Get a Funded Postdoc in Sustainability and Conservation Science 2026: $70,000 Stipend + $10,000 Research Fund at Penn and The Nature Conservancy

If you want a postdoc that pairs rigorous university science with boots-on-the-ground conservation practice, this is one to read carefully. The University of Pennsylvania and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) are partnering on a two-year funded postdoctoral fellowship focused on sustainability and conservation science. Think of it as a bridge: academic depth on one side, immediate practical testing and deployment on the other.

This fellowship does more than pay your salary. It’s a funded laboratory for applied ideas—$70,000 per year in stipend and benefits, a $10,000 research allocation, modest travel support, and access to TNC’s global conservation network. That combination is rare: excellent academic mentorship plus guaranteed contact with practitioners who can translate your model, method, or technology into real-world impact.

If your work sits at the overlap of climate, ecology, technology, and people—if you want to do science that informs real conservation decisions—read on. Below I walk you through who should apply, what you must submit, how to make your proposal irresistible to reviewers, and a realistic calendar for getting everything done before the January 30, 2026 deadline.

At a Glance

What This Opportunity Offers

This fellowship is tailored to early-career scientists who want their research to matter outside the lab. The core financial package — a $70K stipend plus a $10K research fund — supports living costs and small-to-medium scale project expenses: fieldwork, data purchases, cloud compute credits, contracted technicians, or pilot deployments of monitoring equipment. The travel and relocation allowances make it realistic to move and to attend a few critical meetings or field visits.

Beyond money, the biggest asset here is the institutional pairing. Penn offers academic rigor: access to faculty across disciplines (ecology, climatology, engineering, social sciences) and university facilities. TNC brings operational know-how: project managers, site staff, and priority goals that want research-informed solutions, often on accelerated timelines. Fellows get joint mentorship from a Penn faculty member and a TNC scientist. That’s not two signatures on a letterhead — it’s mentorship built to connect peer-reviewed research to conservation practice.

Operationally, fellows are expected to co-develop proposals with both a Penn and a TNC mentor. The program explicitly rewards projects likely to produce usable outcomes for TNC’s global conservation priorities. If you design a small experiment, tool, or decision-support product that can be tested in a TNC project area, your chances rise.

Finally, the fellowship is also about professional development. You’ll work in a multidisciplinary environment, get exposure to real-world metric-driven conservation, and develop collaborations that often turn into larger grants, longer-term roles, or leadership positions in conservation science.

Who Should Apply

This fellowship is aimed at outstanding early-career scientists and engineers who want to pivot their technical expertise toward conservation-relevant problems. Good fits usually meet at least two of the following descriptions:

• A climate scientist or modeler who wants to translate projections into actionable conservation decisions (e.g., prioritizing restoration sites under future climates).
• A remote sensing or data scientist with new methods for habitat mapping or illegal activity detection who wants to pilot tools with field teams.
• An ecologist or conservation biologist developing rapid assessment methods for biodiversity monitoring that could be deployed in TNC project sites.
• An engineer or technologist building low-cost sensors for water quality, carbon monitoring, or community-based environmental monitoring.
• A socioecologist, environmental economist, or political scientist modeling the human dimensions of conservation — land tenure, resource access, or climate adaptation — with direct policy or project implications.

Real-world examples: a candidate who developed machine learning models for detecting mangrove loss and proposes to co-design an early-warning system with TNC coastal staff; or a candidate proposing a field validation program to connect airborne lidar-derived biomass estimates with community-managed reforestation efforts in East Africa. Applicants working on Africa-relevant projects are especially encouraged to highlight partnerships and impact pathways on that continent, but the fellowship is global in scope.

To be eligible you must have met all PhD requirements by the fellowship start and your PhD should have been awarded within three years before the application deadline. You must be ready to begin by September 1, 2026. The program seeks diverse candidates—diversity of background, discipline, and thought is considered an asset.

Eligibility and Requirements (narrative)

The fellowship is intentionally selective about career stage: it targets early-career researchers who need a launchpad into applied conservation science. Your PhD must be completed in time to begin the fellowship and should have been awarded no earlier than three years before the application deadline (that is, roughly 2023 or later for the 2026 competition).

You’ll need a Penn faculty mentor and a TNC scientist who have co-developed your proposal with you. That co-development is assessed during review, so superficial or last-minute email threads won’t cut it. Expect reviewers to look for a credible plan where mentors commit time and resources, and outline a clear mentoring structure.

The fellowship does not require U.S. citizenship, but check visa logistics early if you are an international applicant: the fellowship expects the appointment at Penn, and successful candidates are responsible for ensuring they can legally work in the United States.

Required Materials

Prepare these components carefully; formatting and small administrative errors can sink a strong technical proposal.

• Cover letter (1 page): Describe your research background, conservation interests, career goals, and why this fellowship matters for your trajectory. Make the case that you are both scientifically rigorous and ready to work in applied settings.
• Research proposal (2 pages, plus citations on a separate page): This must be co-developed with both a Penn faculty member and a TNC scientist. The proposal should: clearly state the research question; describe methods and deliverables; explain how the work will produce results useful to TNC priorities; and include a feasible timeline and metrics for success.
• Curriculum vitae: Standard academic CV emphasizing publications, relevant technical skills, and collaborative projects.
• Three letters of recommendation: One must be from your thesis advisor and should explicitly comment on your ability to work in multidisciplinary teams. The other two should know your PhD work well and speak to your research competence.
• Joint mentor letter and mentoring plan from your proposed Penn and TNC mentors: This is crucial. Mentors should describe the project’s importance to both institutions, detail the mentoring roles they will play, and explain how the applicant showed leadership in developing the proposal.
• Administrative formatting: Use standard letter-size pages, 1-inch margins, at least 11-point font for cover letter and proposal. Combine CV, proposal, and personal statement into a single PDF (follow the program’s naming conventions for files and email subject line).

Letters must be on institutional letterhead and submitted electronically according to the program’s instructions by the deadline.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application (long-form, actionable)

1. Co-develop early and document collaboration. Don’t email mentors the weekend before the deadline. Begin outreach three months ahead. Share a one-page research concept and request a short video call. After the call, send a summary email that documents agreed roles—this builds proof of meaningful partnership that reviewers will notice.

2. Make the TNC outcome explicit. Reviewers are looking for projects that can deliver useful results for conservation. Don’t say “this could be useful.” Say “this will produce X — e.g., a habitat suitability map, a proof-of-concept sensor network, a decision-support dashboard — that TNC can use to prioritize Y in region Z.” Attach measurable indicators: reduction in monitoring costs, expected accuracy improvements, or number of sites where the method will be piloted.

3. Balance novelty and feasibility. High risk without contingency plans is a red flag. If you rely on a new sensor, explain fallback data sources or phased milestones. Propose a tight first-year deliverable that demonstrates feasibility and a second-year scaling plan.

4. Tell a short, plain story in the first half-page. Start with a problem statement: who’s affected, why current tools fall short, and what you will deliver. Make it readable to a scientist who is not in your niche.

5. Budget with story. Use the $10,000 research fund wisely and justify each item. If you request cloud compute, show expected hours and results. If you need field travel, specify locations and partners. Small, precise budgets look more credible than line items that seem padded or vague.

6. Letters that do more than praise. Ask recommenders to speak to specific skills (e.g., data management, interdisciplinary collaboration, field logistics) and include examples. The mentor joint letter should be a mini-workplan showing who will do what and how decisions will be made.

7. Prepare a one-page visual timeline or logic model and add it as a supplementary figure if allowed. Visuals make feasibility clear—timeline, milestones, and expected deliverables at 6, 12, and 24 months.

8. Practice your elevator pitch. You may be invited to interviews or informal follow-ups. Be able to describe your project and its conservation value in two minutes.

Application Timeline (work backward from Jan 30, 2026)

• January 30, 2026, 5:00 pm ET — Final materials due. Submit early: aim for Jan 27 to allow for last-minute issues.
• January (3 weeks prior) — Finalize mentor letters. Share final PDF with recommenders and make sure they email letters on time.
• December — Complete draft research proposal and cover letter. Circulate to mentors for substantive edits.
• November — Identify TNC/Penn mentors and schedule calls. Create a simple co-development log (dates, agreements, next steps).
• October — Prepare CV and list of references. Begin reaching out to potential recommenders and provide them a draft of your proposal.
• September — Start concept note and short literature review. Map TNC priorities that align with your work.
• August — Decide on project scope and feasibility. Run a small internal pilot if possible.
• July and earlier — Build relationships, collect pilot data, and refine research question.

This timeline assumes you can focus substantial time. If you’re juggling a final PhD year, start conversations even earlier.

What Makes an Application Stand Out

Reviewers read hundreds of applications. The ones that stick have clarity, realism, and clear ties to practice.

• Clear conservation pathway: The strongest proposals show how a piece of research will lead to a concrete outcome for TNC—either a tested product, a decision metric, or a policy-ready analysis.
• Demonstrated collaboration: Verified, substantive engagement with both mentors. Evidence includes meeting notes, a shared workplan, or emails confirming field access.
• Feasible pilot with measurable indicators: Proposals that promise a pilot test in a defined location or dataset with clear success metrics (e.g., 80% detection accuracy, or 30% reduction in monitoring effort) get priority.
• Track record and training plan: Early-career applicants who show specific training needs and a plan to acquire them (courses, co-mentoring, method transfer) look capable rather than underqualified.
• Communication and scalability: Plans for data sharing, a short deliverable for TNC staff, and an outline for scaling successful approaches beyond the pilot site increase perceived impact.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (and how to fix them)

1. Last-minute mentor outreach. Fix: Start three months early. Be specific in your request and offer concise materials for mentors to review.

2. Vague deliverables. Fix: Define deliverables clearly and attach measurable success criteria (accuracy, number of sites, stakeholder workshops).

3. Overambitious scope. Fix: Make a focused first-year goal you can confidently finish, with optional second-year expansion.

4. Letters that are generic praise. Fix: Give letter writers a bullet list of points you’d like them to address and remind them of dates and submission instructions.

5. Formatting errors and missing materials. Fix: Follow page limits and fonts exactly. Combine documents into one PDF and follow file naming conventions.

6. Not aligning with TNC priorities. Fix: Read TNC’s program pages and cite specific TNC initiatives or regions where your project could be applied.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to be a U.S. citizen?
A: The program page will have details on visa support. Typically, postdoctoral positions at U.S. universities can sponsor work visas, but confirm early with Penn’s HR and the fellowship contact. Start visa conversations as soon as you’re a finalist.

Q: Can I apply if my PhD will be awarded after the deadline?
A: You must have completed all requirements by the fellowship start date, and your PhD should have been awarded no more than three years before the application deadline. If your degree is pending, confirm that it will be completed before the start date.

Q: Is prior TNC experience required?
A: No. Prior experience helps but is not mandatory. What matters more is a proposal co-developed with a TNC scientist and clear pathways to apply your work.

Q: Can the research fund be used for personnel?
A: Small amounts for local field assistants or short-term contractors are typically acceptable, but justify costs and show institutional approvals. Discuss permissible uses with your mentors.

Q: Are international candidates working outside the U.S. eligible?
A: Yes, but the fellowship appointment is at Penn and requires presence for the appointment period. Design projects that can bridge field sites abroad with Penn and TNC resources.

Q: Will I still be able to publish academic papers?
A: Yes. The fellowship supports both applied outputs for TNC and academic publications. Discuss data ownership and publication timelines with your mentors.

Q: What happens after the fellowship?
A: Many fellows move into research faculty roles, TNC science positions, or larger grant-funded projects. The network and practical experience here are highly career-enhancing.

How to Apply / Get Started

Ready to apply? Start at the official program page for the most current instructions and exact submission email addresses: https://viest.upenn.edu/sustainability-and-conservation-science-postdoctoral-fellowship

Key action items:

• Read the full details on the Penn program page and confirm the exact submission email and required file names.
• Begin mentor outreach now—copy the program contact when appropriate to document co-development.
• Prepare a single PDF containing your CV, research proposal, and personal statement. Name the PDF and use the subject line exactly as the instructions request (for example: “Postdoctoral Fellow Application [Your Name]” and “YourNameApplication.pdf”) to avoid processing delays.
• Ensure recommendation and mentor letters are emailed directly to the program contacts by 5:00 pm ET on January 30, 2026.
• Submit your application at least 48–72 hours before the deadline to avoid technical problems.

If you want a quick checklist to forward to mentors or letter writers, I can draft one tailored to the fellowship—just say the word. Good luck: this fellowship is a serious opportunity if you want to do conservation science that gets used, not just cited.