To apply for the fellowship, read the instructions below and click the “Apply for Fellowship” link.
Contact: The Office of the Director, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964
Tel: 845-365-8546 • Fax: 845-365-8162 • Email: pdfellowship@ldeo.columbia.edu
Note: Related postdoctoral opportunities are available at the Earth Institute at Columbia University, http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/postdoc/
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is committed to diversity. Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action – Race/Gender/Disability/Veterans Employer.
Instructions for Applicants: Lamont-Doherty Postdoctoral Fellowships, 2021-22
1. Deadline: The deadline for submitting application materials, aside from recommendation letters, is November 9, 2020. The deadline for referees to submit letters of recommendation is November 13, 2020. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early and to request that their referees send in letters in a timely manner. Letters received after the deadline will be considered as time allows at the discretion of the selection committee.
2. Application website: Applications must be submitted on the Columbia University online application system (RAPS). After reading all the instructions, scroll down to the bottom of this page and click the "Apply for Fellowship" button, which will take you to the RAPS website, where you can submit your application.
3. Application materials: Applicants must submit a CV, including a list of publications; a research proposal; and a list of three referees who will provide letters of recommendation. A current e-mail address must be provided for each referee. Lamont will contact referees for letters of recommendation.
[Mac users: when you upload documents, please ensure that you select the correct format listed on RAPS. For example, if you upload a PDF document but select "Microsoft Word" as the document type, the file might become corrupted, rendering it unreadable.]
4. Research proposal: The research proposal (called the “Statement of Research” on RAPS) should describe the research you propose to conduct at Lamont, as well as your general research interests and goals. You must include a title for your research proposal. Please limit your research proposal to no more than 3 pages, excluding references. Mention your name on the first page on your proposal. Please use a 12-point font. In the interest of fairness to all applicants, the page limit will be strictly enforced.
5. Primary area of research: On the RAPS website you will be asked to select one of five areas of research: solid-Earth dynamics; ocean, atmospheric, and climate systems; cryospheric dynamics; paleoclimate; or biogeoscience. If your areas of interest span more than one of these fields, select the one that most closely matches your research proposal. If none of these areas apply, select “Other/ None of the above.”
6. Current research at Lamont: Applicants are encouraged to visit our research pages to learn about current research programs at the Observatory: http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/research
7. Contacting Lamont scientists prior to applying: Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact potential mentors at Lamont to discuss the possibility of working with them. Contact information for Lamont scientists is available at http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu under the “People” tab.
8. Requesting letters from referees: When submitting your application on RAPS, you must select “Yes” to the question on whether you want RAPS to send an automatic email to the referee. Inform your referees to expect a request from Lamont, and inform them of the November 13, 2020, deadline for letters of recommendation.
9. Selection criteria: The principal selection criteria are scientific excellence and a clearly expressed plan to investigate one or more problems at the forefront of Earth science.
10. Number of fellowships: The number of fellowships awarded can vary from year to year, and could range from 2 to 4 fellowships per year.
11. Fellowship details: Fellowships are supported institutionally for 24 months and for the coming year will provide an annual salary of $66,000 and a one-time research allowance of $7,500. A portion of the research allowance may be used to cover moving costs, subject to the Director’s approval.
12. Columbia housing: Fellowship recipients are eligible to apply for Columbia University housing; housing slots are limited, however, and a waiting period is often required.
13. Expected start date: The expected start date should be in the fall semester of 2021 or spring semester of 2022.
14. Contact: Applicants can send additional questions to pdfellowship@ldeo.columbia.edu.
Click the link below to apply for the Lamont-Doherty Postdoctoral Fellowship:
