Washington Research Foundation opens application for WRF Postdoctoral Fellowships

Up to 12 three-year fellowships will be awarded to support early-career scientists working on projects with high potential for real-world impact

SEATTLE, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Research Foundation (WRF) is currently accepting applications for up to 12 three-year WRF Postdoctoral Fellowships at nonprofit research institutions in Washington state. Fellowships will begin in 2026 and support early-career scientists in carrying out projects with high potential for real-world impact in natural sciences and related engineering fields.

WRF has awarded 90 fellowships since starting the program in 2018, with Fellows receiving salary, benefits and expenses support while conducting research projects of their own design. Fellows participate in networking and professional development events, along with an annual symposium at which they present their work and learn from their WRF-funded peers.

The Foundation's ultimate goal for the program is for the Fellows' research to benefit the public through enabling innovative discoveries that eventually lead to the creation of new products, services or practices.

Clarisse Benson, WRF's manager of student and postdoctoral programs, said, "As funding for early-career scientists becomes increasingly difficult to secure, the WRF Postdoctoral Fellowships play a crucial role in supporting bold, independent research here in Washington state. We're proud to invest in emerging scientists whose ideas have the potential to create real, lasting impact."

Melanie Anderson began her WRF Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Washington in 2023. In Professor Jeff Riffell's lab in the Department of Biology, Anderson is developing biological sensors from Manduca sexta hawkmoth antennae that integrate with robotic platforms such as drones. The technology has enormous potential for situations that are inaccessible or hazardous to humans, including search and rescue missions and detection of toxic chemicals.

"The WRF Postdoctoral Fellowship has been instrumental in advancing my translational research, helping bring innovative biohybrid technologies from the lab closer to real-world application. I'm deeply grateful to the WRF staff and community for their unwavering support throughout my research journey," Anderson said.

Holders of a doctorate in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) field are eligible to apply, as are Ph.D. candidates who will complete their program in time to begin the fellowship on January, April, July or October 1, 2026.

Applications and letters of recommendation are due by June 26, 2025. Fellows will be chosen by a national selection committee from academia and industry with diverse backgrounds and expertise across multiple scientific fields.

Further details on eligibility and the application process are available at https://www.wrfseattle.org/grants/wrf-postdoctoral-fellowships/.

About Washington Research Foundation:

Washington Research Foundation (WRF) supports research and scholarship in Washington state, with a focus on life sciences and enabling technologies.

WRF was founded in 1981 to assist universities and other nonprofit research institutions in Washington with the commercialization and licensing of their technologies. WRF became one of the foremost technology transfer organizations in the nation, earning more than $445 million in licensing revenue for the University of Washington. To date, WRF has provided over $170 million in grants to the state's research institutions.

WRF Capital, the investment vehicle for Washington Research Foundation, has backed 132 local startups since 1996. Returns support the Foundation's grantmaking and investment programs.

For additional information, please visit wrfseattle.org.

Media contact:

Dale Wadman
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (206) 336-5600

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SOURCE WASHINGTON RESEARCH FOUNDATION