The Field Museum is a not-for-profit organization located on the Museum Campus of Chicago. Since the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, we have conducted research across all seven continents and accumulated a collection of over 40 million specimens and artifacts.

The Grainger Bioinformatics Center at the Field Museum invites proposals for a 2-year postdoctoral research position in biodiversity data science. The successful applicant will conduct original research on the analysis or acquisition of digitized specimen data for biogeographical studies. We are especially interested in projects involving big data, machine learning, and/or crowdsourcing, innovative methods of capturing data from specimen labels and phenotypes, and questions on the ecology and evolution of species, clades, or biotas.

Applicants are encouraged to contact Richard Ree rree@fieldmuseum.org in advance to discuss project ideas. Applications will be evaluated by the Grainger Bioinformatics Center steering committee based on the candidate’s qualifications and the strength of their research proposal.

Application Requirements:

Applicants must have completed a PhD before the start of the term

Applications should include the following:

• Research proposal, written for a general scientific audience, as a PDF document no longer than four letter-sized pages with 12-point font for all text (including figure captions and tables) and one-inch margin on all sides. A bibliographic reference list is required but does not count toward the page limit.
• A budget for research expenses, including travel, not exceeding $10,000 per year.
• CV, including a list of publications and contact information for three references.
• PDFs of two peer-reviewed publications.

To apply, please complete the Hireology application form and send your application materials to rree@fieldmuseum.org.

Contact Us

For more information about this fellowship, or questions about your application, Email Richard Ree rree@fieldmuseum.org.

Important Note: In order to protect the health and safety of our employees, guests and their families, the Field Museum is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Requests for exemptions from the vaccine will not be considered as given the nature of this position, we are unable to provide an accommodation for anyone who has not been vaccinated.

The Field Museum is an equal opportunity workplace and employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, Veteran status, or any other protected class. We strive to create a working environment that is free of all forms of discrimination and one that promotes human dignity and mutual respect among all staff. We believe every member of our organization enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, to identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions.