Ridge 2000 postdoctoral fellowship program details

Overview

The Ridge 2000 Postdoctoral Fellowship Program fosters cross-disciplinary research by providing opportunities for new scientists to further develop their interdisciplinary research experience. We encourage applications from applicants who are:

  • Already working on Ridge crest problems, who wish to apply their expertise to problems in related disciplines that are distinct from those of their Ph.D. research;
  • Not already working on Ridge crest problems, who would bring their conceptual and technical expertise to a priority Ridge 2000 objective;
  • Other applicants working across relevant disciplines.

In all cases, the over-riding intent is to broaden the expertise of the applicant and to expand the breadth of and inter-connections within Ridge science.

If you would like to discuss your application to confirm that it meets the R2K Postdoc requirements, please contact the program chair, Donna Blackman, well in advance of your application submission at dblackman@ucsd.edu.

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Eligibility

Ridge 2000 Postdoctoral Fellowships will be awarded for scientific research at any appropriate non-profit United States institution (including institutions of higher education as well as government laboratories, national laboratories, and privately sponsored non-profit institutions). In accordance with normal institutional practice, awards will be made to the institution in the name of the Fellow as principal investigator, or co-principal investigator.

Applicants must have:

  • Earned the doctoral degree in a relevant scientific discipline within two years of taking up the award;
  • Agreed on a research plan with, and obtained a firm commitment from, a scientific advisor/collaborator at a host institution different from that of the applicant’s previous research training.

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Application procedure

To be eligible for consideration, applications for the Fellowship Program must be submitted to NSF by March 15, 2007. Please note that this date will change to January in 2008 (exact date to be determined). Applicants should establish a relationship with a proposed advisor well in advance of proposal submission. Applicants or their proposed advisors (depending on requirements of the host institution) should submit a Ridge 2000 proposal outlining the proposed research. In FastLane, use normal proposal preparation, NOT the link for Postdoctoral Fellowships. Requirements for proposal format cited in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide generally apply. The project description must include within the 15-page limit:

  1. A personal statement (not to exceed two single-spaced pages) that describes the career goals of the applicant and what role the chosen research, sponsoring/collaborating scientist and host institution will play in enhancing the applicant’s conceptual approach and technical skills;
  2. A short abstract of dissertation research and planned publications; and
  3. A statement from the sponsoring/collaborating scientist at the proposed host institution indicating agreement to work with the applicant if the award is made.

Proposals should also explain their relevance to Ridge 2000 objectives and explain how they will broaden Ridge science.

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Evaluation and selection of fellows

The evaluation of applicants will be based on ability as evidenced by past research work; suitability and availability of the sponsoring senior scientist and other associated colleagues; suitability of the host institution for the proposed research; likely impact on the future scientific development of the applicant; scientific quality of the research likely to emerge; and the potential impact of the research on the Ridge 2000 Initiative. These criteria will be used by a panel of scientists convened by NSF, with representatives from appropriate disciplines, to evaluate the proposals submitted. In addition, the applications will be reviewed by a Ridge 2000 committee that will assess the relevance and priority of the proposed research to the Ridge 2000 Initiative.

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Tenure, stipends, allowances and conditions

Ridge 2000 Postdoctoral Fellowships will be awarded for a two-year period, and are renewable for a third year. Fellowships provide: a salary and benefits consistent with normal institutional practice for post-doctoral fellows; an institutional allowance (in lieu of indirect costs) of $300 per month of tenure for partial reimbursement of expenses incurred in support of the research (such as space, equipment, secretarial assistance, and general purpose supplies); and a special research allowance of $5,000 per year, expendable at the fellow’s discretion and intended to be used for scientific equipment and supplies, travel, publication expenses, and other research-related costs.

Fellows are normally expected to devote full time to appropriate scientific research and training during the tenure of the Fellowship and to pursue the program for which the Fellowship was awarded, although teaching one semester per year is allowable. Major changes in the plan of scientific research, in tenure, or in Fellowship institution require prior Foundation approval. Institutions may supplement Fellowship stipends without prior permission from the Foundation provided that such is done in accordance with established institutional policies. Supplementation may not be conditioned on any requirement for duties in addition to normal Fellowship activities.

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