2015 Byrd Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Interviews of Past Byrd Fellows

As part of our 50th Anniversary Celebration
August 2010

January 6, 2015: BPCRC Announces the 2015 Byrd Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center (BPCRC) of The Ohio State University announces the 2015 Byrd Fellowship Program for Postdoctoral Researchers. This program was established through a major gift from the Byrd Foundation in memory of Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd and Marie Ames Byrd, his wife. This program provides fellowships at The Ohio State University for postdoctoral researchers with superior academic backgrounds who are pursuing advanced research on topics relevant to polar and alpine environments as well as global climate change. Postdoctoral fellows must have received their Ph.D. within five years of selection. Except for fieldwork and other fellowship related research activities that require absence from campus, Byrd Fellows are expected to be in residence at the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center during the tenure of their fellowship.

Applicants should visit the BPCRC website and contact specific members of the Byrd Center prior to submitting their application to discuss possible projects and how their proposed research might complement existing BPCRC programs which cover a wide range of disciplines. This fellowship is limited to research of mutual interest to both the fellow and his/her Byrd Center mentor. Postdoctoral awards will be for one and a half years. A stipend of up to $42,000.00 per year, and a research and travel allowance of $5,000 will be provided.

Applications should be sent to the Byrd Fellowship Committee and must be received no later than Friday, March 13, 2015. Each application must include a statement of general research interests, a description (fewer than 5 pages) of the specific research program to be conducted during the term of the fellowship, curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference. In addition, a letter of support from the BPCRC mentor is required. Reference letters and the letter of support from the BPCRC mentor should be requested by the applicant but sent directly to BPCRC. Fellowship appointments may start on the first day of any month between August 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015.

Applications should be addressed to:

2015 Byrd Fellowship Committee
c/o Dr. Ellen Mosley-Thompson
Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center
The Ohio State University
1090 Carmack Rd
Columbus, OH 43210-1002
thompson.4@osu.edu

The Ohio State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Qualified women, minorities, Vietnam-era Veterans, disabled Veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Successful completion of a background check is required for all final candidates.

History of the Program

Our 2013 Byrd Fellows are:

  • Dr. Emilie Beaudon was formerly at the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland in Finland. She joined our Ice Core Paleoclimatology Group in October 2013.
  • Dr. Kirstin Werner was formerly at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (Germany). She joined our Paleoceanography Group in September 2013.

List of Past Byrd Fellows

In 1985, the Institute of Polar Studies, with the support of The Ohio State University Administration, submitted a proposal to the Estate of Marie Ames Byrd, the widow of Admiral Richard E. Byrd, to obtain the expeditionary records, personal papers and memorabilia of the Admiral. The proposal was successful and The Ohio State University purchased the collection. Several donations and purchases of Byrd material followed, including unbound scrapbooks of newspaper clippings, photo albums and several medals, private letters and motion pictures. In 1990, the last batch of Byrd material was picked up in Boston and delivered to OSU.

Much credit should be given to Peter J. Anderson, then the assistant director of the Institute, for the acquisition of these collections. Mr. Anderson is a Byrd historian and polar history scholar. The executor of the estate initially contacted Mr. Anderson to inquire about the Institute's interest in acquiring the Byrd collection when it became available for purchase. Mr. Anderson and Dr. David H. Elliot, then the director of the Institute, crafted the proposal that was submitted to the estate of Admiral Byrd's widow.

Following the University's purchase of the Byrd collection in 1985, the Byrd Foundation was formally being dissolved. The Byrd family agreed to donate the monetary assets of the Foundation to the Institute for the establishment of an endowment: The Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn and Marie Ames Byrd Fund, known as the Byrd Fellowship Program. This fund was officially approved by the University's Board of Trustees on December 6, 1985. The purpose of the program is to provide fellowships at The Ohio State University to men and women of superior academic backgrounds who are pursuing advanced research on topics relevant to the Polar Regions and/or polar and alpine environments. Postdoctoral fellows must have received their Ph.D. degree within five years of selection. Except for fieldwork or other research activities requiring absence from campus, Byrd Fellows are expected to be in residence at The Ohio State University during the tenure of their fellowship.

On January 21, 1987, the name of the Institute was officially changed to the Byrd Polar Research Center, as a permanent tribute to the explorer.