RaMP-UP Fellows Program
Get a stipend of $32,000 for a full year of participation. A roundtrip ticket to Panamá and lodging while at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute facilities is included. Come away with a robust research experience, scientific products, an international professional network, a peer network, and strong mentors to advocate for your career. Applications for the 2025-2026 program will open on January 15, 2025.
RaMP-UP Fellows spend a year engaged in BioDiversity studies with Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) scientists. You will be embedded in the tropical landscapes of Panamá, practicing cutting-edge and rigorous methodologies to make a lasting impact on Tropical BioDiversity.
A cohort of 10 to 12 RaMP-UP Fellows will travel to Pamamá in August 2024. Fellows will launch with a deep dive into professional development and sense of place studies as part of an Orientation Block (July 2025 - Dec. 2025) to Panamá and the ongoing research programs at STRI. RaMP-UP Fellows explore the cultural and natural history of Panamá, and why Tropical ecosystems are important to study.
During the Research Block, (Jan. 2026 - July 2026), RaMP-UP Fellows will conduct research under the mentorship of project leads. Research team meetings and technical training along with GSS professional development workshops will be held throughout the year.
RaMP-UP Fellows Projects
Every year, STRI Staff Scientists will have openings for RaMP-UP Fellows to join their research groups to gain a better understanding and protect BioDiversity in the Tropics. This upcoming year we have several research projects from tropical marine systems to the canopies of tropical forests. To learn more about some of the individual projects follow the links below.
RaMP-UP Fellows Application
Program Dates: July 27, 2025 - July 26, 2026
GSS RaMP-UP Fellows must have completed a bachelor’s degree focused on Biology or similar fields, for example, environmental sciences, within the past four years. If you are graduating in May 2025, you are eligible.
2025 RaMP-UP Fellows will be embedded in research projects at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panamá.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have the proper legal documentation to travel abroad (passport) or apply for a passport by April 2024.
"I want to work with dynamic teams to build a future that can support tomorrow's generations alongside wildness."
– Adrienne Hampton, Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Washington
Support our students! All donations directly support Global Sustainability Scholars and Fellows. Successful global sustainability solutions are inclusive, involving a diversity of stakeholders and incorporating multiple values. Our program does just that, brings in the voices and perspectives across borders and cultures, trains them in doing trans-disciplinary research and builds their international professional network.