Post Doctoral Research Fellow Ecologist, (Terrestrial Laser Scanning)

Post Doctoral Research Fellow Ecologist, (Terrestrial Laser Scanning) IS-0408-9

Application Deadline: 30 October 2026

Department: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Washington, DC

Compensation: $61,722 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: October 1, 2026

CLOSING DATE: October 30, 2026 (This vacancy will be closed at 100 applications, which might happen prior to the proposed closing date)

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary, 2 years with possibility of extension, contingent on funding availability.

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee

Position sensitivity and risk:

Non-Sensitive/Low Risk

Who May Apply:

Open to all qualified applicants

What are Trust Fund Positions?

Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
• Complete a Probationary Period.
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
• Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

OVERVIEW

The GEO-TREES initiative in partnership with the Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) invites applications for a postdoctoral position in tropical forest terrestrial laser scanning for the estimation of tropical forest carbon stocks.

GEO-TREES is an ambitious world-wide initiative – the world's first ground-based, standardized reference system to transparently and independently ensure that satellite observations accurately represent real forest carbon stocks, in all forest types and conditions, today and into the future. This unprecedented multi-network collaboration will use innovative technology, partnerships and training, broad sampling, as well as long-term commitment and fair funding for field partners to establish 100 core sites and 200 supplementary sites around the globe to measure and monitor forest biomass stocks. It will deliver these data in a powerful portal—openly accessible to the public, to the science and corporate communities, and to space agencies driving critical advances in satellite technology.

High-quality, above-ground biomass reference data collected by the GEO-TREES initiative will involve three sets of co-located measurements at all core sites: forest inventory data, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and airborne laser scanning. These standardized measurements share a common requirement for high-quality data acquisition, transparent measurement protocols, and a long-term monitoring strategy. The integration of these three sets of measurements provides the greatest reduction in uncertainty associated with biomass measurements.

This postdoctoral position will focus on the collection and analysis of TLS data, and will involve field data collection, data processing, management and analysis, and the development of research papers based on the work. Importantly, the postdoc will be responsible for coordinating efforts of different TLS teams to ensure consistent, accurate and comparable data acquisition and use across different sites and campaigns. The postdoc will also be involved in training and capacity-sharing with GEO-TREES partners and associated students in TLS-based research.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Initiates, develops, and participates in research and fieldwork in area of specialization. Research consists of systematically planned, original studies based on fieldwork in specialty area and other institutional and private collections worldwide, and synthesizing information from the literature.
• Designs and conducts field sampling to measure such variables as forest structure, species composition and abundance, population size structure, above-ground biomass, canopy height, and stand volume of forest communities within the incumbent’s area of expertise.
• Analyzes data derived from field surveys using computers with statistical and graphics software applying appropriate statistical tests and data reduction methods. Writes reports and publishable scientific papers, and gives oral presentations on the results of the sampling and experiments. Publishes scholarly reports of descriptive and/or theoretical nature based on the above. Publications are contributions to physical and biological fields of science.
• Serves as a consultant and advisor on professional matters in their area of expertise to colleagues,
• Federal agencies, institutions, organizations, and the general public. Assists with guidance and training of students and technicians working on one or more research projects. May train staff members, interns, fellows, students, and visiting scholars in the theory and practical use of this specialized equipment as appropriate. Advises researchers in the interpretation of the obtained data and ensures safe and responsible work practices with such equipment.
• Assists in preparation and submission of grant proposals. Reviews research proposals, manuscripts, and publications as requested by scientific colleagues and outside institutions.
• Lectures to professional associations and other organizations. Participates in training workshops to support research and capacity building for network partners. Attends and participates in national and international scientific conferences, seminars, and societies (international travel will be required).
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

• PhD in forest ecology, forestry, remote sensing, environmental science, or a related field.
• Strong expertise in forest ecology, forestry, ecosystem ecology, remote sensing, statistics, and climate change, with the ability to conduct independent research on above-ground biomass in tropical forests.
• Advanced knowledge of scientific research methods, including study design, field data collection, data management and cleaning, statistical analysis, interpretation of results, and scientific writing.
• Experience working with tree inventory, airborne laser scanning (ALS), and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data, particularly TLS data for tree-level analysis.
• Experience conducting original research, analyzing data, publishing scientific papers, and communicating complex scientific findings clearly in written and oral formats.
• Experience collaborating with scientists, students, field teams, research institutions, and other partners on interdisciplinary research projects, including data collection, analysis, and publications.
• Experience training and mentoring staff, students, and research partners in research methods, data collection and analysis, hypothesis development, and scientific writing.
• Experience participating in workshops, training, and knowledge-sharing activities, particularly related to TLS research and capacity building.
• Experience coordinating multiple TLS teams and research sites to ensure data are collected consistently, accurately, and are comparable across locations and research campaigns.
• Experience building and maintaining collaborative relationships and partnerships with national and international researchers.

The position is located in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, United States of America. The purpose of this position is for a postdoctoral researcher to conceive, plan and conduct highly specialized research in incumbent’s area of specialization. The incumbent will be expected to perform scholarly research and participate in making contributions to the field of forest ecology.

Review of applications will begin October 30, 2026 and continue until the position is filled.

SI is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage all qualified applicants of all races, color, religions, ethnicities, gender identity, sexual orientations, sex, ages, abilities, national origin, disability, protected veteran status and backgrounds to apply for all jobs at SI. We maintain a fair and respectful recruitment process for all candidates. If you require accommodations during any phase of the application or interview process, please let us know, and we will be happy to assist.

For more information on the position please contact Stuart Davies (View email address on click.appcast.io) or KC Cushman (View email address on click.appcast.io). For more information on STRI, please see our websites: and

Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

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Relocation expenses are not paid.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact View email address on click.appcast.io . Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures.

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