The 2024 UCLA La Kretz Center Postdoctoral Fellowship in California Conservation Science
The UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science invites applications for its 2024 Postdoctoral Fellowship in California Conservation Science. We seek to hire one or more postdoctoral scholars who conduct innovative biological research at the interface of applied and basic science. Our long-term goal is to help fund a cadre of innovative young scientists who will work closely with UCLA faculty, help broaden the mission of conservation science for the campus, and lead to long-term collaborations between our academic scientists and applied conservation partners that will direct and lead California conservation efforts.
Candidates may work in any discipline that provides the scientific underpinnings for the preservation, protection, management, or restoration of at-risk species, environments, or ecological communities in California. Current and past La Kretz Postdocs have worked on a wide variety of research topics, ranging from urban biodiversity and evolutionary adaptation, to wildfire management and conservation, to the interface of conservation and animal behavior; we are open to work in any California ecosystem or group of organisms, as long as the research is innovative, creative, and has clear practical significance. An important new initiative, the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP), is a large, multi-campus initiative led by the La Kretz Center that is delivering genomic resources to California decision-makers to enhance species and habitat management, and candidates may seek to build off of that project in the realm of conservation genomics. For a full description of past fellows and their work, please visit the La Kretz Center Postdoctoral Fellowships page.
Fellows must have both an on-campus UCLA mentor, and an off-campus, non-university mentor. Specifically, the on-campus UCLA mentor must be a La Kretz Center affiliate. The Fellow is expected to work closely with their identified UCLA mentor and agency partner(s) in developing their project, and all applications should include a letter (which may be brief) from each mentor stating their support for the project, what they can contribute to it, and how it fits into their work in conservation biology. Applications that do not include these letters of support will be considered incomplete and therefore ineligible for consideration. Projects that bring co-funding, from mentors or other agencies or individuals, are always encouraged, but co-funding is not a requirement. Off-campus mentors may be drawn from any California agency or NGO, including federal and state groups. A partial list of some of our active partners and contact people includes:
The Nature Conservancy: Sophie Parker
LA Natural History Museum: Jann Vendetti
US Geological Survey: Robert Fisher
US Bureau of Land Management: Mike Westphal
US Fish and Wildlife Service: Cat Darst
Natural Communities Coalition: James Sulentich/Danny L. Fry
National Park Service: Katy Delaney
National Park Service: Seth Riley
Department of Defense: Robert Lovich
The La Kretz Fellowship is for two years, subject to review after the first year. The target start date is September 2024, and is flexible. The position offers a competitive salary, full benefits, and a research/travel allowance of $7,500. Candidates who have recently completed their Ph.D. or will have completed it by August 2024 are encouraged to apply.
To apply, please send applications to lakretz@ioes.ucla.edu as a single PDF file that includes:
(i) A brief cover letter introducing yourself and your project
(ii) Your full CV
(iii) A research and management accomplishments statement (maximum one page)
(iv) A project proposal that lays out, in some detail, your project, including motivation, methods, expected outcomes/results, why this work is important to academic and applied audiences, and how it integrates with the research of your mentors (maximum three pages, including figures and references)
(v) A letter of support (which may be brief) from 1) your on-campus UCLA mentor and 2) your off-campus agency/NGO mentor
(vi) Two of your relevant publications
(vii) Two letters of reference sent, one of which should be from your Ph.D. advisor (These are in addition to the letters from your mentors).
Please arrange to have reference letters emailed to the same address with the subject line “La Kretz Postdoc letter for (your last name)”. The deadline for completed applications is November 26th, 2023.
Please email all questions to Brad Shaffer, Director of the La Kretz Center, at brad.shaffer@ucla.edu.
