February 27, 2023

National Park Service: Joshua A. Nickerson Conservation Fellowship

Offered in partnership between Cape Cod National Seashore – Atlantic Research and Learning Center, and Friends of Cape Cod National Seashore

Full Announcement and Cover Sheet

Important DatesThe deadline for fellowship applications is March 24, 2023. Late proposals will not be considered. Awards will be announced as soon as possible (hopefully by the end of April).

Direct questions to the Cape Cod National Seashore Chief of NRMS, Geoffrey Sanders, geoffrey_sanders@nps.gov.

Background

Scientific research is an important tool used by the National Park Service (NPS) to protect and foster stewardship of the park’s natural and cultural resources. The goal of the Nickerson Conservation Fellowship Program is to support scientific research that assists park managers in making informed decisions about the resources of the Seashore.

Cape Cod National Seashore contains a diverse variety of habitats and is characterized by open ocean, beaches, estuaries, and tidal flats. In addition to the marine environment, the Seashore is home to a unique kettle pond system, sensitive vernal pools, upland forested habitat, and coastal heathlands – a globally uncommon habitat supporting species that are correspondingly rare. More than seventeen federally-listed threatened or endangered species are found throughout the Seashore and its marine waters. The physical processes that initially formed Cape Cod continue to reshape the area via wind, waves, tides, and longshore currents. Humans have been a part of this dynamic landscape for at least 10,000 years. These ecosystem processes have created and continue to influence the sensitive natural and cultural heritage that the Nickerson Conservation Fund is dedicated to study.

Proposals will be accepted for research in the broad areas of the natural and social sciences. Topics of interest include terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem processes, biotic and abiotic ecosystem components, cultural and natural resource management, and the political and social implications of resource protection and management. As research results should be useful for management of Cape Cod National Seashore resources, discussions with park staff about your project are encouraged to maximize its value to managers.

In 2023, fellowship applications will be considered for funding requests up to $4,000. Multiple fellows may be selected.