular, cellular, organismal, population) and temporal scales (from sub-second to geologic) in taxa from anywhere within the tree of life. URoL:Epigenetics projects must integrate perspectives and research approaches from more than one research discipline (e.g., biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geology, mathematics, physics, social and behavioral sciences). The interdisciplinary scope of URoL:Epigenetics projects also provides unique training and outreach possibilities to train the next generation of scientists in a diversity of approaches and to engage society more generally. Full proposal deadline: February 1, 2019.
The Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) invites exceptional candidates to apply to one or more of our full-time exempt tenure track positions on our scientific staff. We seek to hire at the Assistant Scientist level; however, extraordinary candidates may be considered at Associate Scientist without Tenure, Associate Scientist with Tenure, or Senior Scientist levels. The successful candidate(s) will conduct research in any area of marine chemistry and geochemistry that complements existing programs on the chemistry of the ocean and its interactions with the Earth as a whole. Core departmental strengths include: biogeochemistry and organic geochemistry; microbial ecology and molecular biology; carbon, nutrient, and trace element cycling; environmental change including climate change, air sea exchange; photochemistry; coastal, estuarine, wetland and river geochemistry & biogeochemistry; sediment geochemistry; fluid-rock interactions; igneous geochemistry; noble gas geochemistry; and isotope systematics, including radiochemistry. Applicants should have a doctoral degree, postdoctoral experience, and a record of scientific research publications in scholarly journals. Scientific staff members are expected to develop independent, externally-funded, and internationally-recognized research programs. They also have the option of advising graduate students and teaching courses through the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography and Oceanographic Engineering. WHOI’s Scientific Staff is expected to provide for their salaries from grants and contracts. The Institution provides salary support when no other funding is available, as well as significant internal funding opportunities for developing innovative research projects. Candidates hired at the junior level will receive an initial appointment for four years with salary guaranteed. Review of applications will begin on December 17, 2018.
Nature Research, the publisher of Nature, is looking to recruit two Associate or Senior Editors for Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, a new journal that will launch in 2020. Nature Reviews Earth and Environment will join our highly influential family of Nature Reviews journals, renowned for their editorial quality and supported by best-in-class artwork. Our aim in launching Nature Reviews Earth and Environment is to provide the broad scientific community with high-quality, critical reviews of the latest, most important findings in all areas of earth and environmental sciences. As part of this exciting new publishing venture, we are now recruiting two Associate or Senior Editors for Nature Reviews Earth and Environment. Broad scientific knowledge and training, excellent literary skills, the ability to absorb new areas of research, and a keen interest in the practice and communication of science are all required. Candidates with expertise in geology or biogeochemistry are particularly encouraged to apply. Working closely with the Chief Editor, the editors will commission articles, edit manuscripts, organise peer review, write for the journal, and develop the journal’s website. The ideal candidates will have a PhD in a core aspect of earth or environmental science and ideally relevant postdoctoral research experience. Previous editorial experience would be an advantage, but is not essential. The position will be based in the London office of Springer Nature, and the terms and conditions are competitive, reflecting the importance and responsibilities of the role. Closing Date: November 8, 2018
The U.S. Science Support Program, associated with the International Ocean Discovery Program, is currently accepting proposals for planning workshops. Proposed workshops should promote the development of new ideas and strategies to study the Earth’s processes and history using scientific ocean drilling. Workshops may focus on a specific scientific theme or topic, or they may focus on a geographic region, integrating multiple topics. Regionally-focused workshops offer opportunities to synthesize scientific results from past expeditions, or to develop drilling proposals for future expeditions. Prospective workshop proponents should consider long-term projected ship tracks in identifying potential geographic areas for focus. Funding may be requested for U.S.-based meetings or to support U.S. participants at larger international workshops. Broad-based scientific community involvement, co-sponsorship by related programs, and the active participation of early career researchers are strongly encouraged. The submission deadline is December 1, 2018.
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is seeking two postdoctoral researchers to lead studies that tie cell-specific genome data to expressed functions (genome to phenome) such that rates of environmental processes can be coupled to specific microbial lineages. This work integrates cutting-edge approaches in field studies of marine and continental microbiomes, laboratory experimentation and bioinformatics. The primary focus of position #1, co-advised by Drs. Stepanauskas and Poulton, will be on the studies of marine bacterioplankton and the integration of flow cytometry and genomics of individual cells. The primary focus of position #2, co-advised by Drs. Orcutt and Emerson, will be on studies of the deep biosphere and the calibration of single cell activity and physiology measurements using laboratory cultures. Both hired scientists will be engaged in a collaborative, multi-institutional project that also includes the University of New Hampshire and the Desert Research Institute. Candidates must have a PhD degree in a relevant field and prior experience in environmental microbiology and genomics. Research will be conducted primarily at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine. Opportunities for fieldwork may be available but are not required. Applications due November 1, 2018.
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences invites applications for a Senior Research Scientist (SRS) position to complement the mission of our non-profit research institution. Successful SRS candidates are expected to lead transformative, interdisciplinary research that aligns with, and expands, our research mission. Targeted research areas for this position are in any of the following research themes: (1) ocean microbiome, (2) ocean biogeochemistry, and (3) ocean health. Cross-cutting themes for these positions include human impacts, foundations of marine food webs and climate change. Minimum requirements include a Ph.D. degree in a relevant field and demonstrated capability to acquire external funding and lead scientific programs. We will consider candidates at all levels of their career progression. Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is a “soft money” institution where SRSs are given the freedom to pursue their own funded research and entrepreneurial portfolio that advances the institutional mission. SRSs also have the opportunity to participate in the Laboratory’s sponsored education activities, such as our partnership with Colby College and an NSF REU internship program. SRSs are institutionally supported to engage in governance and administrative activities associated with the laboratory’s unique operational model. For full consideration, the application should be received by November 30, 2018.
The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is now accepting applications for scientific participants on Expedition 389 Hawaiian Drowned Reefs aboard a Mission-Specific Platform (MSP) provided by the ECORD Science Operator. The overall goal of IODP Expedition 389 is to sample a unique succession of drowned coral reefs around Hawaii now at -134 to -1155 m below sea level. Scientific drilling through these reefs will generate a new record of sea-level and associated climate variability during several controversial and poorly understood periods over the last 500 kyr. Opportunities exist for researchers (including graduate students) in all specialties. While other expertise may be considered, specialists in the following fields are required: carbonate sedimentology, corals, sedimentology, paleontology, palynology, organic geochemistry, inorganic geochemistry, structural geology, paleomagnetics, microbiology, physical properties, geophysics, geodynamics, glacial isostatic adjustment, stratigraphic correlation and downhole logging. For the offshore phase of the expedition, we are particularly looking for the following fields: carbonate sedimentology, corals, sedimentology, paleontology, organic geochemistry, inorganic geochemistry, microbiology, physical properties, and petrophysics/downhole logging. The deadline to apply is November 23, 2018.
The Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences (EPS) invites applications for an open faculty position spanning the broadly defined fields of Geology, Geobiology and/or Geochemistry as they pertain to reconstructing and understanding the history of the Earth. This is a tenure-track appointment at the assistant level. We seek to attract an outstanding individual to establish an innovative research program and teach both undergraduate and graduate students. We are especially interested in individuals whose work spans the intellectual interests of Harvard faculty, including – although not limited to – the interactions between life, evolution, (bio)geochemistry, tectonics, and marine or terrestrial environmental change over geologic time. There is also the opportunity to work with sister departments such as Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Application Deadline: November 1, 2018.
This call is part of the Federal Tenure Track Programme of the German Federal Government and the Federal States. It addresses researchers at an early career stage. The successful candidate is expected to develop research and teaching programs in the field of geobiology at the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy. Grounded in basic geoscientific research, the focus of a future geobiological research program may range from paleobiology through earth and life history to geomicrobiology. Research should rely on innovative, modern approaches and quantitative methodology. Links to other fields of research at the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy and to the guiding themes of the Department of Geosciences such as “Evolution of Life and Earth” or “Global change in Environmental Dynamics and the Atmosphere” are expected. The successful candidate will represent the field of geobiology in its entirety in the bachelor and master programs at the Institute Geology and Mineralogy. Contributions to basic undergraduate teaching are obligatory. We seek young researchers with an exceptional track record and the potential for establishing and advancing geobiological research at the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy. An excellent and internationally recognized publication record and proof of the successful acquisition of third-party funding and implementation of related projects are required. The successful candidate is expected to contribute to existing initiatives (e.g. Collaborative Research Center CRC 1211 “Earth Evolution at the Dry Limit” or Priority Programme 1833 “Building a Habitable Earth”) as well as establishing his/her own research program. Applications should be submitted no later than October 15, 2018.
The USSSP Onboard Outreach Program gives formal and informal educators, artists, writers, videographers and other participants the opportunity to spend an entire expedition with an IODP shipboard party and translate their experiences for students and the general public via blogs, videos, social networking sites, live ship-to-shore video events and development of educational resources. Onboard Outreach Program participants are selected through a competitive application and interview process. All expenses for Onboard Outreach Program participants, such as travel to and from the ports of call, and a $10,000 stipend, are paid by USSSP. The selected individual(s) will also be flown to a three-day training session prior to their expedition. Non-US applicants will be directed to their country’s IODP Program Member Office but are still encouraged to apply. Application period ends on October 19, 2018.
There is a new National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) “Broad Agency Announcement” (ONR BAA # N000014-18-S-B007) posted that includes seven ocean research and technology topics that may be of interest. Up to $27.3 million over three (3) years may be available for this solicitation, subject to appropriation, availability of funds, and final approval by the participating NOPP agencies. The BAA provides research opportunities for the following seven topics: Topic 1 – CubeSat Sensors for Investigating Littoral Ocean & Atmosphere Dynamics; Topic 2 – Sustained observations of marine biodiversity for improved understanding of marine ecosystem responses to changing environmental conditions; Topic 3 – Advanced Sensor Technology; Topic 4 – Autonomous Profiling Floats for Investigating Tropical Pacific Ocean Biogeochemistry; Topic 5 – Improving Arctic Operational Forecasts Arctic Observing System Simulation Experiments using Year of Polar Prediction data (Arctic OSSE); Topic 6 – New Approaches for Data Assimilation to Improve Operational Ocean Prediction; Topic 7 – Autonomous Mapping. Proposal deadlines of December 21, 2018 and January 18. 2019.
The Blue Marble Space Institute of Science has an opening for a postdoctoral scholar with interests in evolutionary protein biochemistry and geochemistry. The position is available immediately. The successful candidate will work in a collaborative and multi-institutional group which seeks to test and develop hypotheses related to the role of thioester chemistry in nascent life and the chemical networks that proceeded living systems. A primary target will be to determine enzyme specific kinetic isotope fractionation factors by purifying enzymes and conducting isotope ratio mass spectrometry measurements of substrate and product. Experience in anaerobic protein purification and manipulation is highly desirable. This project results from a recent NSF/NASA Ideas lab, and the position is made possible through the NSF Emerging Frontiers Crosscutting Activities Program (Award Abstract 1724300). The position is extendable beyond one year. The successful candidate will benefit from working together and sharing research results and ideas collaboratively within our diverse group. The primary workplace of the successful candidate will be the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Tokyo Institute of Technology with supervision from Shawn McGlynn and regular interactions with group members including Betul Kacar (University of Arizona), Boswell Wing (CU Boulder), Chris Butch (BMSIS/ELSI), Chris House (Penn State) and Daniel Segrè (Boston University).
The Chan lab invites postdoctoral research applications to work on several newly funded projects on microbial Fe oxidation. The objectives of the projects are to: 1) Determine the key genes and proteins involved in neutrophilic microbial Fe oxidation; 2) Establish marker genes for monitoring microbial Fe oxidation in natural systems; 3) Better understand how cells interact with Fe minerals, both as electron donors, and as waste products. These projects are funded by NSF, and involve collaborations with Sharon Rozovsky (UD), Jeff Gralnick (University of Minnesota), Denise Akob (USGS), and Kirsten Küsel (FSU-Jena). Candidates should have a PhD in a relevant field (e.g. Microbiology, Biochemistry, Molecular/Cellular Biology), and be interested in microbial Fe oxidation and Fe biogeochemistry. S/he should have experience in at least some subset of the following: Biochemistry of redox-active proteins (particularly membrane proteins); Microbial culturing and physiology (especially challenging organisms); Transcriptomics, genomics, bioinformatics; Fe metabolism and redox chemistry. Further information can be obtained by contacting Dr. Clara Chan (cschan@udel.edu).
The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) explores Earth’s climate history, structure, mantle/crust dynamics, natural hazards, and deep biosphere as described in the IODP Science Plan Illuminating Earth’s Past, Present, and Future. IODP facilitates international and interdisciplinary research on transformative and societally relevant topics using the ocean drilling, coring, and downhole measurement facilities JOIDES Resolution (JR), Chikyu, and Mission Specific Platforms (MSP). All three IODP facilities are now encouraging new proposals. The JR is currently scheduled into early 2020. The JR is expected to operate in the Equatorial and North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean, Caribbean, and the Arctic in 2021 and 2022, and to complete its circumnavigation with a return to the Indo-Pacific region by 2023. Proposals for these future operational areas are strongly encouraged. MSP expeditions are planned to operate once per year on average to recover core from targets that are generally inaccessible by JR and Chikyu. MSP proposals for any ocean are welcomed. To encourage exciting Chikyu expeditions in the future, new pre-proposals for both riser and non-riser operations will be considered. Next proposal deadline: October 1, 2018.
Join us online for our third Networked Speaker Series seminar of of the 2018 season, featuring Dr. Jackie Goordial (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences) on “Microbial activity and ecology through sorted cell -omics of Mid-Atlantic ridge oceanic crust and sediments.” Missed the last seminar with Dr. Alma Parada (Stanford University) on “Evaluating the diversity and distribution of novel microbes across physical and geochemical gradients in deep-sea sediments”? Watch it on YouTube.
Edinburgh has just opened its new Chancellor’s Fellowship round and this time we have a theme in Extreme Conditions/Astrobiology led out of Physics and Astronomy/UK Centre for Astrobiology. These are Fellowships leading automatically to permanent positions and we’re really keen to attract outstanding candidates. In particular, we’d like to find someone who will set up and run their own group in extreme biology/astrobiology. We’re particularly keen to encourage microbiologists and people with an interest in linking that to space exploration. As our ‘Center for Science in Extreme Conditions’ has an interest in high pressure science, an interest in high pressure biology would be very attractive, but not essential. The position could also cover people interested in space biotechnology/space manufacturing as this is of interest to the School of Biological Sciences who are setting up a new biotechnology center. Applications due October 15, 2018.
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is seeking a postdoctoral researcher for the Emerson lab to take part in a study of iron-cycling in the Arctic tundra. The primary goal of this project is to better understand microbial communities associated with iron-oxidation and reduction in the permafrost active layer. Specifically we will address how biogenic iron oxides impact the carbon cycle principally through interactions with methane production and consumption. The work will combine cultivation-independent field approaches with mesocosm studies conducted in the laboratory. The data acquired will also be used in modeling efforts to gain a better understanding of ecosystem processes related to microbial iron metabolism and methane production. Candidates should have strong microbial ecology skills with a demonstrated ability for field and/or laboratory work; experience with, or a willingness to learn a programming language such as R or Matlab is a plus. The project will involve extended stays at the Toolik Field Station, a remote field station on Alaska’s north slope. The candidate must be able to lift 50 lbs. of gear, and be capable of extended hikes in difficult terrain. This is a two-year position with possibility of extension for a third year. Candidates with an interest in making a career of Arctic-related microbiology are encouraged to apply. Consideration of candidates will begin October 10, 2018; start dates will need to be several months prior to the 2019 field season.
Deep biosphere researcher Fumio Inagaki (JAMSTEC) on “Exploring Deep Microbial Life In The Planetary Interior: What Are The Limits of Habitability?”
Where do you deposit your data externally to your own lab so that you and others can access it? Numerous databases (OBIS, NCBI, EMODnet) that house marine data are available, some are built for specific projects, organisations, regions or data types, whereas others accept a wide range of data from across the globe. The development of the new international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) that will be implemented under UNCLOS will start in September. In order to support these negotiations, DOSI is interested in understanding the current usage of open access databases. We hope that you can help us by spending a few moments answering the following ten questions on data storage and usage that focuses on the usage of external online databases (data repositories). We expect this will take about five minutes.
IUSE: GEOPATHS invites proposals that specifically address the current needs and opportunities related to undergraduate education within the geosciences community. The primary goal of the IUSE: GEOPATHS funding opportunity is to increase the number of undergraduate students interested in pursuing undergraduate degrees and/or post-graduate degrees in geoscience through the design and testing of novel approaches for engaging students in authentic, career-relevant experiences in geoscience. In order to broaden participation in the geosciences, engaging undergraduate students from traditionally underrepresented groups or from non-geoscience degree programs is a priority. The IUSE: GEOPATHS solicitation features two funding tTracks: (1) Engaging students in the geosciences through extra-curricular experiences and training activities (GEOPATHS-EXTRA), and (2) Improving pathways into the geosciences through institutional collaborations and transfer (GEOPATHS-IMPACT). Letter of Intent deadline: September 21, 2018.
The Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) awards Postdoctoral Fellowships to recent recipients of doctoral degrees to conduct an integrated program of independent research and professional development. Fellowship proposals must address scientific questions within the scope of EAR disciplinary programs and must align with the overall theme for the postdoctoral program. The program supports researchers for a period of up to two years with fellowships that can be taken to the institution of their choice (including institutions abroad). The program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential, and provide them with research experience, mentorship, and training that will establish them in leadership positions in the Earth Sciences community. Because the fellowships are offered only to postdoctoral scientists early in their career, doctoral advisors are encouraged to discuss the availability of EAR postdoctoral fellowships with their graduate students early in their doctoral programs. Fellowships are awards to individuals, not institutions, and are administered by the Fellows. Full proposal deadline: September 19, 2018.
Join us online for our second Networked Speaker Series seminar of of the 2018 season, featuring Dr. Nagissa Mahmoudi (McGill University) on “Uncovering microbial species-specific effects on organic matter transformation in marine sediments.” Missed the last seminar with Dr. Alma Parada (Stanford University) on “Evaluating the diversity and distribution of novel microbes across physical and geochemical gradients in deep-sea sediments”? Watch it on YouTube.
The field of astrobiology includes the search for life elsewhere in our universe. To learn how to look for life on other planets, we must first examine the limits of life as we know it here on Earth. In this Café Sci, C-DEBI Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Jackie Goordial describes the microorganisms that inhabit some of the most extreme environments on Earth, and discusses how these environments may be similar to other planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond.
The International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program supports international research and research-related activities for U.S. science and engineering students. The IRES program contributes to development of a diverse, globally-engaged workforce with world-class skills. IRES focuses on active research participation by undergraduate or graduate students in high quality international research, education and professional development experiences in NSF-funded research areas. The overarching, long-term goal of the IRES program is to enhance U.S. leadership in research and education and to strengthen economic competitiveness through training the next generation of research leaders. This solicitation features three mechanisms; proposers are required to select one of the following tracks to submit their proposal.
The Genomics and Geobiology Undergraduate Research Experience (GGURE) is a research internship program for USC sophomores, juniors, and seniors majoring in the life sciences, earth and marine sciences, computational sciences, and engineering. There is both a part-time program during the academic year and a full-time program over 10 weeks during the summer break at the University of Southern California. The GGURE program offers USC undergraduates the opportunity to participate actively in a research group, with either an experimental or computational focus, and perform original research under the direct supervision of a faculty mentor. We will begin reviewing applications on Monday, August 20, 2018 but will continue to review applications until all positions are filled.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) needs your help! We have put together a number of fascinating panels comprising an all-star cast of NSF-funded scientists, filmmakers, inventors, small business founders and partners for the 2019 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas. Now we need your support — and your vote — to get our panels picked! Over 5,000 panels have been submitted to SXSW, yet fewer than 1,000 spots are available. To ensure we’re able to spotlight cutting-edge research, innovations and the men and women who make it happen, please vote for the NSF-submitted panels below and spread the word to encourage other people within your own community to vote. Place your votes by Thursday, August 30, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. PST.
A Postdoctoral Scholar award will be offered to a new or recent PhD in the fields of oceanography or closely related subjects. We welcome a broad range of potential topics for study, including physical oceanography process studies at all scales, biogeochemical research with practical experimentation, and system modeling with strong integration of data. We seek a candidate who will take advantage of the opportunities and facilities offered at BIOS which include bi-weekly access to the deep ocean, repeat measurements and long-term monitoring of ocean properties, integration of glider observations with traditional ship-based measurements and laboratory access for chemical and biological measurements and experimentation. The award is designed to further the education and training of the applicant with primary emphasis on supporting the individual’s research promise in his/her chosen area of research. A successful postdoctoral term would offer the opportunity to transition to the BIOS resident scientific staff. Applicants should have received their doctoral degree completed by the start date of the position. The recipient will receive full salary support for an eighteen-month period, with possibility of extension depending on performance success. Support is also available for relocation, travel to scientific meetings, equipment and supplies.
The Hamdan Lab in the School of Ocean Science and Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi is hiring three new positions to support two projects that begin in Fall 2018 and Spring 2019. Both projects address the impact of the built environment in the deep-sea. We are seeking a Research Technician to begin in Fall 2018, and a Postdoctoral Researcher and Graduate Student to begin in Spring 2019.
Drew Steen (C-DEBI Assistant Professor of Environmental Geology, University of Tennessee) leads the next C-DEBI Professional Development Webinar on “Work-life Balance is Essential and also it can’t Possibly Exist.” The access URL for the webinar is http://usccollege.adobeconnect.com/cdebiremote/. Missed the most recent C-DEBI Professional Development Webinar on “What I wish I knew before I knew it: Surviving the early years of tenure-track faculty” with Brandi Kiel Reese (TAMU)? Watch it on YouTube.
The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. The GRFP provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. NSF especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, veterans, and undergraduate seniors to apply. Application deadlines: October 22-26, 2018.
The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation features two mechanisms for support of student research: (1) REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department or may offer interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. Proposals with an international dimension are welcome. (2) REU Supplements may be included as a component of proposals for new or renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements or may be requested for ongoing NSF-funded research projects. Undergraduate student participants in either REU Sites or REU Supplements must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States. Students do not apply to NSF to participate in REU activities. Students apply directly to REU Sites or to NSF-funded investigators who receive REU Supplements. Full Proposal Deadline: August 22, 2018.
The Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice University is inviting applications for the Wiess and Pan Postdoctoral Research Fellowships. We are seeking candidates with independent research interests that intersect with one or more faculty within our department. Both domestic and international applicants are welcome, but applicants must have a Ph.D. awarded within three years of the time of appointment. Each research fellowship will be supported for two years, pending satisfactory progress during the first year, and covers an annual stipend of $60,000 with a benefits package and an additional annual discretionary research allowance of $3,500. Applicants are requested to develop a proposal of research to be undertaken during the fellowship period. The principal selection criteria are scientific excellence, a clearly expressed research plan to address questions at the forefront of their field of study, and research synergies with at least one faculty. The proposed research should, however, encompass independent research ideas and explore new directions beyond the applicant’s Ph.D. Preference will be given to applicants whose proposals demonstrate independence and originality, and also the potential for collaboration with one or more faculty in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences. The applications are due on November 1, 2018.
The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) in the Faculty of Science at the University of Waterloo invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank in the area of Geomicrobiology. The start date for the appointment can be as early as January 1, 2019. Applicants must have a PhD in a relevant field and a strong track record of scientific achievements, as demonstrated by publications in leading journals and a proven aptitude for interdisciplinary research. The successful candidate will be expected to establish an internationally recognized, and independently funded, research program that will enhance and complement the research and education activities of EES. Applicants should have excellent communication skills and a strong commitment to teaching at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Application deadline: October 1, 2018.
You are cordially invited to the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations’ Community College Cultivation Cohort (C4) summer presentation symposium. Students from the C-DEBI NSF REU: C4 program will share their results from the summer. The C4 students will also present their findings at the Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium on August 10. Please see the flyer for details. Students-friends & family are welcome. Mentors/PIs-please share with other members of your lab. Light refreshments will be served at both events.
The Physical Oceanography Program supports research on a wide range of topics associated with the structure and movement of the ocean, with the way in which it transports various quantities, with the way the ocean’s physical structure interacts with the biological and chemical processes within it, and with interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, solid earth and ice that surround it. Full Proposal Target Date: August 15, 2018.
The Chemical Oceanography Program supports research into the chemistry of the oceans and the role of the oceans in global geochemical cycles. Areas of interest include chemical composition, speciation, and transformation; chemical exchanges between the oceans and other components of the Earth system; internal cycling in oceans, seas, and estuaries; and the use of measured chemical distributions as indicators of physical, biological, and geological processes. Full Proposal Target Date: August 15, 2018.
The Biological Oceanography Program supports research in marine ecology broadly defined: relationships among aquatic organisms and their interactions with the environments of the oceans or Great Lakes. Projects submitted to the program for consideration are often interdisciplinary efforts that may include participation by other OCE Programs. Full Proposal Target Date: August 15, 2018.
The International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) invites scientists from upcoming scientific drilling projects to apply for the ICDP Training Course on Continental Scientific Drilling to be held from November 18-23, 2018 at the Geocenter KTB in Windischeschenbach (Germany). This training course will touch upon all relevant aspects of continental scientific drilling, including project planning and management, pre-site surveys, drilling engineering, sample handling and storage, on-site studies, downhole logging and monitoring, data management, and post-drilling measures. The training course is recommended for masters students, doctorate students, and post-docs involved in scientific drilling. Preference will be given to applicants involved in ICDP drilling projects, applicants from ICDP member countries, developing countries, and those from countries considering ICDP membership. For the successful candidates, expenses including those for traveling, visa, meals, and accommodation will be covered by ICDP. The deadline for applications is September 14, 2018.
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is seeking a qualified and highly motivated individual for a postdoctoral research scientist position in the laboratory of Dr. Beth Orcutt. The research will involve study of the marine deep biosphere, focusing on the use of subseafloor observatories to study microbial processes in the subsurface oceanic crust on the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The project will involve the possibility to be involved in single-cell based analytical techniques and/or poised potential experiments to examine microbial diversity and activity in the crustal subsurface. Highly successful candidates would have experience with environmental science, microbiology, or biogeochemistry, with working knowledge of molecular biology techniques (such as DNA extraction, amplification, sequencing, and/or bioinformatics), microscopy, or electrochemistry techniques considered as highly desirable. Applicants must have at least a Ph.D. in marine sciences, oceanography, environmental microbiology or similar field with a proven publication record. Experience with project management or fieldwork also desired. Research will be conducted primarily at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine. At least one opportunity for ocean-going field work is expected in Spring 2019, and other opportunities may be available. The position is offered for a period of two years. The position has an expected start date of January 1, 2019, but this may be negotiated. Application deadline: September 1, 2018.
Check out this recent presentation on deep biosphere research with C-DEBI Senior Scientist Beth Orcutt on YouTube!
The Center for Environmental Biotechnology (CEB) is seeking an enthusiastic, highly motivated postdoctoral research associate to apply cutting edge metagenomics methods. The position is available starting immediately for one year, with possible renewal for another year upon mutual agreement and availability of funds. Screening of applicants will begin immediately and applications will be considered until the position is filled. The post-doc will apply novel metagenomics methods to study microbial communities in permafrost aquatic sediments of different ages to uncover microbial biodiversity in young to ancient permanently frozen sediments with respect to survivability, metabolic adaptation and evolutionary changes. The research will take place in a highly collaborative environment with access to state-of-the-art instrumentation and computational resources within the CEB’s Next-Gen Illumina Sequencing Lab, Bioimaging Core Facility, and Bioinformatics Resource Center. The researcher will have opportunities to gain experience in other approaches related to microbial community research, give presentations and write proposals, as well as providing practical supervision of PhD candidates and undergraduate student
Attending the 2018 AGU Fall Meeting in Washington D.C., December 10-14, 2018? Be sure to check out these C-DEBI-related sessions of interest:
Marriott Marquis – Marquis 6
Marriott Marquis – Marquis 7-8
Convention Center Hall A-C (Poster Hall)
Marriott Marquis – Marquis 6
Marriott Marquis – Marquis 7-8
Convention Center 202A
Convention Center Hall A-C (Poster Hall)
Marriott Marquis – Liberty I-K
Marriott Marquis – Independence Salon E (M4 Level)
Convention Center Hall A-C (Poster Hall)
Convention Center 207A
Marriott Marquis – Liberty L
Marriott Marquis – Liberty L
Convention Center Hall A-C (Poster Hall)
Marriott Marquis – Liberty L
Washington Plaza Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 10 Thomas Circle, NW
Convention Center 143A-C
Convention Center 143A-C
Convention Center 207A
Convention Center 206
Convention Center Hall A-C (Poster Hall)
Marriott Marquis – Capitol/Congress
See also the Deep Carbon Observatory’s AGU Fall Meeting Guide. Missing a session of interest? Let us know.
The Laboratory of Geology of Lyon (Université Lyon 1 & ENS de Lyon, France) invites applications for a postdoctoral research associate in environmental microbiology – biogeochemistry. The project is part of the multi-disciplinary consortium Science For Clean Energy (S4CE) funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. S4CE has been established to understand the underlying mechanisms underpinning sub-surface geo-energy operations and to measure, control and mitigate their environmental risks. The PDRA will work in close collaboration with an international group of scientists on deciphering the role of the subsurface biosphere in the C, N and S biogeochemical cycles affecting energy-generating geo-operations. Research focuses on the analysis of the metabolic activity of key microorganisms that develop at depth in geothermal wells and CO2/H2S injection wells for enhanced geothermal energy (EGT) and carbon capture sequestration (CCS), respectively. Sampling of underground fluids is scheduled at two sites in 2018. The goal of the project is to characterize the metabolism of key microorganisms under subsurface conditions. The research involves the cultivation of various microbial strains of relevance for the sampled subsurface environments under simulated conditions of the subsurface (high pressure and/or high temperature). A unique pressure facility is available at the LGL allowing monitoring of metabolic reactions using in situ spectroscopy. The candidate should hold a PhD in microbiology with expertise in environmental microbiology and microbial physiology. An experience in microscopy and spectroscopy is appreciated but not required. Complete applications will be reviewed every two weeks, starting now, until the position is filled.
Applications are invited to fill a full-time, 3-year position in the Oceanography Department at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (K. C. Ruttenberg, Honolulu, HI), in collaboration with the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Science at Columbia University and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), (S. T. Dyhrman, Palisades, NY), to study the molecular biogeochemistry of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP). We are looking for postdoctoral candidates with a strong background in microbial and/or nutrient biogeochemistry, with interest in addressing processes at the interface of biogeochemistry and microbial oceanography. The primary institutional home of the successful candidate will be in the nutrient biogeochemistry lab of Ruttenberg, in the Oceanography Department at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), with opportunities for cross-training in microbial oceanography with Dyhrman at Columbia University-LDEO. The project supporting this postdoctoral position is a collaboration between Ruttenberg and Dyhrman, and integrates transcriptome profiling, LCMS, and enzyme assays with the primary research goal of characterizing DOP molecular weight distribution, composition and bioavailability as a function of phytoplankton physiology and the N:P ratio of the (natural or culture) growth medium. This research will use a combination of field sample analysis, laboratory biogeochemistry, and culture work at both UHM and LDEO. Applications will be considered starting July 1, 2018, and continue until a suitable applicant is chosen.
NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration & Research (OER) is soliciting proposals for ocean exploration in waters under U.S. jurisdiction, including the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and areas mapped by, or of interest to, the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) Project. Presently, important marine habitats and living and non-living resources are neither fully explored nor characterized. OER’s intent is to address these knowledge gaps and support growth in the Nation’s Blue Economy by soliciting ocean exploration proposals that focus on: 1. Discovering microorganisms, sponges, corals, and other organisms with biopharmaceutical or biotechnical potential; 2. Acquiring baseline ocean environmental information to better inform decision-making where future ocean energy development or critical mineral extraction may occur; 3. Finding and characterizing shipwrecks and submerged cultural resources that played a role in America’s past ocean-based economy (e.g., transport, trade, warfare, etc.) and could inform decisions on future seabed activities and potential environmental impacts. The deadline for the pre-proposal submission is July 26, 2018.
The University of South Florida College of Marine Science, located in Saint Petersburg, Florida, is actively seeking to fill two open rank positions in oceanography. 1) We seek a Geological Oceanographer whose research complements the strengths of the current faculty. We seek a hypothesis-driven scientist who uses a process-based approach to understand problems central to the ocean and its connections to the Earth systems. The candidate will use innovative techniques to investigate the effects of environmental change on the evolution of the stratigraphic record over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. 2) We seek a Chemical Oceanographer who will contribute to an understanding of the ocean/climate system, from basic disciplinary topics to ecosystems analyses. Qualified candidates will employ modern tools of multi-disciplinary science to understand regional and global issues critical to the ocean system. The positions are open until filled, however, priority review of applications will begin by August 1, 2018. Appointment is anticipated to commence August 1, 2019.
The Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) awards Postdoctoral Fellowships to recent recipients of doctoral degrees to conduct an integrated program of independent research and professional development. Fellowship proposals must address scientific questions within the scope of EAR disciplinary programs and must align with the overall theme for the postdoctoral program. The program supports researchers for a period of up to two years with fellowships that can be taken to the institution of their choice (including institutions abroad). The program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential, and provide them with research experience, mentorship, and training that will establish them in leadership positions in the Earth Sciences community. Because the fellowships are offered only to postdoctoral scientists early in their career, doctoral advisors are encouraged to discuss the availability of EAR postdoctoral fellowships with their graduate students early in their doctoral programs. Fellowships are awards to individuals, not institutions, and are administered by the Fellows. Full proposal deadline: September 19, 2018.
The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Activities pursued by early-career faculty should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from early-career faculty at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply. Proposal Deadlines: July 18-20, 2018.
The International Society for Extremophiles and the Italian Society of Astrobiology are pleased to announce the 12th International Congress on Extremophiles (Extremophiles2018) that will be held from September 16-20, 2018 in Ischia (Naples, Italy). In the tradition of these meetings, Extremophiles2018, in the volcanic island of Ischia, aims to showcase state-of-the-art research on basic and applied aspects of life in extreme environments and to stimulate high quality research, inspiring those already working in the field and young scientists approaching extremophiles. The Conference will include sessions on many aspects of research related to extremophiles, including origin of life, ecology, astrobiology, molecular biology, physiology, and biotechnology. As part of a NASA supported TWSC grant, there are a number of travel grants available to US-based scientists for attending the conference. Interested Graduate Students, Postdocs and Early Career Faculty (within 5 years from their appointment) with interest in Extremophiles and Astrobiology are encouraged to apply. The deadline to apply for the travel grant is June 20, 2018.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at University of California San Diego invites applications for an Assistant Teaching Professor – a UC faculty position formally titled “Lecturer with Potential for Security of Employment,” (LPSOE). The teaching faculty (LPSOE) series has equivalent rights and responsibilities as the traditional UC tenure-track Professor series, but with a stronger emphasis on teaching and scholarly activity related to education. The successful candidate will be an outstanding educator with demonstrated commitment to effective and innovative undergraduate teaching who can provide guidance and leadership for the marine biology undergraduate program and contribute to University and public service. Primary responsibilities will be to teach core undergraduate lecture and laboratory courses, including SIO 187 ‘Statistical Methods in Marine Biology’ and SIO 136 ‘Marine Biology Laboratory’ (co-teaching the latter). Candidates must have earned a Ph.D. in Marine Biology or a relevant field. Areas of research and teaching expertise that will be favorably looked upon to enhance the teaching program include but are not limited to: biometry, biodiversity, data analytics, fisheries, evolution and genetics of marine organisms, fieldwork methods, marine biochemistry and physiology, marine ecology, and marine mammal biology. Please apply by June 30, 2018.
There will be a 1-day symposium held at Caltech on June 28 sponsored by the International Geobiology Course. The topic of the symposium is “Signs of Life from the Fringe”, and explores recent efforts to find and/or understand life in extreme environments, the deep subsurface, in deep time, and on Mars. The program includes:
The symposium will be held in the Sharp Lecture Hall on Thursday, June 28 starting at 9am. It is open to the scientific public and free of charge. You are cordially invited to attend, either in part or for the entire symposium depending on interest. A continental breakfast and buffet lunch will also be served to symposium participants. If you are interested in participating, please RSVP so that we can plan appropriately for food and drink. If you want to just stop by to hear a speaker or two, please feel free and there is no need to respond.
For over 20 years, the Ocean Discovery Lecture Series (formerly the Distinguished Lecturer Series) has brought the remarkable scientific results and discoveries of the International Ocean Discovery Program and its predecessor programs to academic research institutions, museums, and aquaria. Since 1991, over 1,000 presentations to diverse audiences have been made through the Lecture Series. Participation of researchers in the USSSP-IODP Ocean Discovery Lecture Series is essential to the program’s goal of bringing scientific results and discoveries to the geoscience community. If you would like to nominate yourself or a colleague to be an Ocean Discovery Lecturer for the 2019-2020 academic year, please contact Nicole Kurtz (nkurtz@ldeo.columbia.edu). Nomination period will close on July 13, 2018.
For 2018, the U.S. Science Support Program, in association with IODP, is seeking two senior scientists (one U.S.-based and one non-U.S.-based) to serve on the JOIDES Resolution Facility Board (JRFB). New members will serve three-year terms, beginning in October 2018. Scientists interested in volunteering for any of these opportunities should apply by July 20, 2018.
The workshop on Scientific Exploration of the Arctic and North Pacific (SEA-NorP) will focus on the development of new proposals and reinvigoration of existing proposals for scientific ocean drilling in the Northern Pacific, Bering Sea and Western Arctic Ocean region. JOIDES Resolution is scheduled to operate in the Northern Pacific in 2023, so to ensure that the ship is used to best advantage in this region, now is the time to develop drilling proposals that could be linked through regional drilling strategies. The workshop will include discussion of hypotheses that can be tested by scientific drilling in the region, the technology necessary to achieve those goals, ideal sites for drilling based on existing data, and where additional site survey data is needed. Our goal is that multiple proposals will be initiated at the workshop, both for full cruise legs and for shorter, targeted expeditions around the following themes: ocean gateways, geohazards, volatile cycling, ice histories at transition zones, biosphere and climate. A limited number of travel grants will be available. Experience in paleoclimate, paleoceanography, sedimentology, geobiology, geophysics, geochemistry, seismology, volcanology, structure and tectonics is sought. We encourage graduate students, early career scientists and those new to IODP to apply, as well as program officers, government representatives, and private sector scientists. The workshop is open to U.S. and international participants, and the deadline for U.S.-affiliated scientists to apply is June 25, 2018.
Axial Seamount is the most magmatically active submarine volcano in the northeast Pacific and has been the focus of inter-disciplinary studies for over two decades. The range of scientific interests includes volcanology, geophysical characterization and monitoring, hydrothermal vent formation and geochemistry, quantification of heat and chemical fluxes, hydrogeology, and the diversity and evolution of microbiological and animal communities. Axial Seamount erupted in January 1998, April 2011, and April 2015, and is likely to erupt again in the coming years. The site, therefore, presents a unique opportunity to study the interaction between volcanic, hydrothermal, and biological responses to magmatic and volcanic events. Primarily for these reasons, Axial Seamount was chosen as one of the key sites on the National Science Foundations’ (NSF) Ocean Observatories Initiative’s (OOI) cabled observatory network, the Cabled Array (CA). The Axial workshop was held to explore how ocean drilling and related studies can complement seafloor-based investigations by gaining access to the subseafloor to expand our understanding of microbiological, geophysical, hydrologic, and geochemical processes, now that the CA is fully operational with data streaming live to shore from a diverse suite of cabled instruments.
Brandi Kiel Reese (Assistant Professor, TAMU-CC) leads the next C-DEBI Professional Development Webinar on “What I wish I knew before I knew it: Surviving the early years of tenure-track faculty.” The access URL for the webinar is http://usccollege.adobeconnect.com/cdebiremote/. Missed the most recent C-DEBI Professional Development Webinar on “Sharing Data: The Joys of Open Science” with Ben Tully (C-DEBI Bioinformatic Specialist)? Watch it on YouTube.
The goal of the Deep Life in Buried Salt Deposits course is to provide training for Ph.D. students and early career researchers in the microbiology and geochemistry needed to investigate life in buried salt deposits. The course includes lectures, laboratory practicals and an underground experience at the Boulby International Subsurface Astrobiology Laboratory! The organizing committee and lecturers include Giovanni Aloisi (IPGP, France), Terry McGenity (University of Essex, UK), Tina Treude (University of California, Los Angeles, USA), Charles Cockell (University of Edinburgh, UK), Sean Paling (University of Sheffield, UK), Josefa Anton Botella (University of Alicante, Spain) and Petra Rettberg (German Aerospace Center, DLR). MEDSALT will support the participation of up to 20 trainees with a fixed grant to cover travel and subsistence costs. Applications due June 15, 2018.
Since 2011, the Deep Carbon Observatory’s (DCO; http://deepcarbon.net/) Deep Life Community has sponsored the Census of Deep Life (CoDL) that has supported surveys of the diversity of microbes present in several deep continental and subseafloor environments. The first surveys (2011-2012) were conducted using 454 pyrosequencing and subsequently (2013) Illumina sequencing strategies were adopted. Through this initiative, the Deep Life Community has allowed the characterization of diversity of subsurface microbial communities at numerous sites worldwide including the subseafloor and deep continental locations from a range of geologic settings (e.g., large igneous provinces, subglacial lakes, methane hydrate-rich sediments, cratons). The Illumina platform provides increased numbers of reads for more samples at reduced cost. For DNA samples submitted to the CoDL for sequencing, proponents have the option of obtaining 400-450 nt sequences that span the V4V5 region of Bacterial and Archaeal rRNA coding regions or a greater number of reads for V6 regions that through complete overlap of forward and reverse reads allows detection of lower abundance taxa with reduced stochastic error rates. Shotgun metagenomic DNA sequencing for key samples can also be performed. This call for proposals aims to support sequencing that represents expanded analyses from ongoing Deep Life Community projects or projects that represent sites and investigators new to the DCO’s Deep Life Community. The proposal deadline is July 15, 2018.
Title: Genomic Memories of the Past: Using Microbial Genomics to Examine the Co-Evolution of Earth and Life. Abstract: Since the origin of life over 4 billion years ago, life has fundamentally altered the habitability of Earth, and the environment has molded the evolutionary trajectory of life itself. Microbial genomes retain a “memory” of this evolution. I will present two examples of how we can use genomics to study the co-evolution of Earth and life in the recent and distant past. To examine evolutionary trends in the more recent past, we have used metagenomics to investigate environmental drivers in the evolution of microbes in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, which are thought to have been important habitats for life’s early evolution. We have shown that microbial populations in a deep, basalt-hosted system appear to be under stronger purifying selection than populations inhabiting a cooler serpentinizing system less than 20 km away, suggesting that environmental context has an important impact on evolutionary trends. However, we can also examine evolutionary trends in Earth’s distant past through comparative genomics. By reconciling phylogenetic trees for microbial species with trees of metabolic genes, we can determine approximately when crucial metabolic genes began to spread across the tree of life through horizontal gene transfer. Using these methods, we conducted an analysis of the relative timing of the spread of nitrogen-metabolizing genes, and have found that genes related to denitrification began to spread across the tree of life after the Great Oxidation Event. In contrast, genes related to nitrogen fixation appear to have spread much earlier, consistent with geochemical evidence. As the sequencing revolution supplies ever more data about the tree of life, studies that couple genomics approaches with environmental context have the potential to reveal important insights into the co-evolution of life and Earth over time.
The Division of Graduate Education announces the continuation of the Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP). GRIP provides professional development to NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Fellows (referred to as “Fellows”) through internships developed in partnership with federal agencies (see https://www.nsf.gov/grip for a current list of partner agencies). Through GRIP, Fellows participate in mission-related, collaborative research under the guidance of host research mentors at federal facilities and national laboratories. GRIP enhances the Fellows’ professional skills, professional networks, and preparation for a wide array of career options. The sponsor agencies benefit by engaging Fellows in applied projects, helping to develop a highly skilled U.S. workforce in areas of national need. GRIP is open to active Fellows (both “on tenure” and “on reserve”) who have completed at least one year of their graduate program at the time of application and will retain their active status for at least 12 months following the application submission deadline. They must be certified by the GRFP Institution to be making satisfactory progress towards their degrees, and have fulfilled all GRFP reporting requirements. For some agencies, Fellows must be U.S. citizens. GRIP applications are due December 4 and May 6, 2018.
The workshop on Scientific Exploration of the Arctic and North Pacific (SEA-NorP) will focus on the development of new proposals and reinvigoration of existing proposals for scientific ocean drilling in the Northern Pacific, Bering Sea and Western Arctic Ocean region. JOIDES Resolution is scheduled to operate in the Northern Pacific in 2023, so to ensure that the ship is used to best advantage in this region, now is the time to develop drilling proposals that could be linked through regional drilling strategies. The workshop will include discussion of hypotheses that can be tested by scientific drilling in the region, the technology necessary to achieve those goals, ideal sites for drilling based on existing data, and where additional site survey data is needed. Our goal is that multiple proposals will be initiated at the workshop, both for full cruise legs and for shorter, targeted expeditions around the following themes: ocean gateways, geohazards, volatile cycling, ice histories at transition zones, biosphere and climate. Experience in paleoclimate, paleoceanography, sedimentology, geobiology, geophysics, geochemistry, seismology, volcanology, structure and tectonics is sought. We encourage graduate students, early career scientists and those new to IODP to apply, as well as program officers, government representatives, and private sector scientists. A limited number of travel grants will be available. The workshop is open to U.S. and international participants, and the deadline for U.S.-affilitated scientists to apply is June 17, 2018.
The Shanghai Research Center of Hadal Science and Engineering Technology (HAST) of Shanghai Ocean University invites applications for two faculty positions. 1) Analytical Scientist: seeking an expert in analytical mass spectrometry and preferably, with prior experience in high resolution accurate mass spectrometry. The successful applicant will be responsible for maintenance support and day-to-day operations of an ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometer, the Panorama, which will be delivered to HAST in late 2018. Preference will be given to individuals with a proven track record and a combination of skills in laboratory management, instrument troubleshooting, data handling and method development. Extensive experience in the operation of on-line sample preparation, maintenance of vacuum systems, and diagnosis of instrument mechanical and electronic problems is also desired. 2) Research Scientist: We are seeking a highly motivated, collaborative, research scientist for a lab-based position in clumped isotope science. The scientist’s principal responsibility is the design, development, validation and implementation of analytical procedures utilizing the Panorama. This scientist is expected to have a proven track record in clumped isotope research and high productivity in research and publishing. For both positions, applicants should possess a Ph.D. in isotope science or related fields. Applications will continue to be accepted until all available positions are filled.
The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) at Texas A&M University invites applications for anAssistant Research Scientist (Expedition Project Manager/Staff Scientist) in our Science Operations section. Applications in any field of geoscience pertinent to IODP will be considered although preference will be given to those with expertise that fits well with our current group. A Ph.D. in geosciences or related field, and demonstrated on-going research experience is required. Applicants must have a demonstrated fluency in written and spoken English. Experience as a seagoing scientist, especially in scientific ocean drilling, is preferred. This position will serve as the Expedition Project Manager to coordinate all aspects of precruise expedition planning, sea-going implementation, and postcruise activities. These duties include sailing as the IODP scientific representative on a two-month IODP expedition approximately once every 1 to 2 years. Individual scientific research, as well as collaboration with colleagues at Texas A&M University in fulfilling its educational mission, is required. This position will also provide scientific advice on laboratory developments in their area of specialization including scientific implementation of downhole logging on theJOIDES Resolution. Applicants must be able to cooperate and work harmoniously with others, have the ability to be an effective team leader, and foster collaboration among diverse scientific participants. Passing a new employee medical exam and annual seagoing medical exams are a requirement of the position. We will begin reviewing applications on June 30, 2018, but will continue to accept applications until candidates are selected for interviews.
Through this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) announces its intention to support initial exploratory activities toward the creation of social and technical infrastructure solutions that further NSF’s commitment to public access. These solutions are a means to accelerate the dissemination and use of fundamental research results in the form of data that will advance the frontiers of knowledge and help sustain the Nation’s prosperity well into the future. Specifically, this DCL encourages two types of funding requests: (1) proposals for Conferences (i.e., community workshops and other events) that are designed to bring together stakeholders to explore opportunities to converge on innovative solutions to advancing public access; and (2) proposals for Early-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) for high-risk/high-reward innovative concepts and pilot projects that yield new fundamental research discoveries from existing NSF-funded data or that ultimately result in deployment of ambitious, sustainable socio-technical infrastructure resources and capabilities that enhance and accelerate new discoveries from existing NSF-funded data. The deadline for submission of Conference and EAGER proposals proposal submission date is May 23, 2018.
UNOLS is seeking applications from early career scientists at U.S. universities who are interested in participating in an oceanographic research cruise that will continue an investigation of a chain of seamounts west of the East Pacific Rise at 8° 20’ N followed by a detailed survey the East Pacific Rise ~ 9° 50’ N that last erupted in 2005-2006. The NSF-funded cruise will take place aboard RV Atlantis Dec. 3-21, 2018, departing Manzanillo, MX and returning to San Diego, CA. The primary ECS objective will involve hands-on instruction on conducting deep-submergence vehicle-based field research. New faculty and post-docs are welcome to apply. It may be possible to accommodate graduate students; however, this will depend on the applicant pool and disciplinary breadth. A maximum of 10 applicants will be selected to participate on the cruise and others may be selected for shore-based collaboration as there will be daily ship/shore and reverse communications capabilities via increased satellite bandwidth on the ship for the cruise duration. Applicants should submit their application materials by May 15, 2018.
Detailed insight into the microbiome of a system can shape our understanding of it, but the learning curve for incorporating computationally intensive tools can be very high! Join instructor Dr. Benjamin Tully, C-DEBI Bioinformatic Specialist, for an upcoming bioinformatics workshop at the University of Southern California, June 21-22, 2018. All expenses are covered courtesy of the NSF STCs C-DEBI, EBICS, and BEACON. Topics include: Unix command line; Illumina sequence quality control; Metagenomic experimental design; Sequence Assembly; Metageomic binning; Functional Annotation; and Phylogenetic analysis. Note: participation requires a laptop with 40 GB of hard drive space. To apply: email tully.bj@gmail.com by May 28, 2018 – be sure to include your home institution, your home STC, and what you hope to get out of the workshop. All levels are welcome. There is a 15 participant maximum, so apply soon!
Missed the most recent C-DEBI Professional Development Webinar on “Sharing Data: The Joys of Open Science” with Ben Tully (C-DEBI Bioinformatic Specialist)? Watch it on YouTube.
The Simons Foundation invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships to support research on fundamental problems in marine microbial ecology. The foundation is particularly interested in applicants with training in different fields who want to apply their experience to understanding the role of microorganisms in shaping ocean processes, and vice versa, as well as applicants with experience in modeling or theory development. While these cross-disciplinary applicants will receive particular attention, applicants already involved in ocean research are also encouraged to apply. The foundation anticipates awarding five fellowships in 2018. Applicants should have received their Ph.D. or equivalent degree within three years of the fellowship’s start date. Preference will be for applicants with no more than one year of postdoctoral experience. Applicants may be citizens of any country. Awards can only be issued to nonprofit research universities or research institutions in the U.S. Application deadline: June 15, 2018.
Deep DNA sequencing using massively-parallel, next-generation technology has enabled nearly comprehensive environmental surveys that can describe the different kinds of microbes in a community and their relative abundance. These descriptions of richness and evenness make possible estimates of microbial diversity, but the size of the required data sets pose enormous computational challenges. The rapidly expanding flow of information from next generation DNA sequencing platforms has fueled healthy debate about best practices for data analysis while at the same time building a user demand for tools that can address important ecological questions. The STAMPS course will promote dialogue and the exchange of ideas between experts in analysis of metagenomic data and offer interdisciplinary bioinformatic and statistical training to practitioners of molecular microbial ecology and genomics. Application Deadline: April 20, 2018.
Our School of Rock program is a professional development opportunity for formal and informal educators on board or involving the JOIDES Resolution. Teachers will work with scientists and technicians to learn about many aspects of earth science, geology, paleo-oceanography and more done aboard this amazing ship, what we learn from scientific drilling, and how to do the kinds of scientific analyses and lab exercises program-scientists do. This new-found knowledge will help teachers in creating or modifying existing resources for their students in many areas of the science curriculum. This year’s School of Rock is being jointly organized by the United States Science Support Program (USSSP) and the Australia and New Zealand International Ocean Discovery Program Consortium (ANZIC). It will focus on Pacific Rim geology and the science research of the JOIDES Resolution. In our continuing goal to broaden participation in the geosciences, we are especially interested in applicants from diverse backgrounds and/or who serve diverse communities. Apply by April 20, 2018.
This summer school will combine lab exercises on IODP-style shipboard methodologies (“virtual ship”) as well as interactive lectures by world-leading scientists in the field of mid-ocean ridge research. Participation will prepare you for future involvement in IODP and for research work on mid-ocean ridge processes. The summer school will take advantage of the unique and integrated facilities offered by the IODP Bremen Core Repository and MARUM laboratories. To apply, please visit the course web page given below. A total of 30 participants can be accepted. The course fee is €150. Travel, accommodation and meals must be covered by the participants. The application deadline is May 25, 2018.
A Postdoctoral Scholar award will be offered to a new or recent PhD in the fields of oceanography or closely related subjects. We welcome a broad range of potential topics for study, including physical oceanography process studies at all scales, biogeochemical research with practical experimentation, and system modeling with strong integration of data. We seek a candidate who will take advantage of the opportunities and facilities offered at BIOS which include bi-weekly access to the deep ocean, repeat measurements and long-term monitoring of ocean properties, integration of glider observations with traditional ship-based measurements and laboratory access for chemical and biological measurements and experimentation. The position will remain open until filled.
To further scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and the United States, an Implementing Arrangement was signed on July 13,2012 to enable U.S. scientists and engineers with NSF-funded CAREER awards and Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to pursue research collaboration with European colleagues supported through EU-funded European Research Council (ERC) grants. Under the Arrangement, the ERC Executive Agency (ERCEA) identifies ERC-funded research groups who wish to host NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellows for research visits of up to one year within their ERC funding. This is the final year of the program. ERCEA has provided a list of ERC-funded principal investigators and research teams interested in hosting NSF Postdoctoral Fellows. NSF Fellows should request this list via email from nsf-erc@nsf.gov, and then communicate directly with ERC PIs to as certain areas of mutual interest and research goals for a visit. Fellows may then submit their requests directly to their NSF Program Officers. If approved by NSF, the request is forwarded to ERCEA for review and for making arrangements with the ERC-funded project. The European hosts will provide funding to support in-country living expenses during the visits. NSF will provide travel funds to and from Europe. The application deadline is April 20, 2018.
The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is currently accepting applications for scientific participants on Expedition 385 (Guaymas Basin Tectonics & Biosphere) aboard the JOIDES Resolution. To learn more about the scientific objectives of the expedition, life at sea, and how to apply to sail, please register and join us for a web-based seminar on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at 12:00 PM EDT.
Registration for Spring 2018 Grants conference will open on Thursday, March 15, 2018. We anticipate that this conference will reach capacity very quickly and encourage registration as soon as it opens. For additional details and to sign up to receive registration reminders, visit the Grants Conference website.
This solicitation offers opportunities for NSF INCLUDES Alliances. The critical functions of each NSF INCLUDES Alliance are to: 1) Develop a vision and strategy (e.g., problem statement and theory of change) for broadening participation in STEM along with relevant metrics of success and key milestones/goals to be achieved during the project’s lifecycle; 2) Contribute to the knowledge base on broadening participation in STEM through broadening participation and implementation research, sharing project evaluations, data, new scientific findings/discoveries, and promising practices; 3) Develop multi-stakeholder partnerships and build infrastructure among them to decrease social distance and achieve progress on common goals targeted by the Alliance; 4) Establish a “backbone” or support organization that provides a framework for communication and networking, network assistance and reinforcement, visibility and expansion of the Alliance and its partners, that will collaborate with the NSF INCLUDES Coordination Hub; 5) Advance a logic model or other heuristic that identifies Alliance outcomes that reflect implementation of change at scale and progress toward developing an inclusive STEM enterprise. Full Proposal Deadline Date: April 4, 2018.
The goal of the IUSE:EHR Program is to catalyze colleges and universities and their faculties to provide highly effective, evidence-based teaching and learning experiences for their undergraduate students taking STEM courses. It supports the development and use of practices that are rooted in a solid research base. In pursuit of this goal, IUSE: EHR supports a broad range of projects on two tracks. The Engaged Student Learning track supports the development, use, and testing of instructional practices and curricular innovation that engage and improve student learning and retention in STEM. The Institutional and Community Transformation track supports efforts to increase the propagation of highly effective, evidence-based teaching and learning by promoting this activity broadly at the discipline, academic department, and institutional levels. IUSE: EHR, managed by the Education and Human Resources Directorate, is one component of NSF’s larger cross-directorate investment in improving undergraduate STEM education. Beginning in FY 2018, there will be no single date deadlines for Exploration and Design proposals, which may be submitted at any time from October 1, 2017 onward. Please note however that proposals received after May 1, 2018 will be held over to the subsequent financial year for possible award (for example awards will be made in FY 19 for proposals received after May 1, 2018).
The Symposium is the main event for the Deep-Sea Biology Society, and takes place every three years. It brings together leaders from the fields of research, exploration, marine operations, conservation, and management for the deep ocean environment, including benthic, vents and seeps, and water-column biology and oceanography. Returning to the United States for the first time since 2003, the 15th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium will be held September 9-14, 2018 in Monterey, California. This 5-day conference will feature plenary speakers and two daily concurrent sessions. There will be an opening reception, a poster session on Tuesday night, and a concluding symposium dinner on Friday night at the world renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium. Abstract submissions due March 30, 2018.
The NE Geobiology Symposium will be hosted on April 7, 2018 at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, MA. We look forward to welcoming you to Woods Hole this spring for this meeting! Registration and abstract submission for the NE Geobiology Symposium closes in one week on March 9, 2018. We encourage all participants to submit an abstract, as this meeting is a great opportunity for students to present their work. However, abstract submission is not a requirement for attendance – please fill out the registration form with the abstract section blank if you plan to attend anyway.
Missed the last webinar on “Surviving (and Maybe Even Thriving!) in a Soft Money Position” with Julie Huber (C-DEBI Associate Director, Associate Scientist, WHOI)? Watch it on YouTube.
The meeting will cover deep carbon science in the context of time. We will spotlight the evolution of deep carbon in Earth’s biological and nonbiological reservoirs over 4.6 billion years. Oral sessions and discussions will focus on how carbon is incorporated into a growing planet, what fraction is sequestered in the interior and what fraction returned to space, and how early planetary processes mediate these transfers. After focusing on planetary assembly, we will turn to the evolution of carbon reservoirs in the first 800 million years of Earth history (the Hadean). We will then explore early deep life, the population of terrestrial niches, the challenges that were overcome, and the feedbacks and interactions between the geosphere and the biosphere. The final phase of the conference will address the carbon cycle and how it has evolved through time. A goal of the conference is to engage a diverse and interdisciplinary group of Earth scientists, planetary scientists, and geobiologists. Applications for this meeting must be submitted by May 20, 2018. Please apply early, as some meetings become oversubscribed (full) before this deadline.
This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) invites proposals in FY 2018 that will advance Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) research through convergent approaches to emerging scientific, engineering, societal, and education challenges, and builds upon the NNA awards resulting from the FY 2017 DCL on Growing Convergence Research at NSF. A systems-based approach is strongly encouraged, including research that both contributes to, and leverages, large data sets from enhanced observational technology and networks. Knowledge co-production with local and indigenous communities, advancing public participation in research, and international partnerships are also strongly encouraged as possible means to achieve NNA objectives. This is not a special competition or a new program; proposals in response to this DCL must meet the requirements and deadlines of the program to which they are submitted. Organizations submitting proposals to programs and funding vehicles without deadlines are encouraged to submit proposals by May 1, 2018, to be considered for FY 2018 funding.
For over 20 years, the Ocean Discovery Lecturer Series has brought the remarkable scientific results and discoveries of the International Ocean Discovery Program and its predecessor programs to academic research institutions, museums, and aquaria. For the 2018-19 academic year, an exciting lineup of distinguished lecturers is available to speak at your institution, and the nomination period is now open. The topics of their lectures range widely, and include monsoon history, ice sheet dynamics, sediment diagenesis, and more. USSSP will provide support for the lecturer’s travel to your institution, while hosting venues are responsible for housing, meals, and local transportation. The application period will close on May 18, 2018.
This year, the Fall Meeting Program Committee invites you to submit session proposals that elevate our understanding of the ways that our science is evolving. Scientific advances that contribute to the health and welfare of people worldwide, that spur innovation within and beyond our fields of study, and that inform decisions critical to the sustainability of the Earth are of particular interest. In brief, sessions that support this year’s theme: What Science Stands For. The deadline for submissions is April 18, 2018.
It’s not too late! If you know of any students still looking for STEM summer research programs for this summer, now’s the time to apply. Deadlines are fast approaching, but we still have 100+ programs in our database that have deadlines coming up in the next 45 days. All programs in our database are funded programs — most provide a stipend of around $3,000 – $5,000 plus travel and housing. Students can use our advanced search page to find programs with upcoming deadlines:
