IAI Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) Fellowship Grant

IAI Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) Fellowship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Last Updated: June 04, 2025

Summary

The IAI Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for early-career researchers to engage in marine science and conservation in Panama. Hosted by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, this fellowship supports the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor initiative, fostering collaboration among Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia. Fellows will receive professional development in science diplomacy and leadership, enhancing their ability to influence policy related to global environmental change and sustainable development.

Overview

Overview Much of STRI’s success is due to its ability to attract some of the brightest scholars from diverse fields of tropical research. We invest more than $3 million every year to support creative young researchers at critical stages in their careers. Fellowships range from three months to three years and allow young scholars to explore their own research questions across Panama’s rich tropical ecosystems while based at our state-of-the-art facilities. One-year IAI Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) Fellow to be hosted by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama and CMAR Description The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), an intergovernmental organization with 19 Parties in the Americas, promotes transdisciplinary research and the enhancement of capacities to improve public awareness and provide information to governments for the development of public policy relevant to global environmental change (GEC), based on scientific excellence, international and intersectoral cooperation, and the open exchange of knowledge. In 2019, the IAI launched the Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) Fellowship Program, an innovative and strategic international program placing scientists in public or private host institutions to inform and advise decision-making on global environmental change and sustainable development issues of national priority. Through the STeP program, the IAI provides professional development training and international networking opportunities for early-career Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) policymakers and scientists to value and incorporate science in the decision-making process and become leaders and active agents of systemic change in their countries. The selected fellow will participate in the IAI STeP professional development training program in science diplomacy, communication, and transdisciplinary leadership designed to foster the development of future science advisors and the uptake of science to public and private policy in the Americas. More information on the STeP Fellowship Program can be found here: http://www.iai.int/en/step The IAI, with science support from STRI, invites eligible individuals to apply for this fellowship opportunity in marine science, conservation, and policy. The fellow will focus on supporting the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR in Spanish) – an intergovernmental agreement signed by Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia to ensure connectivity and to promote the transnational protection of marine resources. The fellow will support the CMAR Secretariat, currently held by Panama, which was deliberately designed to engage science with policy to support evidence-informed decision-making across the four CMAR countries. Through the IAI, the fellow will be jointly supported by training and mentorship on an international scale. The IAI STeP Program serves as the training and networking platform for the fellow, particularly in science-policy communication, transdisciplinary leadership, and science diplomacy. The selected candidate will help establish the IAI STeP Ocean Cohort of early-career science policy fellows.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The fellow must be based in Panama. There are no citizenship requirements.Applicants must complete the application form in English or Spanish.