On 18 April the Division of Polar Programs issued a Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 13-086) to announce the suspension of postdoctoral fellowships in the Polar Regions research program.
Full text of that letter follows:
It is with great regret that the Division of Polar Programs announces that a solicitation will not be re-issued at this time for the Postdoctoral Fellowships in Polar Regions Research Program. This was a difficult decision to reach as the Division is very supportive of postdoctoral fellows conducting research in polar regions.
The Division would like to encourage persons who may have been interested in proposing to this program to contact prospective mentors to discuss possibilities of becoming involved in polar regions research as a postdoctoral researcher through regular research proposals. Involving postdoctoral researchers in new proposals is common practice. Opportunities for involvement in existing projects are more restricted but might be possible in certain circumstances. The principal investigator for the existing project should contact their program officer to determine whether or not this avenue is feasible.
Recognizing the importance of postdoctoral scholars in polar research, the Division will reexamine this decision if circumstances change.
Thank you,
Scott Borg
Head, Antarctic Sciences Section
NSF/GEO/POLAR
Simon Stephenson
Head, Arctic Sciences Section
NSF/GEO/POLAR