Postdoctoral Fellow (Water Funds Program) at Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution · Washington, United States Of America · Onsite
- Junior
- Office in Washington
OPEN DATE: October 7, 2025
CLOSING DATE: October 28, 2025
POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary (NTE 3 years)
SCHEDULE: Full Time
DUTY LOCATION: NZCBI-Washington, DC or Front Royal, VA
What are Trust Fund Positions?
Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).
Conditions of Employment
- Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
- Complete a Probationary Period.
- Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
- The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
- Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
OVERVIEW
The Smithsonian Institution (SI) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have launched an innovative partnership to advance sustainability research and shape a more resilient future through a cohort of jointly mentored postdoctoral scholars. Building on a longstanding history of collaboration, SI and TNC are once again joining forces to drive cutting-edge research and innovation, advancing solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges affecting people and nature. This initiative will support cohorts of emerging scientific leaders, empowering them to work hand-in-hand with communities to co-create evidence-based solutions that strengthen resilience. Each institution will host up to three Postdoctoral Fellows. While Fellows will be embedded in research and professional development activities across both organizations, they will be housed and receive HR support through their hiring institution.
This advertisement is for a postdoctoral fellowship based at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be co-mentored by a team of scientists from both SI and TNC, including at least one mentor from each organization. The fellow will play a key role in strengthening collaboration between the two institutions by contributing to joint research agendas, shared work plans, and coordinated communication and advocacy.
This is a 3-year temporary position, expected to start by December 2025.
This prestigious fellowship is accompanied by additional opportunities funded through a joint partnership with TNC. During the three-year term, all members of the cohort will receive advanced, in-person communications training and additional professional development opportunities. SI fellows will have access to a limited budget for travel, research, conference, and publishing funds in addition to their annual salary.
This is a 3-year temporary position, expected to start by December 2025.
This prestigious fellowship is accompanied by additional opportunities funded through a joint partnership with TNC. During the three-year term, all members of the cohort will receive advanced, in-person communications training and additional professional development opportunities. SI fellows will have access to a limited budget for travel, research, conference, and publishing funds in addition to their annual salary.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Postdoctoral Research On the Health Impacts of Improved Watershed Management In Africa
This project aims to evaluate the human and livestock health impacts of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Water Funds program, which focuses on upstream ecosystem restoration and food system management to enhance water quality and supply for urban centers. The project pairs an SI postdoctoral fellow, who will build an evidence base for attribution of Water Fund interventions to human and animal health outcomes, with a TNC postdoctoral fellow, who will study the economic importance of health losses attributable to Water Fund interventions.
The SI postdoctoral fellow’s key role will be to quantify and develop standards for monitoring how nature-based solutions for water resources management contribute towards epidemiological outcomes for people and their livestock. This evidence will be used to intentionally design Water Fund projects to better account for their health impacts in Africa and further afield. It is hoped that demonstrating the broader health benefits of watershed restoration and improved ecosystem management will diversify finance for conservation and attract public and private health sector interest.
We especially encourage applications from individuals with well-developed collaborative skills and a strong interest in working at the intersection between ecology, epidemiology, and public health.
Duties and Responsibilities include:
This project aims to evaluate the human and livestock health impacts of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Water Funds program, which focuses on upstream ecosystem restoration and food system management to enhance water quality and supply for urban centers. The project pairs an SI postdoctoral fellow, who will build an evidence base for attribution of Water Fund interventions to human and animal health outcomes, with a TNC postdoctoral fellow, who will study the economic importance of health losses attributable to Water Fund interventions.
The SI postdoctoral fellow’s key role will be to quantify and develop standards for monitoring how nature-based solutions for water resources management contribute towards epidemiological outcomes for people and their livestock. This evidence will be used to intentionally design Water Fund projects to better account for their health impacts in Africa and further afield. It is hoped that demonstrating the broader health benefits of watershed restoration and improved ecosystem management will diversify finance for conservation and attract public and private health sector interest.
We especially encourage applications from individuals with well-developed collaborative skills and a strong interest in working at the intersection between ecology, epidemiology, and public health.
Duties and Responsibilities include:
- Mapping the likely causal pathways linking upstream nature-based water solutions (e.g., reduced deforestation, wildlife conservation, agroforestry practices, riparian restoration) to priority infectious and non-communicable diseases in humans and livestock.
- Using primary and secondary ecological and epidemiological data to attribute changes in disease incidence (or other health outcome measures) to water fund interventions.
- Identifying the minimum data requirements and baseline datasets needed to credibly estimate and verify these health benefits.
- Creating standardized monitoring protocols to attribute specific water and ecosystem interventions to measurable reductions in disease incidence.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Experience required for this position is as follows:
- Ph.D. in a relevant (e.g., ecology, disease ecology, infectious disease dynamics, epidemiology, or a related discipline).
- Ph.D. or post-doc level experience in statistical modelling and inference (particularly in dynamical systems and Bayesian statistics).
- Experience in causal modeling (e.g., health impact attribution or its ecological equivalent) is preferable.
- Computational skills (e.g., Python, C++, Java, R).
Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.
Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.
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Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.
What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.
Relocation expenses are not paid.
The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact [email protected]. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures (https://www.si.edu/OEO/IndividualswithDisabilities).
The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact [email protected]. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures (https://www.si.edu/OEO/IndividualswithDisabilities).
The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To review The Smithsonian's EEO program information, please click the following: https://www.si.edu/oeo
