Careers

Independent Fellows in Synthetic Biology
Harvard Medical School

We are recruiting independent fellows to work on and/or develop exciting new research programs which harness the power of synthetic and systems biology to tackle real-world problems, including but not limited to: disease, climate, energy/food/fuel production, and sustainability.

The Synthetic Biology Initiative at Harvard Medical School provides an opportunity for exceptional early-career scientists to accelerate their entry into independent research by forgoing the traditional post-doctoral training period. Funds from the Synthetic Biology Initiative will support the fellow's salary, benefits, and research expenses for an initial period of 2 years, with the potential for annual renewals up to a total of 5 years. Synthetic Biology Fellows will have the freedom to develop their research program independently and/or in collaboration with faculty and researchers across the Harvard ecosystem.

Fellows will be embedded within the Synthetic Biology Hive (synbiohive.org) directed by Professors Silver & Springer, where they will have access to technical, social, and professional support and resources. They will also have the opportunity to participate in the larger community of independent fellows (including the John Harvard Fellows, the Rowland Fellows, and the NSF-Simons QBio Fellows) who collectively represent a diverse cohort building innovative research programs across disciplines. 

Appointments are available beginning on or after June 1, 2022. Recruitments will occur in several waves; we will accept applications on a rolling basis for the initial wave of fellows from now until Sept 1, 2022. If you have questions about whether to apply now or wait for a later wave, or anything else about the position, feel free to e-mail synbiohive@hms.harvard.edu. Researchers should have completed a Ph.D. in a relevant field before starting their appointment.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Harvard requires COVID vaccination for all Harvard community members. Individuals may claim exemption from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. More information regarding the University’s COVID vaccination requirement, exemptions, and verification of vaccination status may be found at the University’s “COVID-19 Vaccine Information” webpage: http://www.harvard.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-information

The Department for Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School is recruiting independent fellows with strong backgrounds in the mathematical sciences, including pure or applied mathematics, statistics and theoretical physics. Fellows will be supported for two years and will be at the core of a new theory initiative including 4-6 fellows and several sabbatical visitors as well as many existing students, postdocs and faculty. The purpose is to create an intellectually vigorous community for using mathematics to understand biology, whether theorem-driven approaches to understand core principles or computationally driven analyses of experimental data. This community will be supported by many joint activities, including regular talks, dinners, workshops and mini-courses. Fellows are encouraged to work with faculty in any department of HMS, as well as build bridges to other schools at Harvard. Applications are considered at any time and should include a CV, a brief research description including both previous and proposed work, and the names and e-mail addresses of three references for letters of support.

Applications from women and minority candidates are particularly encouraged. Harvard Medical School is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applications or informal inquiries should be sent to johan_paulsson[at]harvard.edu.