K. Lisa Yang Wildlife Health Fellows Program

THE CORNELL K. LISA YANG CENTER FOR WILDLIFE HEALTH:

The Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health (CYCWH) strives to sustain a healthier world by developing and implementing proactive, science-based solutions to challenges at the interface of wildlife health, domestic animal health, human health and livelihoods, and the environment that supports us all. With an emphasis on the types of interdisciplinary collaboration often required to foster real progress along the science to policy and action continuum, we work with a diverse range of stakeholders including governments, local communities, nongovernmental organizations, and students in the U.S. and around the world to promote environmental stewardship, build capacity for sustainable change through training and education, and undertake collaborative research and discovery that leads to real-world conservation and related health outcomes. Humanity has brought changes to Earth’s natural systems at a pace and scale that are difficult to overstate – our domination of land and sea has no precedent. If we are to successfully address the challenges of conserving wildlife on an increasingly human dominated planet, with species extinctions now one thousand times faster than before our rise, we must recognize that our own health, and that of the global economy, are inextricably linked to our stewardship of the natural world.

FELLOWSHIP DESCRIPTION:

We are committed to training the next generation of wildlife conservation and One Health leaders with an emphasis on applying sound science to influence real world policy and practice, from local to global, through the support of postdoctoral fellowships focused on wildlife health and related One Health challenges over the next decade. (For this 2026-2027 request for proposals, applicants with at least a DVM or equivalent veterinary degree who have been out of veterinary school for at least one year at the time of application will be given preference. Interested applicants without a veterinary degree but with a PhD conferred prior to the fellowship start date are also encouraged to apply.) Each fellowship is for a three-year term. Fellows will be part of a vibrant, collaborative, multidisciplinary, and inclusive community of faculty, staff, and students working towards improving the health and well-being of animals, people, and the environment that supports us all.

Fellows will be selected for their commitment to generating solid science and ‘decision maker-friendly’ policy guidance to catalyze sustainable conservation impact through a health lens, with an emphasis on progress through partnerships. We value diverse approaches to addressing integrated human, animal, and environmental health challenges. Potential topics are not predefined. Example themes could include impacts on wildlife health at a range of scales due to: degradation or loss of terrestrial or marine habitats; degradation or depletion of freshwater resources; pollution; climate or other biophysical change; infectious disease; current food systems and/or other issues at the wildlife/domestic animal interface.

During their fellowship, Fellows will gain experience in generating science-based, action-oriented results to solve real-world problems, as well as in grant-writing, and will be well-prepared for wildlife conservation, One Health, and Planetary Health leadership roles. Fellows will also help us expand our impact in different geographic regions and programmatic areas.

We seek applicants interested in engaging at the nexus of rigorous applied research and real impact in the realms of wildlife health and related One Health endeavors. Fellowship applicants need to propose to work with both:

1) a primary faculty mentor from any unit of Cornell University

and

2) a secondary mentor from an external partner organization (preferably a governmental, non-governmental, or private sector entity), or a faculty member from any unit of Cornell University. The external partner organization may be another university or higher education entity if the proponent provides a strong justification for such an arrangement. All else being equal, proposals with a secondary mentor affiliated with a non-academic external partner organization are preferable.

Applicants can only submit one proposal for any given funding cycle.

Only full-time faculty are eligible to serve as primary or secondary mentors, and faculty with adjunct, courtesy or visiting appointments are not eligible to serve as mentors. Note that Cornell faculty can only serve as a primary mentor on one proposal, but any eligible faculty member can serve as a secondary mentor on one or more proposals.

A faculty member cannot serve as a proposed primary mentor this cycle if they are serving as a primary mentor for a recipient of a CYCWH postdoctoral fellowship awarded during the past two years (i.e., there can be no overlap of CYCWH fellows for any given primary mentor).

We anticipate awarding up to 3 Fellowships from this call.

POSITION DETAILS:

The fellowship is designed as a full-time position based in Ithaca, New York, with fieldwork in most cases, although it may be possible for a fellow to be based elsewhere, depending upon exceptional individual circumstances (see additional details below). The second and third years of the fellowship are contingent upon satisfactory performance each prior year. Salary will be commensurate with experience, within a range established for the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Wildlife Health Fellows Program (starting at $65,000-$85,000). The Fellow will propose a program of work in collaboration with at least two mentors at any given time, as described above. The Director of the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health will provide oversight of the fellowship program.

$30,000 is provided for research- and professional travel-related expenses over the course of the position, with the opportunity to apply for additional support via our Catalyzing Conservation Fund internal grants program, other Cornell internal grants programs, or extramural sources. Allowable research expenses are governed by Cornell University policies applicable to all academic staff.
Successful applicants will be asked to start no later than September 30, 2027.
Fieldwork/site visits are likely for most postdoctoral fellows.
Successful applicants requiring visa sponsorship will be provided with guidance on obtaining the appropriate visa to enter and be employed in the United States.
ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES:

Applicants will ideally have, at a minimum, a DVM or equivalent veterinary degree, and must have been out of veterinary school for at least one year at the time of application. Interested applicants without a veterinary degree but with a PhD conferred prior to the fellowship start date are also encouraged to apply.
This is not a sabbatical program for colleagues with existing faculty appointments; those with such appointments are not eligible.
An applicant can only submit one proposal for this call for proposals. Unsuccessful applicants can apply again for future calls.
Postdoctoral fellows currently at Cornell are eligible to apply, as long as they have never previously received a CYCWH Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Postdoctoral fellows based in Ithaca are full-time, non-faculty, benefits-eligible academic staff at Cornell. Policies that govern employment at Cornell University apply. Accordingly, while field research, including non-U.S. field research, is a typical part of most fellows’ research plans, the fellowship is US-based for employment purposes. As noted above, exceptional individual circumstances may allow for consideration of a different arrangement with prior approval by the CYCWH and relevant college leadership. Note: Applicants seeking a non-Ithaca base are responsible for indicating that location in their application’s Description of Proposed Project section (see below) in order to have such a request considered.
A commitment to environmental conservation and a passion for protecting biodiversity are essential.