Great Hollow Nature Preserve & Ecological Research Center is pleased to announce the opening of a two-year fellowship to support a post-doctoral scientist at our headquarters in New Fairfield, Connecticut. The Fellow will: (1) design and conduct independent research at Great Hollow and/or other appropriate study sites in the region, (2) assist with other research projects of Great Hollow’s, (3) coordinate and mentor Great Hollow’s summer interns, and (4) contribute to the general day-to-day operation of Great Hollow as a member of our small staff, including but not limited to occasional assistance with outreach, community events, and land management. The ideal candidate will be an ecologist whose research is field-based, integrative, and innovative, has a conservation application, and will complement or add to Great Hollow’s active areas of study. Candidates may work on any taxon and in any discipline that is relevant to the biodiversity and ecological communities of the northeastern U.S.  The fellowship is intended for early career scientists who have completed their PhD within the past 5 years. PhD candidates who expect to defend during the spring of 2026 and who meet all other qualifications below are also eligible to apply.

The selectee will be the third person to hold this fellowship since it was created in 2021 to increase Great Hollow’s research capacity and output. Following their time at Great Hollow, the previous two fellows moved on to a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Rhode Island and a permanent position as the Director of Bird Conservation for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island.

About Great Hollow

Founded in 2016, Great Hollow is a non-profit environmental education and research center located in New Fairfield, Connecticut, a little more than an hour north of New York City. Its 825-acre preserve is contiguous or nearly contiguous with thousands of acres of additional protected land in Connecticut and neighboring New York State. The preserve is also near Candlewood Lake, which is the largest lake in Connecticut and presents diverse opportunities for aquatic ecology. The preserve is predominantly second-growth deciduous and mixed forest, with streams, a beaver impoundment, vernal pools, and small patches of shrubland. More than 4 miles of hiking trails weave through the western half of the preserve and are open to the public year-round. The eastern half of the preserve is closed to the public, but available to staff for research.

Great Hollow conducts conservation-driven studies of biodiversity in Connecticut and beyond to better understand human impacts to the environment and provide science that can help inform management decisions and public policy. Our research spans the fields of animal ecology, ecophysiology, and ecotoxicology as they relate to the effects of invasive species, land-use change, and pollution on wildlife and habitat quality.  We take a collaborative approach to research, working closely with partners across academia, government, and other NGOs to approach questions and conservation issues of common interest. Please browse our website and annual reports to learn more.

Great Hollow also operates as a biological field station that is open to external researchers. Facilities at the preserve include staff housing, offices, a classroom, and a basic wet lab. The lab is modestly equipped with a -80°C freezer, refrigerator, fume hood, research-grade dissecting scope with digital camera, analytical balance, drying oven, autoclave, Soxhlet fat extraction apparatus, Berlese funnels, hemoglobin and hematocrit meter, water bath, microcentrifuges, hematocrit centrifuge, vortexer, variable pipettes, and basic glassware. Applicants should specify whether the research they propose conducting as the Fellow would require any specialized laboratory equipment or analytical capabilities that are not available at Great Hollow. Arrangements can often be made to use, or have samples analyzed in, the labs of other institutions with which Great Hollow collaborates or is affiliated.

Primary Responsibilities

The Fellow will be responsible for designing and leading ecological research at Great Hollow Nature Preserve and/or other appropriate sites in the region in collaboration with and under the supervision of Great Hollow’s executive director, Dr. Chad Seewagen. The Fellow will be expected to submit the work for publication within the 24-month fellowship period. Projects that have a clear application to conservation and management are preferred but not required. The Fellow will be expected to apply for extramural funding to help support their research, but their project should be designed to still be feasible if efforts to secure external funding are unsuccessful. A modest internal budget of $2,500 per year for direct research expenses will be provided if external funding is not acquired, and Great Hollow's interns will be available to the Fellow for field assistance.

Apart from their core project, the Fellow will also be responsible for supporting other research projects of Great Hollow’s, including field work, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. The Fellow will be a co-author on any publications that result from projects to which they sufficiently contribute.

The third major responsibility of the Fellow will be to help coordinate Great Hollow’s summer internship program. This includes managing the internship application and selection process, and directly mentoring up to two selected interns (who are usually undergraduates, but may sometimes include post-bac or graduate students) as they assist with the Fellow’s project and Great Hollow’s other research projects. The Fellow will be encouraged to use the interns as field assistants in their research and may hire interns with particular skillsets and experience to be most helpful to them.

Secondary Responsibilities

Great Hollow has a small staff, and everyone wears many hats. The Fellow will be expected to contribute to the general day-to-day operation of Great Hollow as a member of that small staff. Examples include occasional assistance with education and outreach programs, community events, raptor care, land management, trail maintenance, facilities maintenance, and content creation for Great Hollow’s website, social media, email newsletter, and annual report.

Timeline

The term of the fellowship is 24 months, with minor potential for extension. The start date is flexible and can be tailored to the timing of the Fellow’s anticipated field season but is preferred to be sometime during the late winter or early spring of 2026.

Qualifications

• PhD in biology, ecology, natural resources, conservation biology, or a related field, preferably earned within the past 5 years. PhD candidates who expect to defend in the spring of 2026 will also be considered if they meet all other criteria.
• Independent research experience that includes study design, field work, field crew supervision, statistical analyses, manuscript preparation and publication of results.
• Strong quantitative skills and proficiency with biological statistics, including the use of R and GIS.
• Strong scientific writing skills.
• A minimum of two first-author publications in relevant peer-reviewed journals.
• Demonstrated success securing grants or other extramural funding.
• Experience presenting at conferences.
• Experience teaching or mentoring students.
• Familiarity with northeastern U.S. flora, fauna, ecosystems, and general principles of habitat management and environmental conservation.
• English fluency and an ability to effectively communicate with other staff, interns, and members of the public both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to work well with others as part of a small team.
• ​Ability to live in smoke-free and drug-free housing with respect for others.
• U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S.
• Valid U.S. driver’s license.

Housing and Compensation

On-site housing is provided to the Fellow for free and with free utilities, collectively valued at more than $2,000 per month based on local rental prices and utility costs. The Fellow will also receive a salary of $40,000-45,000 per year DOE, full reimbursement for personal enrollment in the ConnectiCare health insurance program, and a year-end, performance-based bonus. The housing includes a private bedroom with a queen bed in our staff house at Great Hollow. Up to three seasonal staff members/interns may also temporarily stay in the house from late May through July each year; the remainder of the year, the Fellow will have the house to themselves. The house is a fully furnished farmhouse with two bedrooms, a loft with two twin beds, fully equipped kitchen, living room, dining room, den, and 1.5 bathrooms. A free washer and dryer are available on-site. The housing is not suitable for families with children, and minors are not allowed to stay in the house under our insurance policy. Pets are allowed under most circumstances but need to be approved in advance by the executive director. Great Hollow is somewhat isolated, with no public transportation service or amenities within walking distance, so applicants are strongly encouraged to have their own vehicle.