The UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science invites applications for its 2025
Postdoctoral Fellowship in California Conservation Science. We seek to hire one or more
postdoctoral scholars who conduct innovative biological research at the interface of applied and
basic science. Our long-term goal is to help fund a cadre of innovative young scientists who will
work closely with UCLA faculty, help broaden the mission of conservation science for the
campus, and lead to long-term collaborations between our academic scientists and applied
conservation practitioners that will direct and lead California conservation efforts.
Candidates may work in any discipline that provides the scientific underpinnings for the
preservation, protection, management, or restoration of at-risk species, environments, or
ecological communities in California. Current and past La Kretz Postdocs have worked on a
wide variety of research topics, ranging from urban biodiversity and evolutionary adaptation, to
wildfire management and conservation, to the interface of conservation and animal behavior; we
are open to work in any California ecosystem or group of organisms, as long as the research is
innovative, creative, and has clear practical significance. An important initiative, the California
Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP), is a large, multi-campus initiative led by the La Kretz
Center that is delivering genomic resources to California decision-makers to enhance species and
habitat management, and candidates may seek to build off of that project in the realm of
conservation genomics. Click here for a full description of past fellows and their work.
Fellows must have both an on-campus UCLA mentor, and an off-campus, non-university mentor.
The on-campus UCLA mentor must also be a La Kretz Center affiliate. Click here to see a list of applicable
affiliates.
The Fellow is expected to work closely with their identified UCLA mentor and one or more
off-campus agency partner(s) in developing their project. All applications should include a letter
(which may be brief) from each mentor stating their support for the project, what they can
contribute to it, and how it fits into their work in conservation biology. Applications that do not
include these letters of support will be considered incomplete and ineligible for consideration,
and we strongly advise candidates to secure mentor support as early as possible. While we
encourage project proponents to identify co-funding, from mentors or other agencies,co-funding
is not a requirement. Off-campus mentors may be drawn from any California agency or NGO,
including federal and state groups. A partial list of some of our active partners and contact
people includes:
- The Nature Conservancy: Sophie Parker (restoration; urban conservation; invasive species)
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Jann Vendetti (mollusk ecology and evolution; species natural history)
- US Geological Survey: Robert Fisher (applied conservation; biodiversity; ecology and evolution)
- US Bureau of Land Management: Mike Westphal (applied conservation, climate change)
- US Fish and Wildlife Service: Cat Darst (endangered species management)
- Natural Communities Coalition: James Sulentich/Danny L. Fry (protection/recovery of sensitive species)
- National Park Service: Katy Delaney (amphibian and avian ecology, evolution, and conservation)
- National Park Service: Seth Riley (mammalian ecology, evolution, and conservation)
- Department of Defense: Robert Lovich (conservation on Dept. of Defense lands)
The La Kretz Fellowship is for two years, subject to review after the first year. The target start
date is September 2025, but this date is quite flexible. The position offers a competitive salary,
full benefits, and a research/travel allowance of $7500. Candidates who have recently completed
their Ph.D. or will have completed it before their start date are encouraged to apply.
To apply, please send applications to lakretz@ioes.ucla.edu as a single PDF file that includes:
(i) Cover Letter: Briefly introducing yourself and your project.
(ii) CV: Composed of your work and accomplishments.
(iii) Research and Management Accomplishments Statement (maximum one page).
(iv) Project Proposal: Lays out, in some detail, your project (e.g., motivation, methods,
expected outcomes/results), why this work is important to academic and applied audiences, and
how it integrates with the research of your mentors (maximum three pages, including figures and
references).
(v) Letters of Support: A brief letter from your on-campus UCLA mentor AND your
off-campus agency/NGO mentor.
(vi) Two of Your Relevant Publications.
In addition, have:
(vii) Two Letters of Reference: One letter must be from your Ph.D. advisor. Note, reference
letters are in addition to the letters of support from your proposed mentors. Please arrange to
have reference letters emailed to lakretz@ioes.ucla.edu with the subject line “La Kretz Postdoc
letter for (your last name)”.
The deadline for completed applications is November 25th, 2024 at 12pm (PST). .
Please email all questions to Brad Shaffer, Director of the La Kretz Center, at
brad.shaffer@ucla.edu.