by Richard Wallace, Director of Publishing

The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is delighted to announce the call for applications for its inaugural Editorial Fellows Program (EFP).

The EFP is part of ESA’s ongoing efforts to provide professional development opportunities to early career ecologists and environmental scientists, especially those from historically excluded or underrepresented groups. The EFP is a two-year funded fellowship designed to provide leadership training in publishing, through which early career scientists may influence the broader publishing landscape in ecological and environmental sciences and contribute to the growth and direction of ESA’s journal portfolio. ESA’s journals have been responsible for publishing foundational ecology and environmental science for more than a century, are among the most widely read and cited in the world and continue to expand their breadth and scope of welcomed authors and content. Learn more about the ESA journal portfolio here.

Fellowship benefits

Each Fellow will receive:

• $3000 stipend per year for two consecutive years
• Complimentary membership in the Ecological Society of America for the duration of the Fellowship, with all attendant ESA membership benefits
• Travel support up to $1250 per year to attend ESA’s annual meeting
• One APC waiver to publish an article open access in an ESA journal within four years of the end of the fellowship (contingent on acceptance after review)

In addition, Fellows will receive mentoring in their areas of interest in editorial leadership from editors-in-chief in ESA’s journal portfolio and staff in ESA’s publishing program.

Fellowship expectations and goals

The Fellowship requires a two-year commitment during which Fellows will receive mentoring and are expected to engage substantively in one or more projects to further their professional development goals in editorial leadership. The weekly time commitment will vary, but we anticipate 10-15 hours/month dedicated to project work, plus occasional-to-regular meetings with mentors.

For this inaugural cohort, ESA expects to select two Fellows who will each serve for a two-year period beginning in late summer/early fall 2024. Fellows will work with editors-in-chief of ESA’s journals on projects selected by the Fellow under the guidance of mentoring editors. A list of possible projects for year 1 of the Fellowship is provided in the application form linked below. Fellows will have the option to continue their year 1 project or develop an independent project to implement in year 2. A self-designed project in year 2 would be developed with the support of identified mentors from among ESA’s editorial leaders and is intended to encourage Fellows to bring their own creativity to a project that will influence publishing within and beyond the ESA journal portfolio. Mentoring will continue through both years of the Fellowship. Both project and mentor(s) will be determined with the Fellows after selection. Fellows will be expected to set and maintain a regular meeting schedule with their mentor(s).

Fellows will be encouraged to write and submit for publication various works based upon their Fellowship experience. Published products may include editorials, papers or commentaries based upon Fellows’ chosen projects, as well as longer-form science manuscripts facilitated by the Fellowship experience (and which could be supported by the APC waiver provided as a benefit of the Fellowship). The development of manuscripts will be supported by the Fellowship mentoring process.

Eligibility

Applicants are expected to meet the following criteria:

• Completed a doctorate in ecology, evolutionary biology, environmental science or a related field, by the start of the Fellowship program but not longer than eight (8) years ago
• Employed in a field related to their doctoral degree or pursuing a career that involves publishing in peer-reviewed journals in ecology or a related field
• Through their answers to the application questions, demonstrate an interest in and dedication to advancing scholarly publishing in ecology or a related field, including an interest in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in publishing

How to apply for the ESA Editorial Fellowship

We welcome applicants that represent diversity in geography, nationality, culture, race and ethnicity, gender identity and expression and areas of expertise. All applications will be strictly confidential.

To apply for the ESA Editorial Fellowship Program, please submit a completed application by 5:00 PM (EST) on Monday, July 8. All application materials should be submitted via the Google form found here:  https://forms.gle/vXq8TU5C5k9AfiVK7.

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of ESA journal editors-in-chief, staff in ESA’s publishing program and members of ESA’s Diversity Committee.

Application review and ranking will be based on answers to the questions in the application, which will be anonymized prior to review by the selection committee. Finalists will be identified and invited for a 30-minute Zoom interview and will be asked to provide this additional information: 

• Curriculum vitae 
• One letter of support from a current supervisor (e.g., department chair, laboratory director, program director, etc.)
• Names, titles, affiliations and contact information for two additional references who will be contacted for short phone calls. Ideally, one of these references will be able to speak to the applicant’s experience in scholarly publishing (i.e., as a lead or corresponding author, reviewer or editor).

Please send any questions concerning the Fellowship or application process to editorialfellows@nullesa.org.