VISITING SCHOLARS at ARCHBOLD Archbold will award fellowships of up to $3,000 to visiting scholars for the 2025 field season. The number of fellowships and award amounts will vary depending on the length of study, project needs, and number of proposals received. Awardees will be eligible for free shared housing or discounted private housing based on availability.

Overview Archbold is a not-for-profit biological field station devoted to ecological research, conservation, and education located in south-central Florida. Archbold’s 20,000 acres of natural areas encompass outstanding examples of Florida ecosystems with many endemic, imperiled species, as well as a working cattle ranch. Our staff of about 65 works across eight research programs oriented toward four priority areas: saving the rarest of the rare species and ecosystems; sustaining natural and working grasslands; connecting large landscapes and wildlife corridors; and addressing climate change. We engage with many visiting scientists, interns, and collaborators to address these research priorities, sustain our long-term studies, and maintain a dynamic scientific community.

The purpose of the visiting scholar program is to invite and encourage early career scientists (graduate students and post-docs) to conduct research at Archbold and contribute to Archbold’s vibrant research community. Previous recipients have worked on research questions across various ecosystems (e.g., scrub, grasslands, wetlands), organisms (e.g., plants, scrub jays, herps, mammals), and subdisciplines (e.g., population ecology, behavioral ecology, agroecology). We welcome applications regardless of the applicant’s familiarity with or prior experience working at Archbold.

Applications will be judged on a combination of relevance to Archbold’s mission, intellectual merit, feasibility, and broader impacts for conservation and education.

Eligibility Applicants should already be enrolled in a graduate program or appointed as a postdoctoral scientist and studying in any area of field biology. The proposed work must involve research conducted at Archbold (including the Station, Reserve or Buck Island Ranch) and/or the immediate area and include at least 4 weeks (cumulative over one year) based on-site at Archbold.

Previous awardees are not eligible for an award. However, Archbold might consider giving the same individual one award for graduate work and another for a further graduate degree or post-doc work, based on scientific merit and at the discretion of the scientific staff.

Additional details Award funds may be used to offset costs of travel, supplies, food, or other field-related expenses, or a stipend. Archbold facility use fees are waived. Awardees are eligible for free shared housing or discounted private housing at Archbold based on availability. Awardees can elect to either receive the funds directly (which will generate a 1099 tax form) or establish an account at Archbold to cover non-stipend research expenses.

The awardee must secure the appropriate Federal or State permits for their work before starting but need not have them in hand to apply. If not already obtained, the status of any required permits should be explained in the application. Any studies involving vertebrates at Archbold require an animal use protocol approved by the IACUC of the researcher’s home institution, as well as submission of an Archbold Animal Use Application at least 6 weeks prior to the anticipated start date of the research.

Awardees will be required to submit a Final Report to Archbold, including a summary expense report, within 1 year of receiving an award. They will also be invited to give a seminar describing their work, typically at the Annual Research Symposium. Fellows should acknowledge Archbold Biological Station and the Visiting Scholar Fellowship in resulting publications, theses, and/or presentations.

How to apply: Before applying, applicants are encouraged to reach out to the appropriate Program Director (see link for a list of Archbold programs), as each awardee will need a sponsor from the scientific staff. Application materials should be uploaded in the resume/CV section of the job post. Applicants must also request a letter of reference from their major professor or a faculty member familiar with their research to be emailed to hr@archbold-station.org with the subject line “Visiting Scholar Letter of Reference_NAME”.

Awardees will be chosen by Archbold’s senior scientific staff based on relevance to Archbold’s mission, scientific merit, feasibility, and broader impacts for conservation and education in our priority areas.

Applications are due by Wednesday, December 11 at 5 p.m.

Instructions: · Applications must be received by 5 pm on December 11, 2024. Fellowship recipients will be notified by mid-January 2025. · Application should include all 4 sections described below. · Save as a single file in PDF format and upload it to the online portal.

I. Applicant / Project Information (1 page)

Applicant’s name, affiliation, and contact info, including email address

Degree status (Master’s student, Ph.D. student, or Postdoc)

Name and contact information of academic advisor

Project title

Proposed time at Archbold – number of weeks and time of year

II. Project Description (3 pages maximum; can be single-spaced; use minimum 11-pt font size and 1” margins)

Background

Study objectives – main question(s) or hypotheses to be addressed

Methods – describe the study design and methods that will be used to address the research questions, including a brief description of how the data will be analyzed

Expected results & significance – including broader impacts for education and conservation

III. Supporting Information (1 page)

Literature cited – list of key citations; These should be referenced in appropriate places in the text using numbered superscripts or a standard citation format, e.g., Smith (2013) or Smith et al. (2013)

Budget – list items the grant would be used for and their estimated cost, keeping in mind the max allowable request of $3,000.

List any Archbold facilities, equipment and field sites that are essential for completing the research

IV. Curriculum Vitae