Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026 (With up to $83,000 in Salary)

Published: December 18, 2025
Deadline: January 11, 2026
Category: Fellowship
Oppotunity Locations: United States

Applications are currently being accepted for the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Postdoctoral Fellowship, Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.

About Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Katharine H. Putnam Fellowship in Plant Science supports scientists focused on utilizing the Arnold Arboretum’s living collections of woody plants to study any area of plant science. The Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship supports researchers that tackle any area of global change science utilizing the myriad resources of the Arnold Arboretum.

Sponsor Organisation: Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Benefits of Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Postdoctoral Fellowship

An Arboretum Postdoctoral Fellowship includes a salary of $83,000 per year, health insurance eligibility, and annual support of up to $10,000 for professional expenses including research, travel, relocation to Boston (and up to $2,500 of total budget).
Fellows are expected to be in full-time residence at the Arboretum during their 2-year tenure and are provided office and research space. Fellows can start between July 1 and the beginning of September.

Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Postdoctoral Fellowship Requirements

Applications are sought from early-career individuals with a PhD in life sciences, plant biology, evolution, plant genetics, plant ecology, horticulture, or related discipline.
Applicants must have their PhD when they initiate their term at the Arboretum.
They strongly encourage applications from groups under-represented in the sciences.
Foreign nationals are eligible to apply, but applicants are expected to be fluent in English.

Application Date and Process

There is one application for both fellowships. Applicants can apply for both fellowships at the same time or specifically for the fellowship that is the most appropriate for the proposed work. The research statement should be tailored for the specific fellowship that the applicant is applying for with either a global change focus or utilization of the Arboretum's living collection of plants. Fellowships are awarded through a competitive review process. To be considered for a fellowship, the online applications should include the following:

Cover letter. The cover letter should clearly state (i) the applicant’s interest in the program; (ii) the potential start-date; and (iii) the applicant’s contact information
Abstract. Brief description of proposed research (limit of 175 words)
Research Statement. The statement should be no longer than 4 pages, single-spaced, and should describe the research project the applicant proposes to conduct as either a Global Change Fellow or a Putnam Fellow. The statement should describe (i) the nature and scope of the proposed research project; (ii) the approach and methods to be employed; (iii) how the living collections (Putnam Fellowship) or the resources of the Arnold Arboretum (Global Change Fellowship) will be utilized; and (iv) how the proposed work will advance knowledge of the plant kingdom (Putnam Fellowship) or advance global change science (Global Change Fellowship). References should be included but do not count as part of the 4-page limit.
Research Budget. A modest level of funding is available for research and travel costs. Applicants should submit a simple, 1-page budget that includes a paragraph detailing all laboratory and equipment requirements and an itemized budget by year for research, travel, and professional costs associated with the proposed project. Travel expenses for professional conferences as well as up to $2,500 for relocation to Boston should be included in the budget. The budget should accurately reflect and justify what is required for the proposed project.
Curriculum vitae.
Three letters of recommendation. As part of the online submission, you must send a request to the referee to submit a letter of recommendation (via the request section). The referee will be automatically sent an email with a link to an online submission form where they will upload a letter of recommendation. It is highly recommended that you contact your referee prior to sending the request. Please inform the referee to expect an email from [email protected] with instructions for submitting a recommendation letter. Each referee must upload his/her letter of recommendation via the link by January 18 at 5:00 p.m.