Lamont Scientific Staff

There are five broad categories of scientists/researchers at Lamont: Lamont Research Professors; Research Scientists; Staff Associates; Postdoctoral Scientists; and DEES faculty.

Lamont Research Professors (LRP): Lamont Research Professor (LRP) positions are unique to LDEO, and carry many of the benefits that tenure-track faculty positions have at peer institutions, including provisions for professional leave and child-care leave. Within the statutory limitations of the university, the appointment and review procedures to which the research professors are subject are similar to those for regular faculty. Ranks include: Lamont Assistant Research Professor, Lamont Associate Research Professor, and Lamont Research Professor. In addition there are named LRP positions such as Ewing LRP, PGI Senior LRP, Heezen LRP, Paros LRP, and PGI Junior LRP. Details on appointment, promotion, and review processes can be found in the Lamont Research Professor Handbook. For junior ranks on the LRP track, specifically Lamont Assistant Research Professors and Lamont Associate Junior Research Professors, the LARP Mentoring Plan outlines the steps of the mentoring process.

Research Scientists: The Research Scientist (RS) positions at LDEO were originally developed to accommodate large, long-term projects requiring outstanding scientists whose roles did not necessarily fit the definition of a Lamont Research Professor. Research Scientists typically have individual job descriptions that define the activities they are expected to undertake within a certain project. Research Scientists can also serve as PIs on grants. Ranks include: Associate Research Scientist, Research Scientist, and Senior Research Scientist. Details on appointment, promotion, and review processes can be found in the Research Scientist Handbook.

Staff Associates: Staff Associates typically provide support for ongoing projects. Appointment of Staff Associates is done at a divisional level, based on the needs of any given group or division. Ranks include: Staff Associate, and Senior Staff Associate. Appointments, reviews, and promotions for Staff Associates are typically done at a divisional level.

Postdoctoral Scientists/Fellows: Postdoctoral appointments at LDEO are in 2 broad categories: 1) Postdoctoral Research Scientists: typically funded from institutional or grant funding routed through LDEO; 2) Postdoctoral Fellows: typically funded by external sources such as a fellowship (U.S. or foreign) or an external foundation/organization. Note that recipients of the LDEO Institutional Postdoctoral Fellowship fall under “Postdoctoral Scientists” since the source of funding is internal.

DEES Faculty: The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DEES) faculty are administered entirely by the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, not by LDEO. However, DEES is physically located on the Lamont Campus and the faculty work very closely with LDEO scientists. Visit the DEES website to learn more about its faculty and students.

LDEO Bylaws

View the LDEO Bylaws, which describe the governing procedures for the scientific staff and the leadership of LDEO.