David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship 2027: A Two-Year Postdoctoral Fellowship Paying $74,263+ a Year Plus $45,000 in Research Funds for Applied Conservation Science
A two-year postdoctoral fellowship for early-career scientists doing applied conservation research in the United States, paying a salary of $74,263 in 2027 rising to $76,490 in 2028, plus a $45,000 research and travel budget, with applications due September 30, 2026.
David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship 2027: A Two-Year Postdoctoral Fellowship Paying $74,263+ a Year Plus $45,000 in Research Funds for Applied Conservation Science
The David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship is one of the most respected early-career awards in the field of applied conservation science. Administered by the Society for Conservation Biology, it gives recent PhDs two years of funded freedom to design and lead research that does not just describe environmental problems but actually helps solve them. For the cycle beginning in 2027, the program pays a salary of $74,263 in the first year and $76,490 in the second, adds a $45,000 research and travel budget, and surrounds each fellow with a hand-picked network of academic and practitioner mentors. Applications are due at 11:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, with no extensions permitted.
What sets the Smith Fellowship apart from a standard postdoc is its insistence on relevance. The program is built for scientists who want their work to inform real decisions — the management of a fishery, the recovery of an endangered species, the restoration of a watershed, or the policy that governs a landscape. If you are a new doctorate who is tired of research that stops at publication and wants your findings to change something on the ground, this fellowship was designed for you.
Key Details at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Program | David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship |
| Administered by | Society for Conservation Biology |
| Award type | Two-year postdoctoral fellowship in applied conservation science |
| Salary | $74,263 (2027), $76,490 (2028), plus benefits |
| Research/travel budget | $45,000 over two years ($22,500 per year, rollover permitted) |
| Duration | Two consecutive years of full-time postdoctoral research |
| Fellows selected | Approximately five per year |
| Application deadline | September 30, 2026, 11:00 p.m. ET (no extensions) |
| PhD timing | Completed after April 1, 2024 and before August 31, 2027 |
| Geographic focus | Research centered in the U.S. or its five inhabited territories |
| Mentors required | At least two — one academic, one in conservation practice |
| Contact | [email protected] |
| Official page | https://www.smithfellows.org/proposal-guidelines |
What the Fellowship Offers
The financial package is generous by postdoctoral standards, but the money is only part of the value. Fellows receive a salary of $74,263 in 2027 and $76,490 in 2028, along with a full benefits package administered through the host institution. On top of the salary, each fellow has access to a $45,000 research and travel budget spread across the two years — roughly $22,500 per year, with the flexibility to roll unspent funds forward. That budget covers fieldwork, equipment, travel to sites and conferences, data collection, and the other real costs of running an independent research program.
Just as important is the structure that surrounds the funding. Every fellow works with at least two mentors: one academic mentor who anchors the scientific rigor of the project, and one mentor drawn from conservation practice — a government agency, a nonprofit, a land trust, or a comparable organization — whose job is to keep the research connected to real-world outcomes. This two-mentor model is the mechanism that turns a good research idea into work that managers and policymakers can actually use.
The program also brings its fellows together several times a year. Fellows are required to attend three to four week-long retreats annually. These gatherings are part professional development, part cohort-building: they sharpen skills in communication, leadership, and translating science for decision-makers, and they knit each class of fellows into a lasting professional community. Alumni of the program consistently describe this network as one of the most durable benefits of the fellowship, long after the two years are over.
Who the Fellowship Is For
The Smith Fellowship targets a specific and narrow moment in a research career: the transition from doctoral student to independent scientist. To be eligible, you must have earned (or expect to earn) your doctorate after April 1, 2024 and before August 31, 2027. That window is deliberate — it captures scientists who are fresh enough to still be shaping their trajectory but far enough along to run a serious two-year project.
The program welcomes international applicants. There is no U.S. citizenship requirement, though non-U.S. fellows are responsible for securing their own visa and any associated work authorization. What the program does require is a research focus grounded in the United States or its five inhabited territories: Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. The host institution — where the fellow will be based — must also be U.S.-based, and can be an academic institution, a government agency, or a nonprofit organization.
This is a strong fit for early-career ecologists, conservation biologists, marine and fisheries scientists, quantitative modelers, social scientists working on human-environment questions, and interdisciplinary researchers whose work crosses the boundary between science and practice. It is a weaker fit for those who want a purely theoretical postdoc with no applied component, or for candidates whose research has no clear connection to a conservation decision or outcome. The reviewers are explicitly looking for work that “directly informs and impacts real-world conservation outcomes.”
Eligibility Requirements in Detail
Before you invest time in an application, confirm that you meet the core criteria:
- Degree timing: Your doctorate must be completed after April 1, 2024 and before August 31, 2027. If you have not yet defended, you must be on track to finish within that window.
- Research geography: The core of your proposed research must be centered in the United States or its five inhabited territories.
- Host institution: You must arrange a U.S.-based host institution — academic, governmental, or nonprofit — where you will be based for the fellowship.
- Mentors: You must line up at least two mentors before applying: one academic mentor and one mentor working in conservation practice. Both must commit in writing.
- Citizenship and visa: International applicants are eligible but must secure their own visa.
Because the mentor and host arrangements have to be in place at the time you apply, eligibility is not just a box you check — it requires real outreach and relationship-building in the months before the deadline.
The Application Process and Required Materials
The application is substantial, and the program is explicit that everything must arrive by 11:00 p.m. ET on September 30, 2026. There are no extensions. All materials are submitted through the program’s online portal at apply.smithfellows.org.
The required components are:
- A cover letter introducing you and your proposed work.
- A research proposal of up to nine pages, organized into the specific subsections the program requires. This is the heart of the application and where most of the reviewers’ attention goes.
- A curriculum vitae documenting your academic and research background.
- Four personal statements of up to 250 words each, addressing the themes the program asks about — typically your motivation, your fit with applied conservation, and your leadership and communication goals.
- Two reference letters from people who know your scientific work.
- Two mentor commitment letters, one from your academic mentor and one from your conservation-practice mentor, confirming their agreement to support your project.
- Abbreviated CVs from your mentors, so reviewers can assess the strength of the support structure around you.
The selection process is multi-stage. Applications first go through written reviews, then a semi-finalist panel, followed by short interviews, and finally finalist interviews. Only after that final round are roughly five fellows selected each year. Expect the full cycle to run over several months after the deadline.
How to Build a Competitive Proposal
The single biggest differentiator in a Smith application is how convincingly you connect rigorous science to a real conservation outcome. Reviewers see many technically sound proposals; what earns a fellowship is a project where the “so what” is unmistakable. Be explicit about the decision, the management action, or the policy your research will inform, and name the people or institutions who will use the results.
Your choice of mentors is a strategic decision, not an afterthought. The academic mentor signals scientific credibility; the practice mentor signals that your work is genuinely wired into the real world. Choose a practice mentor whose organization actually faces the problem you propose to study, and make sure their commitment letter speaks specifically to how they will use your findings. A generic letter of support is a missed opportunity.
Within the nine-page proposal, treat the space as scarce. Lead with the conservation problem and its stakes, state your questions and hypotheses crisply, and devote real space to methods and feasibility — reviewers want confidence that a two-year timeline is realistic. Then close the loop by explaining how the results will be delivered to and used by decision-makers. The four short personal statements are where your leadership, communication ambitions, and personal motivation come through; write them as tightly as the word limit demands, because 250 words leaves no room for filler.
Timeline and Deadline
Work backward from September 30, 2026. Mentor and host arrangements should be underway by early summer 2026 at the latest, because commitment letters take time and your mentors need to understand the project well enough to write substantively. Reference letters should be requested well in advance of the deadline. Aim to have a complete draft of the nine-page proposal ready weeks ahead so that mentors and colleagues can give feedback and you can revise. Because the program makes “no exceptions to the deadline,” treat the last few days as a buffer for technical problems, not for writing.
After submission, expect the review, semi-finalist, and interview stages to unfold over the following months, with fellows notified and the fellowship beginning in 2027.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Leaving mentor recruitment too late. The two-mentor requirement — and especially the practice mentor — cannot be assembled in a week. Start early.
- Writing a description instead of an intervention. Proposals that catalog a problem without showing how the research changes a decision struggle against the program’s applied mission.
- Weak or generic commitment letters. A practice mentor who cannot articulate how they will use your results undercuts the entire premise of your application.
- Ignoring feasibility. A brilliant idea that plainly cannot be completed in two years signals inexperience. Show a realistic plan.
- Overrunning limits. Nine pages, 250 words per statement — reviewers notice when applicants ignore the boundaries.
- Assuming an extension exists. It does not. The 11:00 p.m. ET cutoff is firm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a U.S. citizenship to apply? No. International applicants are welcome, but you must secure your own visa, and your research and host institution must be U.S.-based.
Can I apply before I finish my PhD? Yes, provided you will complete the doctorate before August 31, 2027 and after April 1, 2024. Confirm your defense timeline is consistent with that window.
How many fellowships are awarded? Approximately five per year.
Is the salary really the whole benefit? No. Beyond the salary of $74,263 (2027) and $76,490 (2028), you receive benefits, a $45,000 research and travel budget over two years, structured mentorship, and membership in a national cohort with several week-long retreats each year.
Where do I submit? Through the online portal at apply.smithfellows.org. Mailed or emailed applications are not accepted.
What if a fact here has changed? Always confirm current figures, dates, and requirements against the official program page before applying, as program details can be updated between cycles.
Next Steps and Official Links
If you are within the eligibility window and your research has a genuine applied edge, the Smith Fellowship is one of the strongest launches available for an independent conservation science career. Start now by sketching your project, identifying candidate academic and practice mentors, and reaching out to a prospective host institution. Then build your nine-page proposal around a clear conservation outcome.
Review the full proposal guidelines and application requirements at the official page: https://www.smithfellows.org/proposal-guidelines. Applications are submitted through apply.smithfellows.org, and questions can be directed to the program at [email protected]. Mark September 30, 2026, 11:00 p.m. ET as a hard deadline and plan every other step around it.