Apply for a BU Microbiome Initiative Postdoctoral Fellowship

Relevant research topics include Microbial ecology theory, Soil microbiome, Marine microbiome, Systems biology of microbial communities

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis.

About the Fellowship


The Boston University (BU) Microbiome Initiative (http://sites.bu.edu/microbiome/) is soliciting applications for the BU Microbiome Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for 2021/2022 appointments. The objective of the Microbiome Fellowship Program is to train the next generation of leaders in quantitative microbiome research through interdisciplinary training. In particular, we are interested in Fellows from all disciplines who utilize experimental, theoretical, or computational approaches to tackle applied and fundamental questions about microbial communities.

The BU Microbiome Fellowship Program focuses on observing, understanding, modeling, and predicting microbial community composition and function - this includes the dynamics of microbial communities in the human and/or Earth microbiomes, as well as the study of the underlying physical, biological, and/or ecological mechanisms of those dynamics. Microbiome Fellows will join a vibrant and interactive community of researchers from the Biological Design Center, the Bioinformatics Program, and multiple BU Departments in order to conduct field-defining research in this area.

A major goal of this fellowship is to establish new collaborations that cross disciplinary boundaries. Therefore, Microbiome Fellows are expected to establish their own research projects through the joint mentorship of two or more of the BU Microbiome Initiative Faculty Members (http://sites.bu.edu/microbiome/teams/), while also taking a leadership role within the BU Microbiome Initiative. We envisage that these postdoctoral fellows will be highly competitive on the microbiome job market and become leaders in the field.

The postdoctoral research fellows will be based in Boston, Massachusetts and join core founding research groups in the BU Microbiome Initiative. The position has considerable technical support for bioinformatics, computational biology, and data management.


Qualification Requirements

At the time of appointment, the candidate must hold a Ph.D. in biology, physics, computer science, ecology, or a related field and have strong interest in using quantitative methods to understand the microbiome.

Additional Information

Initial appointment will be for one year, after which you will have the opportunity to compete for an additional year of funding. BU offers competitive salary and excellent benefits for its community of postdoctoral researchers. For more information on the benefits available to postdoctoral associates at BU, visit https://www.bu.edu/postdocs/.

BU is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.


How to apply

Below are guidelines on how to contact professors via e-mail.


1. Locate current research projects and contact information for professors in the Microbiome Initiative.

2. Compose an e-mail to the faculty member/s you are interested in working with that includes the following:

a. Your research interests and how they align with the research of the faculty member (1-2 sentences).

b. Your previous research experience (2-3 sentences).

c. A new idea you might like to pursue while working with the lab you are contacting. This research idea should be consistent with the lab’s current research capabilities and demonstrate some degree of familiarity with the field (2-3 sentences).

d. Responses should be as text in e-mail, not as an attachment. However, please attach your resume/curriculum vitae to your e-mail.