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 t
