Postdocs and Internships at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Hiring Organization: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Employment type: Internship
Job Location: Panama
Application Due Date: April 30, 2025

Postdocs

The Muller-Landau Lab at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama is seeking postdoctoral scholars to advance our understanding of tropical woody plant communities through quantitative analyses and/or theory development drawing on large datasets for tropical forests in Panama.

The postdocs will undertake research applying or elaborating mathematical theory to understand mechanisms of coexistence and/or relative abundances of woody plant species in tropical forests. Within this broad area, there is substantial flexibility to choose research questions and methods that align with the postdoc’s interests and expertise.

Candidates need not have prior experience working in tropical forests. Candidates should have strong quantitative skills and prior experience with applying complex quantitative analyses, theory, or modeling to address ecological questions. Start date is flexible, and funding from the Simons Foundation is available for up to three years.

To apply, email your curriculum vitae, a cover letter describing research interests and experience, a first-authored publication or manuscript, and contact information for three references to Helene Muller-Landau at mullerh@si.edu. Review of the initial set of applications will begin April 21, 2025; later applications will be considered as they arrive contingent on available funding. Informal inquiries are welcome. More information at https://hmullerlandau.com/contact/

Interns

I’m currently recruiting interns to participate in several research projects: quantifying landscape-level variation in tropical forests , automated species classification of tropical plants, and evaluating the climate sensitivity of tropical tree demographic rates. Internships typically extend for 9-12 months, with flexible start dates. All interns have the opportunity to gain experience in tropical forest field data collection, data management and data cleaning using R and GitHub, statistical analyses and figure preparation using the R programming language, reviewing scientific literature, scientific discussions in English, working in a team with lab members and collaborators from diverse backgrounds, preparation of scientific presentations, preparation of data publications, and the scholarly publishing process. The ideal candidates have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, strong quantitative skills including programming experience, strong English oral and written communication skills, at least basic Spanish oral communication skills, and the ability and motivation to lead or co-lead a scholarly publication.

The positions are particularly well suited for candidates seeking more research experience prior to graduate school. Each internship is compensated with a modest stipend sufficient to cover living expenses in Panama (US$1250/month), as well as roundtrip travel to Panama in the case of non-Panamanian candidates.

To apply, email your curriculum vitae, a cover letter in English succinctly describing your qualifications and why you are interested in this internship, a scientific writing sample (e.g., undergraduate thesis, term paper, lab report), a commented sample of code you have written (preferably in R or Python), and an unofficial copy of your undergraduate transcript to Helene Muller-Landau at mullerh@si.edu. More information at https://hmullerlandau.com/contact/