In partnership with the National Park Foundation (NPF), the National Park Service (NPS) continues the Scientists in Parks (SIP) Fellowship Program that was established to support advanced postdoc science researchers who address urgent natural resource challenges facing national parks. Pivotal research findings will inform future management actions taken by the NPS and other natural resource agencies and advance regional, national, and global conservation.
SIP Fellows are funded for three years, which provides time to conduct innovative research with NPS employees and other natural resource partners. The fellowship is especially impactful because it includes a communication component to ensure major research findings are communicated to key partners, as well as the public, so that optimal conservation benefits are achieved. If you’re a recent postdoc with a passion for nature and parks and want to use your expertise to advance conservation, we encourage you to apply! More information on the next application period coming soon.
After reviewing many impressive proposals, six postdoc fellows were selected and began research in May 2024. Each fellow focused on a different project that addressed one of the following resource management challenges:
- Creating science-based strategies to preserve saguaros and other iconic desert species impacted by climate
- The resilience and vulnerability of Arctic rivers to permafrost thaw and emergent environmental toxicity
- Conserving Northwest forests at risk from emerging threats
- The role of peat accumulation in conserving tropical mangroves
- Understanding how climate impacts fisheries and aquatic resources in the Midwest
- Decision-making in the Sagebrush Steppe informed by an Ecosystem Services Approach
Last updated: August 4, 2026