Climate and Global Change Call for Applicants

The UCAR Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) is pleased to announce that the Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is seeking applications for the 2026 appointments. The Fellowship program has an outstanding reputation for attracting the best and brightest PhDs in the sciences and for training future leaders in Climate and Global Change Science. The C&GC Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is seeking applications from across the full breadth of disciplines contributing to Climate and Global Change Science. 

Innovative research within and across disciplines spanning the spectrum of physical, social, and integrated sciences is needed to better understand, predict, plan for, and manage the Earth System and its interactions in a changing climate, as well as how communities experience and are affected by these changes, and how society will pursue low-carbon pathways for a secure and sustainable future. Each appointed Fellow is hosted by a mentoring scientist at a U.S. University, Research Institution, or Federal Agency to work in an innovative climate-related research area of mutual interest, advancing the fundamental science and our understanding of climate-related issues.

Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellows focus on advancing Climate and Global Change Science. This includes research that advances our understanding of the Earth system (e.g., climate, freshwater, ocean, carbon and other biogeochemical cycles), energy, and decarbonization processes. Examples include but are not limited to: observing, understanding, modeling, and predicting climate variability, change, and impacts on seasonal and longer time scales; documenting and analyzing past, current, or possible future climate variability and change; enhancing Earth system model development through improved process representation, novel observational constraints, innovative data assimilation and statistical methods, systematic calibration, evaluation and uncertainty characterization; advancing data assimilation of both atmospheric and terrestrial freshwater processes in order to inform and improve human use of freshwater consumption with high fidelity within global Earth system models and data products; studying the underlying Earth Systems processes, including physical-, chemical-, biological-, biogeochemical-, and coupled human-Earth systems processes, and/or their interactions. In this context, coupled human-Earth system dynamics encompass the mechanisms by which biogeophysical feedbacks and extreme events constrain decarbonization trajectories, institutional decision-making frameworks, and pathways toward climate-resilient, sustainable, and equitable societies. Applications may focus on one discipline or be interdisciplinary, integrating across disciplines.

  • Preference is given to new graduates who are seeking their first postdoctoral position.
  • Candidates must hold a PhD for no more than three years.

Awardees must change institutions, in the absence of compelling circumstances, and identify a host at a U.S. institution. A clearly articulated research proposal is particularly important. A steering committee, broadly representing the areas covered by this program, makes recommendations to CPAESS for appointments. The selection criteria used by the steering committee in making the awards may be found at Selection Criteria & Program Policies.

Deadline for submissions: 

Applications will open on July 21, 2026 and the deadline is 11:59 p.m. MT, October 16, 2026. Applications will not be accepted past this date.
 

How Postdoctorates Apply

Please go to our How Postdoctorates Apply page for details on how to apply for the 2026 Class. (Advanced contact with a potential host is required.)

How Hosting Institutions Apply

Potential host scientists are required to submit a letter of intent, curriculum vitae, mentoring plan, and a list of current and pending research support as part of the selection process. Hosts are expected to mentor the fellow, provide a reasonable office environment, a computer workstation, and any other unique research costs.

CPAESS manages this program. Appointed fellows become UCAR employees and receive a fixed annual salary plus UCAR’s employment benefits (health, vision, and dental insurance, paid time off, paid holidays, TIAA retirement fund, and life insurance). A lump sum relocation allowance and an allowance for travel and publications during the appointment are provided. 

Appointed fellows are expected to attend and participate in a biennial Summer Institute and monthly seminars to share the results of their diverse research, develop a sense of community, and discuss the future directions of climate science. Fellows are also invited to attend a lunch gathering at the annual AGU meetings.

C&GC Question and Answer Session

We will be scheduling a Question and Answer session in the August | September timeframe to answer any application questions people may have. Information on this will be posted here. 

For further information, please contact Cindy Brueyère (bruyerec@ucar.edu).