Postdoctoral Associate - Center for Climate and Environmental Health

Position Summary:

The Center for Climate and Environmental Health (CCEH) at Rice University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the field of Climate Change, Environment, and Health. This mentored fellowship provides advanced research training and professional development in preparation for independent academic, research, or industry careers.

This program operates in association with FORECAST—an interdisciplinary project with Baylor College of Medicine and UT Health funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Foundation that investigates how climate change alters human-environment interactions and impacts community health. The call is open to anyone working on issues related to climate and environmental health across disciplines. Through interdisciplinary teams of faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students, CCEH aims to build new research, education, and communication initiatives that are collaborative and multidisciplinary. Applicants whose research, teaching, and/or outreach align with CCEH research areas are encouraged to apply. Priority areas include: 

• Climate & Environmental Impact Science
• Environmental Epidemiology
• Environmental Storytelling & Communication
• Climate & Health Education and Pedagogy
• Sociological & Cultural Impact Assessments
• Community Health Monitoring

Workplace Requirements:

On campus position: This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person in Houston, Texas. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

This position is funded by a grant, soft and/or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of funding.

Training & Appointment Terms:

• On-campus Residency: The fellow will pursue mentored research training in-person at Rice University in Houston, Texas.
• Stipend Support: The fellow will receive a stipend consistent with institutional guidelines for postdoctoral training appointments.
• Non-Employee Appointment: This fellowship is a stipend-supported training appointment and does not constitute employment with the institution. Fellows are not eligible for employee benefits. However, fellows may elect to purchase health insurance coverage at the same rates offered to employees, subject to institutional policy and eligibility requirements.
• Funding: This fellowship is supported by external training funds (Burroughs Wellcome Foundation / FORECAST project). Continuation of the appointment is contingent upon satisfactory training progress and the availability of funds.

Essential Functions / Core Fellowship Activities:

• Develops and executes an individualized research training plan in the area of climate and environmental health in collaboration with the CCEH faculty mentor(s).
• Conducts independent scholarly research focusing on how climate or environmental shifts impact human health, societal structures, or public health literacy as part of advanced postdoctoral training.
• Engages in interdisciplinary collaboration across faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students to build new research, education, and communication initiatives.
• Collects, analyzes, and interprets research data to build expertise in advanced methodologies.
• Participates in grant-writing workshops and may develop proposals as part of professional training.
• Receives mentored experience in supervising or advising junior trainees (graduate and undergraduate students).
• Prepares and submits manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals and presents research findings at scientific meetings.
• Receives training in research design, experimental methods, and emerging technologies relevant to the field.
• Participates in seminars, workshops, and other academic activities that enhance professional growth.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements and Skills: 

• Ph.D. (or terminal degree) in any relevant field across the natural sciences and engineering, humanities, social sciences, arts, architecture, public health, or computational sciences (must be conferred prior to the start of the fellowship).
• Demonstrated research and/or teaching focus on how climate or environmental shifts impact human health, societal structures, or public health literacy.
• Strong collaborative agility and a commitment to working alongside scholars from disparate fields (e.g., partnering medical virologists with writers and artists).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as oral presentation skills for the dissemination of scholarly work.
• Strong organizational and time management skills to balance independent research goals.
• Advanced knowledge of modern research methods, data collection, and analytical techniques relevant to the discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to draft scholarly papers for submission to high-impact journals.
• Ability to flourish in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.
• Self-motivated with the ability to pursue research objectives independently under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Alignment with one or more CCEH target research areas: Climate & Environmental Impact Science, Environmental Epidemiology, Environmental Storytelling & Communication, Climate & Health Education and Pedagogy, Sociological & Cultural Impact Assessments, or Community Health Monitoring.
• Leadership, research, teaching, and outreach experience focused on interdisciplinary climate-health problems.

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Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at [email protected] for support. 

If you have any additional questions, please email us at [email protected].