Postdoctoral Fellowship, Grassland Ecology, Life on a Sustainable Planet, Smithsonian

Position Overview

Application Deadline: June 1, 2026

Salary: $61,722 to $70,623 per year

Education Required: Doctorate

Description

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is hiring a Postdoctoral Fellow in Grassland Ecology through the Life on a Sustainable Planet Fellowship, based in Missoula or Bozeman, Montana, or Front Royal, Virginia, at $61,722 to $70,623 per year, with applications due June 1, 2026.

The Smithsonian Great Plains Science (GPS) and Virginia Working Landscapes (VWL) programs welcome applicants for the Smithsonian Life on a Sustainable Planet (LSP) Fellowship. This institution-wide competition provides two years of support for postdoctoral fellows. The LSP Fellowship is a vital initiative designed to advance and inspire global engagement in environmental stewardship, applying Smithsonian expertise in science, outreach, and education to ecosystem preservation, resilience building, and climate solutions education.

The fellow will be based at GPS offices in Missoula or Bozeman, Montana, or at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia. Remote work is not available. Applications are submitted by Smithsonian Principal Investigators, so potential fellows must contact PIs in advance to ensure shared interest and feasibility.

Responsibilities

• Conduct two years of postdoctoral research aligned with GPS or VWL programs.
• Pursue topics in grassland and conservation ecology, including population biology, movement ecology, applied conservation and rewilding, and biodiversity monitoring.
• Develop a research proposal in collaboration with a Smithsonian PI.
• Contribute to advancing bold research, strengthening communities, and shaping a thriving future for grassland systems.

Requirements

• Doctorate in a relevant field.
• Ability to be based onsite at GPS offices in Missoula or Bozeman, Montana, or at NZCBI in Front Royal, Virginia.
• Identification of and engagement with a Smithsonian PI prior to application.

Additional Notes

• Specific projects well-suited to this opportunity include: ecological relationships between keystone grazers (Bison or Prairie-dogs) and grassland birds (PI: A. Boyce); links between grassland restoration, microclimate, and avian behavior (PI: A. Boyce); quantifying stress and movement responses of migratory ungulates to linear features (PI: S. Carroll); and ecological responses to biodiversity-friendly grazing systems (PI: A. Johnson).
• Previous tracks include Climate Change, Community and the Environment, and Resilience; the LSP Fellowship is not limited to these.
• More than one fellowship proposal may be accepted for recruitment and placement.
• Internal application deadline is June 5, 2026; contact PIs as soon as possible.

How to Apply

Given the June 5 internal application deadline, contact specific Principal Investigators as soon as possible to express interest and develop a joint proposal. PIs and their contact emails: Andy Boyce (boycea@si.edu); Sarah Carroll (CarrollSL@si.edu); Amy Johnson (JohnsonAE@si.edu). Applications must be submitted through a Smithsonian PI.