BES Facebook pageBES POST Fellowship
*Now Open for Applications*
The British Ecological Society sponsors a Fellowship at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) for 2nd or 3rd year PhD students in ecology.
The deadline for applications is the 5th of April 2012.
You can find out more about the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, and the work of previous BES POST Fellows, through the Public Policy section of the BES website.
BES POST Fellowship
During his/her time at parliament, the BES POST fellow will work on a policy topic grounded in science and technology and will be expected to produce a POSTnote, contribute to a longer report, or assist a select committee of either House in a current inquiry.
The topic of the Fellowship will be determined in liaison between the Fellow and POST, depending on the research interests of the Fellow and the relevance and timeliness of the topic in Parliament.* Because of the nature of the parliamentary timetable, applicants should be aware that, on actually joining POST, the Fellow may be expected to work on something other than his/her originally-proposed topic. There may also be opportunity for the Fellow to organise a seminar to inform or disseminate their work.
Eligibility
Eligibility is restricted to postgraduate students registered in an ecology PhD in a UK university who are engaged in their second or third year of full-time study or part-time equivalent at the time of application.
Funding Arrangements
The successful applicant will receive a £5,000 award to cover his/her living costs while undertaking the three-month fellowship at the Houses of Parliament, London. While a Fellow is based at POST, computing, email and other facilities necessary for the project will be supplied by POST.
Start date
The start date will be in mid September or thereafter. This is to be agreed between the applicant, POST, the applicant's supervisor and University.
Restrictions
Candidates will have to receive parliamentary security clearance before they can receive the BES POST Fellowship. POST is a strictly non-partisan organisation. Fellows will be expected to abstain from any party political activity and generally to uphold the principles of parliamentary service, including a commitment to confidentiality, during their time with the Office.
Applying
To apply, please submit:
- A completed Post Fellowship Application Form, which has been approved by your Head of Department or principal supervisor.
- A 2-page summary of a proposed topic for a POST publication. This summary should demonstrate:
- Why you think this project would be of particular parliamentary interest
- How the training you have received and your research to date will enable you to carry out this work
- Your ability to write in a style suitable for a parliamentary (rather than academic) audience.
- A BES Ethnic and Gender monitoring form
The final application and monitoring form should be sent by post to:
Attn: BES POST Fellowship Application
British Ecological Society, Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger Street, London Wc1N 2JU.
Please note, late applications will not be accepted. A panel consisting of BES and POST personnel will assess the applications.
Interviews
Interviews will be held in London on Monday 23rd April 2012.
Queries
Any queries relating to the application process should be directed to Ceri Margerison at the BES on 0207 6852500.
Dr Jonathan Wentworth from POST is available on 020 7219 2161 to discuss any general aspects of the scheme.
Please note neither the BES nor POST can advise on the strength or weaknesses of individual proposals.
