Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | November 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: Stipend approximately $82,764 per year plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral research in molecular spectroscopy, dynamics, and kinetics at NIST using advanced experimental methods.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens with a Ph.D. earned within the last 5 years; requires contacting a Research Adviser prior to application.
Description
This fellowship opportunity, offered through the NRC Research Associateship Programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), supports postdoctoral research focused on the spectroscopy, dynamics, and kinetics of molecules. Research areas include:
- High-resolution infrared spectroscopy of jet-cooled radicals, clusters, and molecular ions
- Crossed molecular beam studies of state-to-state reaction dynamics
- Radical kinetics relevant to atmospheric combustion and interstellar chemistry
- Photofragmentation dynamics and velocity map imaging
- Quantum-state-resolved scattering dynamics at gas-liquid and gas-molten metal interfaces
- Time-resolved single-molecule microscopy and pump-probe scanning photoionization microscopy
- Plasmonic interactions
- Single-molecule RNA folding kinetics
- Semiconductor quantum-dot nanophysics
The program provides a platform for innovative, technically sound research projects that can be completed within a 2-3 year period, contributing new knowledge to molecular physics and chemistry.
Due Dates
Applications are accepted four times per year with deadlines at 5 PM ET on:
- February 1, 2025
- May 1, 2025
- August 1, 2025
- November 1, 2025
If a deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, it is moved to the next business day.
Funding Amount
- Annual stipend: Approximately $82,764
- Annual travel allowance: $3,000
- Typical appointment length: 2 years
- Health insurance coverage is required and partially subsidized
- Relocation assistance available for awardees moving more than 50 miles
Eligibility
- Citizenship: Open to U.S. citizens only
- Education: Applicants must have earned a Ph.D., Sc.D., M.D., D.V.M., or equivalent research doctorate before starting tenure
- Experience: Postdoctoral applicants must have held their doctorate for less than five years as of the application deadline
- Prior affiliation: Applicants with current or recent prior employment or postdoctoral fellowships at NIST may be ineligible; collaboration without continuation of the same project is generally acceptable
- Security: Some awards may require security clearance or National Agency Check
Application Process
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Identify Research Opportunity: Review the NIST Research Opportunity number 50.68.92.B1813 and contact the Research Adviser, Dr. David John Nesbitt (djn@jila.colorado.edu), to discuss your research proposal and funding availability.
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Prepare Application Materials:
- Profile information including education history and transcripts (postdocs must upload transcripts)
- Research proposal (maximum 10 pages) including:
- Statement of the problem
- Background and relevance
- Methodology
- New or unusual methods
- Expected results and significance
- Literature cited
- Previous and current research description (max 4 pages)
- List of publications and presentations (max 2 pages)
- Letters of recommendation (minimum 3, including dissertation adviser for postdocs)
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Submit Application: Apply online via the NRC RAP portal. You may apply for up to three research opportunities but only one per sponsoring federal agency.
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Review and Selection: Applications are reviewed by expert panels. Scores above 70 are recommended for awards. Final funding decisions depend on ranking and available slots.
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Notification: Applicants are notified of review results approximately 6-8 weeks after review finalization. Reviewer feedback is provided one week after review completion.
Additional Information
- Awards are onsite at NIST in Boulder, CO, within the Physical Measurement Laboratory, Quantum Physics Division.
- Applicants must maintain health insurance coverage during tenure.
- Relocation and travel allowances are provided.
- Letters of recommendation must be uploaded by letter writers via the online system by the application deadline.
- Applicants are responsible for ensuring all materials are complete and submitted on time.
- Previous NRC Research Associateship holders may apply again after a two-year gap.
External Links
Contact Information
| Contact Type | Details |
|---|
| Program Contact | rap@nas.edu |
| Phone | 202-334-2760 |
| Research Adviser | Dr. David John Nesbitt |
| Adviser Email | djn@jila.colorado.edu |
| Adviser Phone | 303-492-8857 |
| Program Address | 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 576, Washington, DC 20001 |