Sara E. and Bruce B. Collette Postdoctoral Fellowship in Systematic Ichthyology Grant

Sara E. and Bruce B. Collette Postdoctoral Fellowship in Systematic Ichthyology Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Smithsonian Institution (SI)
Amount: US $73,000
Last Updated: July 17, 2025

Summary

The Sara E. and Bruce B. Collette Postdoctoral Fellowship in Systematic Ichthyology, funded by the Smithsonian Institution, supports postdoctoral research in collections-based systematic ichthyology. Established in 2017, this fellowship aims to foster the next generation of researchers through access to the National Museum of Natural History's extensive collections. Awardees receive a stipend of $62,000 annually, as well as allowances for research, travel, and health insurance, making it a prestigious opportunity for scholars in the field.

Overview

In 2017 an endowed postdoctoral fellowship was established through the generous donation of Bruce B. Collette to support postdoctoral research focused on collections-based systematic ichthyology at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). With a career starting in 1960, Dr. Bruce Collette’s passion has been collections-based systematic studies of marine fishes. There are three thing he loves most about NMNH: the collections, the library, and the people. “It’s a very special place,” says Collette, who spent nearly 60 years in the NMNH community as an employee of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS - NOAA), a resident affiliated agency partner, and continues in emeritus status. Dr. Collette and his wife Sara established this fellowship endowment at NMNH to help train the next generation of collections-based ichthyology researchers and provide an opportunity to share the NMNH with them. “What I love most about the Smithsonian is its magnificent collection, which has enabled me to spend the majority of my career looking at specimens. I want the next generation of researchers to experience the collections, library and people of the NMNH. I want to pass on the privilege of doing research here,” said Collette. Purpose The purpose of the Collette Postdoctoral Fellowship is to support full-time, resident, independent research focused on the study of systematics, including comparative morphology, of fishes using the NMNH collections. Resources Image of Bruce B. ColletteResearch in the Division of Fishes is directed primarily toward systematic revisions of species, genera, and families, and the interpretation of higher classification and biogeography. Staff research efforts are currently focused on the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific marine shore fishes; beloniform, scombroid, pleuronectiform, tetraodontiform fishes world-wide; larval fish studies, ontogeny, and reproductive morphology; and Southeast Asian freshwater fishes. Osteological, myological, and other studies are being conducted as a basis for understanding the phylogeny and higher classification among a broad range of taxa. The Division of Fishes maintains the largest, comparative collection of fishes in the world with over 975,000 lots – specimens of the same species collected at the same time and place – totaling over 6 million individual specimens. The collection is arranged phylogenetically by family and then alphabetically by genus and species within each family. Over 50% of the collection has been computer catalogued and is accessible through an online searchable database. The collection has the world’s largest holdings of North American, Neotropical, Caribbean, and West Pacific fishes. In addition to the specimens, the collection includes illustrations and photographs (25,000 units) as well as radiographs (25,000) of fishes. Specialized facilities including radiographic and light photography systems, microCT, molecular laboratory, scanning electron microscopes, and a digital imaging facility. These are supplemented by the Fishes library with over 8,000 volumes, an extensive collection of reprints, and archives of original illustrations, maps, and photographs. Award The fellowship provides stipend, research/travel allowance, health insurance allowance, and a one-time relocation allowance. This is a one-year award with the possibility of renewal. One-year Award Package: $62,000/year – Stipend$5,000/year – Research/Travel Allowance$5,000/year – Health Insurance Allowance$1,000 – Relocation Allowance Awardees are expected to be actively involved in the scholarly activities of the Division of Fishes as well as collections-based systematic ichthyology both nationally and internationally.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants should have a proven record of research accomplishment and knowledge of the systematics of one or more groups of fishes. The fellowship may begin on or after January 1.All formal requirements for a Ph.D. must be completed before the start of the tenure.Fellowships are available to US and non-US citizens.