Postdoctoral Scholar

Position Summary

The Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) seeks applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar with research interests in climate, oceanography, and/or ecosystem science including human dimensions and policy. We anticipate offering one Postdoctoral Scholar appointment in 2026. Postdocs are appointed at any one of the CICOES consortium universities:
University of Washington (UW), Oregon State University (OSU), and University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and may be located on campus or at one of our National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sponsored laboratories: the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC), the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), and/or the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL).

Appointments are based on the strength of the applicant’s research proposal, the fit to CICOES’ research portfolio, and the composition of the mentoring team. A mentoring team must include at least one NOAA research scientist (co-located CICOES research scientists are eligible) and at least one academic faculty member (WOT, affiliate, or emeritus faculty are not eligible to serve as academic mentors).

Applicants are expected to conduct research within at least one of CICOES’ nine research themes: climate and ocean variability, change, and impacts; earth systems and processes; environmental chemistry and ocean carbon; marine ecosystems; ocean and coastal observations; environmental data science; aquaculture science; human dimensions in marine systems; and polar studies. Applicant research proposals should demonstrate relevance to both CICOES and at least one of the NOAA programs primarily at AFSC, NWFSC, or PMEL.

A central foundation of this program is to foster collaboration between CICOES and NOAA Laboratories.

Appointments are 100% FTE for 12 months, renewable for a second 12 months subject to availability of funding and scholarly progress. A competitive salary, a small research/travel budget, and a relocation allowance are included in the award. The base salary range for this position will be $6,685 to $6,955 per month, commensurate with experience or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination.

Postdoctoral scholars are engaged in full-time, mentored advanced training to enhance professional skills and research independence. Given the close mentoring relationship necessitated by the nature of postdoctoral scholar appointments; access to the full university community to support individual development; and, if applicable, visa sponsorship requirements, postdoctoral scholars must be physically present at their place of work on university property to fulfill their appointment duties.

Application Instructions Use this link to apply to the CICOES Postdoctoral Scholar Program 2026

• A cover letter specifying research interests, proposed project summary, academic and NOAA-affiliated mentors that have agreed to support the research, and a brief narrative describing connections between the proposed project, CICOES, PMEL, AFSC, and/or NWFSC. Cover letters may not exceed 2 pages.
• A current Curriculum Vitae with dates of education, appointments, experience, and publication list. Curriculum Vitae may not exceed 5 pages. Page numbers should be used.
• A research proposal describing objectives, methods, and expected outcomes during a two-year period. The proposal should be accessible to a general scientific audience while also addressing issues suited to a specialist in the proposed area of study. The proposal should include the relevance of the proposed research to CICOES research themes and to the proposed NOAA partner (AFSC, NWFSC, and/or PMEL) program(s).
  
  Proposals should not exceed 7 numbered pages.
• Three letters of recommendation should be submitted within one week of the application due date. Letters should be uploaded to Interfolio directly by the reference writer.
• A letter(s) of support from a proposed academic faculty mentor and a proposed NOAA mentor (a joint letter of support from both mentors is also acceptable). Letters should be uploaded to Interfolio directly by the mentor(s).

A Postdoctoral Scholar is an academic appointment that requires evidence of a conferred PhD in a CICOES-relevant field by the appointment start date (approximately September 2026). Eligible candidates cannot exceed 5 years of Postdoctoral experience from the start of their first Postdoctoral appointment to the end of the CICOES Postdoctoral appointment.

Applicants from consortium universities will only be considered for the CICOES Postdoctoral program at their home university under extraordinary circumstances that should be addressed in the cover letter.