WHO WE ARE

We are a collaborative group of scientists of all life stages with and without academic appointments, in government science, and working with NGOs. As a group, we are creating collaborative clusters around particular research and conservation themes. To that end, each collaborative group functions semi-autonomously, much like a research laboratory would, but fitting in the overall vision of providing a way to democratize science and collaboration. We bring together disparate groups, across sectors, countries, and cultures. JOIN OUR TEAM

WHAT WE DO

We facilitate science

The mission of Remote Ecologist is to facilitate science and conservation through empowering scientists with support services related to grantmaking and management, access to collaborators, library services, core laboratory and field equipment, and reciprocity for ethical review and scientific diving.

Remote Ecologist, Inc. aims to provide ways to expand conservation science output through providing the research support infrastructure and support mechanisms for project development and execution – essentially, by functioning as a virtual academic department. This will facilitate quality science, scientific collaboration, professional growth, and grants management by its members. Unaffiliated scientists will have a pathway to remain productive, engage members of the scientific community, and build connections and collaborations. Life circumstances can interrupt a scientific career, and we offer a mechanism to build flexibility into that career.

The vision is to provide a world in which scientists can focus on the science that improves our world by having an “on-ramp” back into academic science – or to simply continue their research. Many scientists find themselves moving into other careers due to lack of opportunities and connections - we want to provide another option.

How It Works

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this work for scientists?

There are several ways to be involved and affiliated with Remote Ecologist as a research organization - volunteer, part-timer, and full-timer.

Volunteer: Volunteer opportunities are mostly built around current activities, around grantwriting for those who are not yet covered by current funds, and serving as an interim institution for other projects. We work with scientists to help them get funded by providing pre-submission review and guidance. You can also volunteer on a current project to help in the field or on data analysis, given space limitations. We encourage all our volunteers to become involved in grants to support current work, if interested. Sign up for our mailing list or contact a project principal contact for more information.

Part-time: Part-time opportunities are how most of our affiliated scientists start. This mainly serves folks in three areas: 1) those who need a place for their side work to live, given alignment with Remote Ecologist's thematic collaborative areas; 2) those who need an interim affiliation to apply for grants in their topic area - related or unrelated to current RE projects; and 3) those who have an interest in building into a full-time, long-term relationship with Remote Ecologist and helping us achieve our mission.

Full-time: These are opportunities we do not yet have up and running, but if you are interested in building into a full-time position, please contact our principal scientists.

Pre-submission Grant Review and Synthesis (Internal and External):

Those who are at least volunteering automatically receive pre-submission grant review, which includes how the proposal is aligns to a given Request For Proposals (RFP), and advice as to how to make that application more competitive. This is also available to outside organizations interested in ecology and conservation-related grants, for a small fee.

How does grants management work?

Grants applied for under the Remote Ecologist banner are managed under our current Grants Management Policy maintained by our Office of Sponsored Programs. Purchases are made by our staff, with full accounting of expenditures with interim and final funder reports, depending on the funder's requirements. Our overhead is maintained at the "de minimis" Federal rate of 10%, since we do not maintain a negotiated cost agreement at this time (typically universities are 30-60% overhead). This covers our insurance and administrative costs. We are an organization that facilitates professional growth, so all grants are transferrable after one year of management - if one applies for a grant while with us, then obtains full-time employment elsewhere, that grant can transfer to the new organization after one year. We do not want to stand in the way of your growth as a professional!

What other benefits are there for scientists?

All personnel, including volunteers, are covered by Remote Ecologist's insurance policies (including Errors & Omissions insurance, which is necessary for grant eligibility for many RFPs). As a 501c3, Remote Ecologist also enjoys non-profit pricing for software and other tangible supplies necessary to complete field work. We are building out our partnerships and sponsorships to further support our scientists with access to a library system and shared field gear (e.g. a maintained multiparameter sonde).

How does this work for companies?

We aim to be available for areas of overlap for short-term contract projects in areas of overlap between company needs and our scientists' expertise. This has been mostly focused on coastal resilience projects and physiological stress projects to date, but inquire for more information if you may have an interest.

How does this work for collaborators?

We only work because of our great network of collaborators. When it comes to unaffiliated members of your research team, we can serve as a home for them, generally without the same level of fringe and overhead. We are also actively looking for ways to partner state by state, meaning that embedding our scientists at a desk/lab at your location is certainly a possibility, and a great way to share costs. We are building a collaborative network to advance conservation and science initiatives, which will be more thoroughly achieved with more experts collaborating effectively. The way it has worked for collaborative grant opportunities thus far is that we assess which member of the collaborative group is the best primary applicant for a given RFP, and the rest of the collaborative organizations are sub-grantees. We serve as a primary and a sub-grantee on multiple proposals at this time.

Active Collaborations and Support on Current Projects:

The following is a current list of organizational collaborators on our scientists' projects and places contributing to our work in some way (including those with pending grant applications together):

Upwell Coffee (Funder, $2/bag to Remote Ecologist)

Minorities in Shark Sciences (Supporter/Ally)

AZA Sea Turtle SAFE Program

Connecticut College

Reef Ball Foundation

Harbor Watch

SoMAS, Stony Brook University

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County

Project Oceanology

LISoundkeeper (Save The Sound)

The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk

University of Connecticut