Stengl-Wyer Scholars Program

Stengl-Wyer, the largest endowment in the history of the College of Natural Sciences, offers premier support for postdoctoral scientists to serve as Stengl-Wyer Scholars. Each scholar researches broadly the diversity of life and interactions between living things and their natural environments.

Recent Ph.D.s are cordially invited to apply for distinguished postdoctoral positions in the biodiversity sciences at The University of Texas at Austin (UT), one of the top campuses in the country for this research. 

Funded by the Stengl-Wyer Endowment, the Stengl-Wyer Scholars program provides up to three years of support for talented postdoctoral researchers in the broad area of the diversity of life and/or organisms in their natural environments. Scholars may study any group of organisms at levels from genes to populations to communities to ecosystems and may use any combination of approaches. Applications that advance research within the Texas Field Station Network or UT Biodiversity Collections are highly encouraged given the Stengl-Wyer Endowment’s mission to support biological field stations and collections. Scholars will:

• conduct cutting-edge research over three years
• have access to outstanding core research facilities at UT, including field stations, natural history collections, computational, imaging, and biomolecular facilities
• reside locally and have a regular workspace and presence on the main UT campus
• primarily focus on research; but in at least one of the three years, scholars should also develop educational or community engagement activities (examples include, but are not limited to, teaching undergraduate/graduate workshops or modules, leading summer internship programs, creating K-12 engagement activities, and leading outreach efforts at UT field stations.)
• participate in biweekly meetings (luncheons) with other Stengl-Wyer Scholars, Fellows, or guests
• receive career mentorship

Congratulations, 2026 Stengl-Wyer Scholars!

• Sierra Jaeger, Department of Integrative Biology, Proposal Title: Integrating micro- and macro-evolution of betalain pigment diversity in Texas cacti
• Maria Jose Navarrete Mendez, Department of Integrative Biology, Proposal Title: Tetrodotoxin in amphibians: The evolutionary ecology of microbially-mediated convergent phenotypes

All scholarships will begin fall 2026 and are available for up to 3 years.

Download the complete list of Stengl-Wyer Scholars

2026 Competition Overview

Scholars are expected to be independent and propose their own research project. The project start date at UT should be between August 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026. Applicants should identify one or more faculty members from UT’s College of Natural Sciences (CNS) who will serve as a mentor as well as provide laboratory space to the Scholar. Applicants should also discuss their proposed educational and/or community engagement activities with their proposed mentor. Scholars will be encouraged to interact broadly and collaborate with other faculty, postdocs, and graduate students at UT. 2026 Scholar awardees will receive the following:

• $70,000 annual salary plus UT benefits
• $10,000 annual allowance for research and travel expenses
• Up to $3,000 relocation expenses

Download the 2026 Stengl-Wyer Scholars Competition Request for Applications

Eligibility

Eligible applicants must have completed a Ph.D. or equivalent degree by the projected start date and must not have exceeded 24 months in a full-time postdoctoral or research position at the time of application deadline. Preference will be given to applicants not already in residence at UT. Applicants who are non-US citizens or permanent residents must be eligible for J-1 Scholar visa status; the Stengl-Wyer Scholars program cannot support H-1B visa applications. CNS encourages applications from individuals from all backgrounds with diverse viewpoints.

Application Submission Instructions

All required application documents listed in the Application Components section of the RFA should be combined and uploaded as a single pdf and submitted by the application deadline.

Applications must be submitted through Competition Space, UT’s online submission interface. To apply:

1. Visit https://utexas.infoready4.com/CompetitionSpace/#competitionDetail/1984429
2. Click the “Apply” button on the Competition Space page.
3. This will take you to a login screen. External applicants should create an interface account by clicking the “Register” button toward the bottom of the page. Follow the instructions to create an account. Applicants with an existing UT EID and password should login using the “University of Texas Web Login” button.
4. You will be taken to an online application form. Complete the form and upload the required application components. Click “Submit Application” at the bottom of the page. You also have the option to save a draft and return later to submit your application.

Note: If this is your first time submitting a proposal through the proposal submission website, you will first need to affiliate yourself with the College before you can submit. To do this, login with your EID and password, then click on the “Hello, [Name]” link at the top right of the website. This will take you to your user profile. In your user profile, under “Primary School or Department,” select “Natural Sciences, College of” and then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Save Changes button. You will now be able to apply.

Instructions For Reference Letters 

Reference letters are required from three individuals who have agreed to submit letters on the applicant's behalf. Referees should address an applicant’s: 

• progress toward completing dissertation or ongoing post-doctoral work
• qualifications, training, and interests
• independence, ability of applicant to anticipate and mitigate challenges
• creativity, and/or novelty of the proposed project

Referees should submit reference letters directly to the Stengl-Wyer Endowment Program via email to Referen.f1chs4vmu51ttyfe@u.box.com which will automatically upload the letter to a confidential folder. For this reason, reference letters should be submitted as a PDF file using the following file naming convention: ApplicantLastName_ApplicantFirstName_RefereeLastName_ReferenceLetter

Reference letters must be received by the application deadline of 5:00 PM CT on December 8, 2025. Reference letters should remain confidential, and the applicant must not be copied on this email. The applicant is responsible for communicating submission instructions and deadlines to referees.

Timeline

Submission window opens: August 4, 2025

Submission deadline: December 8, 2025

Announcement of awardees: February 2026

Award start date: After August 1, 2026 and before September 30, 2026

Award end date: Up to three (3) years from award start date date

Contact Information

Program questions should be directed to the Stengl-Wyer Endowment Program Manager: swe@austin.utexas.edu

Application submission interface questions should be directed to CNS Strategic Research Initiatives: CNS_SRI@austin.utexas.edu

The form and timing of Stengl-Wyer Scholars awards is subject to change in subsequent years. The content of this announcement is relevant only for the 2026 Stengl-Wyer Scholars competition and awards.