Research Associate-Fixed Term

For the most up to date information on the position, please visit the MSU EEB website:  https://eeb.msu.edu/initiatives/postdoctoral-fellowship/index.aspx 

The position is for two years, subject to review after one year, and will begin between June 1 and September 1, 2026. The starting annual salary is $65,000 plus benefits, as well as a research stipend of $8,000 per year. Up to $1000 of moving expenses may be reimbursed from the research stipend in the first year. Benefits details may be viewed here: https://hr.msu.edu/benefits/documents/Benefits_Summary.pdf. We encourage applications from candidates in any early-career stage, from finishing PhD students to current postdoctoral scholars. 

RESEARCH PROGRAM: The Fellow will be a fully participating member of EEB at MSU and will be expected to have a cutting-edge research program that bridges the interests of two or more EEB core faculty members. A list of possible faculty mentors can be found here: https://eeb.msu.edu/people/core-faculty.aspx.  Candidates should contact potential faculty mentors before applying, as each faculty mentor will need to fill out the sponsor form (https://forms.gle/V6XskKArBx5ZwGNQ9 ). 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The Fellow will also contribute to the EEB community via a community engagement initiative. The proposed initiative is up to the discretion of the applicant; possible ideas include (but are not limited to): professional development, or a technical research skill; a science communication or public engagement product or event; a public science initiative, a journal discussion group; curriculum development; etc. The Fellow’s research stipend may also be used to support the community engagement initiative. 

Applicants will need to enter the contact information for two references willing to write letters of recommendation on behalf of the candidate. MSU will contact letter writers directly with instructions for a select number of applicants.

In addition, each faculty sponsor (not the applicant) should fill out the sponsor form to indicate their support for the candidate's application, how the candidate's research will integrate into the faculty members' labs, and a brief description of the mentor's contributions to the EEB community (service, teaching, etc.).

The required application materials should be uploaded as four separate documents:

• Cover letter (1 page max)
• CV
• Other document #1
• Other document #2

Other document #1 should include: Research statement including past research accomplishments and proposed research plans as an EEB postdoctoral fellow (2 pages max); Community engagement proposal (1 page max). Other document #2 should include: Up to two publications, preprints, or manuscripts representative of the applicant’s work (works #1 and #2 should be uploaded as a single file).