The SMBE Fellows Program aims to provide mentorship and guidance to early-career researchers in scientific writing for evolutionary and molecular biology. Specifically, we aim to develop skills in writing Highlight articles for our two sister journals Molecular Biology and Evolution (MBE) and Genome Biology and Evolution (GBE). Fellows will gain experience in translating scientific research into articles for an informed, non-specialized audience, while receiving editorial guidance and networking opportunities within the SMBE community, including the possibility of attending the next SMBE annual meeting.
This is a unique opportunity for young researchers to contribute to the visibility of science in our field, gain networking opportunities, and build skills for a future career in research, publishing, or science communication.
What are the Highlights?
MBE and GBE Highlights are feature articles published by our sister journals, drawing attention to recently published research of unique interest. They summarize the featured research article for our audience of experts in molecular biology, evolution and genomics, who may not be familiar with a specific field of research or study system. Each Highlight is typically between 800-1000 words (excluding references). Candidates can check these two examples of previous Highlights in our journals for reference:
- Highlight: Unmasking the Supergene Beneath the Ruff's Mating Strategies
- Highlight: From Prey to Pathogen—The Role of Predation in Driving Virulence
Application
We invite candidates to apply via the following online form.
Important Dates:
Deadline for application: August 31, 2025
Selection of candidates: September 15, 2025
Eligibility and candidate selection
The program is open to early-career researchers in evolutionary biology and related fields. For postdoctoral researchers, they must have received their PhD no more than 5 years before the application deadline; for PhD students, they must be enrolled in their third year or above at the time of the application deadline.
Applicants will be selected based on their demonstrated writing ability, scientific expertise, and motivation to communicate research to a broader audience. We also aim to ensure diversity and inclusion in the selection process, making explicit efforts to take into account gender, ethnic, geographic, and disciplinary diversity, following SMBE’s Statement of Values. Applications by current SMBE members at the time of application will be strongly valued during candidate selection.
Program information
All Fellows will participate in an initial training session covering best practices for selection of impactful research, scientific storytelling, and adaptation of technical language for a broader audience.
Fellows will be expected to contribute, each, up to two Highlight articles per year, across both journals (four total). Articles will be distributed evenly across the calendar year to maintain steady journal output and avoid overburdening any single Fellow. The term of commitment to the position as Fellow is of two years.
Benefits for fellows
The selected fellows will benefit from:
- Opportunity to author Highlight articles in MBE and GBE
- Training and mentoring in writing and editing in evolutionary biology
- Networking opportunities within the SMBE community, including the possibility of attending the SMBE2026 annual meeting
More Information
For more information, please contact:
Brandon Gaut (bgaut@uci.edu)
Maud Tenaillon (maud.tenaillon@cnrs.fr)
Pedro Andrade (smbe.socialmedia@gmail.com)