SESYNC has several ways of supporting researchers in residence, including sabbaticals, postdoctoral positions, fellowships, and short-term visitors
Sabbatical and Research Fellowships
Sabbatical Fellowships (2 – 12 months) support social, environmental, or cyberinfrastructure research activities that will advance the mission of SESYNC. Fellows are also expected to participate in collaborative center activities such as Pursuits, Ventures, Workshops, or outreach activities as part of their effort while in residence. SESYNC provides a stipend based on time in residence (not to exceed 50% of the fellow’s home institution salary) and a small housing allowance (up to $1000/month). Sabbatical Fellows are considered Visiting Scientists at the University of Maryland and therefore are not eligible for benefits under the USM system; benefits would continue through the Fellow’s home institution. Applications are accepted at any time but will be reviewed quarterly; for details, see
Sabbatical Details & Application Guidelines.
Postdoctoral Fellowships
Postdoctoral fellows will undertake independent social, environmental, or cyberinfrastructure synthesis projects that are consistent with the mission of SESYNC. Socio-environmental synthesis research distills or integrates data, ideas, theories, or methods from a variety of sources in order to address an environmental issue that requires synthetic knowledge, which has not emerged using traditional disciplinary methods or data from single investigations or project sources. Synthesis research may be used to draw more reliable conclusions or it may be used to open doors to novel areas of study. SESYNC postdocs may wish to use or develop new theoretical, analytical or computational approaches to address important questions or may spend their time addressing questions or developing applications that draw on data or ideas aggregated from many sources, many researchers or multiple fields of inquiry. SESYNC offers substantial computational support for post-doctoral researchers. For more details, see
Postdoctoral Details & Application Guidelines.
Short-term Visitors
Short-term Visitors (2 weeks – 2 months) are scholars in residence at SESYNC who work on synthesis projects. They are provided funds to travel to and work on-site, as well as technical support that will contribute to their scholarly efforts at SESYNC. Applicants should submit a letter to the Executive Director (at any time) outlining the purpose of their visit, the length, and the expected outcome.
Policy and Practice Fellows
Policy and Practice Fellows propose short-term visits (< 2 months) in which they interact with the SESYNC community in Annapolis, MD. This program targets individuals from government, NGOs, corporations, and the media. Ideally, the interactions will benefit both the scholars and Policy and Practice Fellows. Examples of activities include: organizing small-group discussions or workshops, working with SESYNC scholars to understand the needs of the policy/user community, assisting the SESYNC community in identifying opportunities to improve communication of the center’s science, and leveraging practical applications of actionable science. SESYNC will provide funds for fellows to travel and work on-site at the center. Applications are accepted at any time but will be reviewed quarterly. Submit a letter to the Executive Director outlining the purpose of their visit, the length, and the expected outcome.
Maryland Fellows
Maryland Fellows are from USM universities or other institutions within commuting distance who apply to work at SESYNC during periods of leave or sabbatical from their home institutions. The program provides an intellectually stimulating supportive and active community while in residence at SESYNC. Proposals can include any type of socio-environmental synthesis project, and may be from 2 months to 1 year. Participants are expected to spend the majority of their time at SESYNC and contribute to the in-house scientific community in some form. The University of Maryland (College Park) has a limited pool of funds for their tenure-track faculty. A limited stipend may be available for scholars from other institutions. For additional information, contact a SESYNC Director.
