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The ARL Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships will provide the opportunity for recipients to pursue independent research of their own choosing that supports the mission of ARL. The Fellow benefits by having this opportunity and by working alongside some of the Nation's best scientists and engineers. ARL benefits by the expected transfer of new science and technology that enhances the capabilities of the U.S. Army and the warfighter in times of both peace and war.

For more than 50 years, the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) (http://www.arl.army.mil/www/default.cfm) has conducted the great majority of the Army's basic science programs. Among their many successes, ARL civilian employees helped develop the proximity fuze, worked to develop ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, the first operational, general purpose, electronic digital computer), grew some of the first synthetic large quartz crystals, and developed the titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V. Currently, ARL scientists and engineers are pioneering research in such areas as neuroscience, energetic materials and propulsion, electronics technologies, network sciences, virtual interfaces, and synthetic environments and autonomous systems. They are leaders in modeling and simulation, and have high performance computing resources on-site. They are expanding into frontier areas, such as quantum information and quantum networks. In recognition of these outstanding achievements in research, ARL has established six named fellowships (read more):
  • Harry Diamond Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship 
  • George F. Adams Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Robert J. Eichelberger Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship 
  • ENIAC Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Brad E. Forch Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Betty Snyder Holberton Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship
It is anticipated that up to two awards will be made for the 2023 competition.


Fellowships 

The Army Research Laboratory invites exceptional early career researchers to participate in this excitement as ARL Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows. These Fellows must display extraordinary ability in scientific research and show clear promise of becoming outstanding leaders. Candidates are expected to have already successfully tackled a major scientific or engineering problem during their thesis work or to have provided a new approach or insight, evidenced by a recognized impact in their field. 

The deadline for application submissions to the 2023 ARL Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships is July 13, 2023, at 5 PM Eastern Time. For additional information, see the review process and selection timeline below.


Eligibility criteria
  • By October 1, 2023, applicants must have completed all the requirements for a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree in the physical sciences, life sciences, computational sciences, behavioral sciences, or engineering. Applicants who intend to defend their dissertation after October 1, 2023 are not eligible.
  • As of the application deadline, applicants may not be more than five years beyond the award date of their Ph.D. or Sc.D.
  • There are no citizenship requirements; however, selected fellows must successfully complete a Department of Defense clearance process, requiring a background security investigation. Foreign nationals must get further DoD approval, requiring a background investigation. If needed, J-1 research scholar visas may be sponsored for fellows; this will be determined on a case-by-case basis at the time of the award.
  • Applicants must demonstrate exceptional qualifications with respect to academic and scholarly achievement, as evidenced by research and publication.
  • Candidates are expected to have conducted research on a major scientific or engineering problem during their thesis work or have provided a new approach or insight evidenced by a recognized impact in their field.

Fellowship benefits
  • Stipend: $115,000/year
  • Health insurance
  • Paid relocation
  • Professional travel allowance

Fellowship terms
  • Awards are contingent upon the successful completion of a background security investigation.
  • One-year appointments are renewable for up to three years based on performance.
  • Fellowship appointments require a full-time commitment to the research program at ARL, and Fellows must be in residence at ARL (i.e. conduct their research on site) during the entire period of the appointment. In some cases, ARL may provide for temporary location at another facility (e.g. another federal facility or a facility ARL is working with under the Open Campus effort) to meet the specific needs of the research program.
  • Fellows will be required to submit annual progress reports and a final report at the end of the appointment. These reports include an abstract of the research conducted and copies of publications resulting from it. If future papers are published as a result of research performed at ARL, copies must be provided to ARL.
  • Fellows will be required to sign and abide by an appointment letter and an ARL IP agreement concerning discoveries, inventions, data, copyrights, and a disclaimer of liability.

Application materials

Click here for instructions regarding the content and format of application materials and how to apply online.
  • Curriculum vitae (maximum 10 pages)
  • Statement of previous research, describing research accomplishments and impact (maximum 4 pages)
  • Proposal describing research that will be conducted at ARL articulating the rationale-approach and expected needs (maximum 10 pages)
  • Ph.D. or Sc.D. transcript 
  • Letters of recommendation from four references
Finalists will be asked to present a seminar at the Army Research Laboratory.


Review process and selection timeline

April 17, 2023 - Application opens
July 13, 2023 - Application deadline (5 PM Eastern Time)
Mid-July to late August - Review of applications
Late August - Applicants notified of status
Late August to early September - Review of finalist applications by ARL
September/October - Subset of finalists invited to give seminars at ARL
November - Awardees announced
Early 2024 - Fellow start date

 
Contact

If you have questions about the ARL Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships application, please contact ARLDPF@nas.edu or 202-334-3478. For browser compatibility questions, please see this webpage.

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