Stengl-Wyer Scholars

Stengl-Wyer, the largest endowment in the history of the College of Natural Sciences, offers premier support for postdoctoral scientists to serve as Stengl-Wyer Scholars. Each scholar researches broadly the diversity of life and interactions between living things and their natural environments.

Recent Ph.D.s are invited to apply for distinguished postdoctoral positions to study the diversity of life and/or organisms in their natural environments at The University of Texas at Austin (UT), one of the top campuses in the country for this area of research.

Funded by the Stengl-Wyer Endowment, the Stengl-Wyer Scholars Program provides up to three years of support for talented postdoctoral researchers in the broad area of the diversity of life and/or organisms in their natural environments. Scholars may study any group of organisms at levels from genes to populations to communities to ecosystems and may use any combination of approaches. Applications that advance research within the Texas Field Station Network or UT Biodiversity Collections are highly encouraged given the Stengl-Wyer Endowment’s mission. Scholars will:

• conduct cutting-edge research over three years
• have access to the outstanding core research facilities at UT, including field stations, natural history collections, computational, imaging, and biomolecular facilities
• reside locally and have a regular workspace and presence on the main UT campus
• primarily focus on research; but in at least one of the three years, scholars should also develop educational or community engagement activities (Examples include, but are not limited to, teaching undergraduate/graduate workshops or modules, leading summer internship programs, leading outreach efforts at UT field stations, or K-12 engagement activities.)
• participate in biweekly meetings (luncheons) with other Stengl-Wyer Scholars, Fellows or guests
• receive career mentorship

Congratulations, 2025 Stengl-Wyer Scholars!

• Fabian Salgado Roa, Department of Integrative Biology, Proposal Title: Unraveling the mechanisms behind spider coloration: From environment to genes and back again
• Julia Schap, Department of Integrative Biology, Proposal Title: Of mice and men: Leveraging functional traits of small mammals across past, present, and future communities to anticipate conservation concerns

All scholarships will begin fall 2025 and are available for up to 3 years.

Download the complete list of Stengl-Wyer Scholars

2025 Competition Overview

Scholars are expected to be independent and propose their own research project. The project start date at UT should be between August 1, 2025 and September 30, 2025. Applicants should identify one or more faculty members from UT’s College of Natural Sciences (CNS) who will serve as a mentor as well as provide laboratory space to the Scholar. Scholars will be encouraged to interact broadly and collaborate with other faculty, postdocs, and graduate students at UT. 2025 Scholar recipients will receive the following:

• $70,000 annual salary plus UT benefits
• $10,000 annual allowance for research and travel expenses
• Up to $3,000 relocation expenses

Download the 2025 Stengl-Wyer Scholars Competition Request for Applications
 

Eligibility

Eligible applicants must have completed a Ph.D. or equivalent degree by the projected start date and must not have exceeded 24 months in a full-time postdoctoral position at the time of application deadline. Preference will be given to applicants not already in residence at UT. Applicants who are non-US citizens or permanent residents must be eligible for J-1 Scholar visa status; the Stengl-Wyer Scholars program cannot support H-1B visa applications. CNS encourages applications from individuals from all backgrounds with diverse viewpoints.

Application Submission Instructions

All required application components listed in the RFA should be combined and uploaded as a single pdf and submitted by the application deadline. Download the RFA for the complete list of application components, instructions for reference letters, and review criteria.

Applications must be submitted through Competition Space, UT’s online submission interface. To apply:

1. Visit https://utexas.infoready4.com/CompetitionSpace/#competitionDetail/1945461
2. Click the “Apply” button on the Competition Space page.
3. This will take you to a login screen. External applicants should create an interface account by clicking the “Register” button toward the bottom of the page. Follow the instructions to create an account. Applicants with an existing UT EID and password should log in using the “University of Texas Web Login” button.
4. You will be taken to an online application form. Complete the form and upload the required application components. Click “Submit Application” at the bottom of the page. You also have the option to save a draft and return later to submit your application.

Note: If this is your first time submitting a proposal through the proposal submission website, you will first need to affiliate yourself with the College before you can submit. To do this, log in with your EID and password, then click on the “Hello, [Name]” link at the top right of the website. This will take you to your user profile. In your user profile, under “Primary School or Department,” select “Natural Sciences, College of” and then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Save Changes button. You will now be able to apply.

Instructions For Reference Letters 

(Instructions have changed for 2025)

Reference letters are required from three individuals who have agreed to submit letters on the applicant's behalf. Referees should address an applicant’s:

• progress toward completing dissertation
• qualifications, training, and interests
• independence, ability of applicant to anticipate and mitigate challenges
• creativity, and/or novelty of the proposed project

Referees should submit reference letters directly to the Stengl-Wyer Endowment Program via email to Referen.y59k2rf720jaz6my@u.box.com which will automatically upload the letter to a confidential folder. For this reason, reference letters should be submitted as a PDF file using the following file naming convention: ApplicantLastName_ApplicantFirstName_RefereeLastName_ReferenceLetter

Reference letters must be received by the application deadline. Reference letters should remain confidential, and the applicant must not be copied on this email. Applicant is responsible for communicating submission instructions and deadlines to referees.

Timeline

Submission window opens: August 5, 2024

Submission deadline: December 9, 2024

Announcement of awardees: February 2025

Award start date: After June 1, 2025 and before September 30, 2025

Award end date: Up to three (3) years from award start date

Contact Information

STENGL-WYER SCHOLAR APPLICATION

Program questions should be directed to the Stengl-Wyer Endowment Program Directors: swe@austin.utexas.edu

Application submission interface questions should be directed to CNS Strategic Research Initiatives: CNS_SRI@austin.utexas.edu

The form and timing of Stengl-Wyer Scholars awards is subject to change in subsequent years. The content of this announcement is relevant only for the 2025 Stengl-Wyer Scholars Competition and awards.