Scientists at Janelia work together in multidisciplinary teams to solve challenging biological problems that are difficult to address in other research settings.

Many lab spaces at Janelia feature modular designs and natural light.

Credit: Brad Feinknopf

Occupying 689 wooded acres along the Potomac River, Janelia Farm provides a variety of services and facilities to support its diverse community of scientists and staff—inside and outside the lab.

A view of the Janelia Farm Research Campus at dusk.

Credit: Brad Feinknopf

The Janelia Farm model frees scientists of constraints commonly found in other research environments, providing access to world-class resources and a talented support staff.

Graduate scholar John Tuthill prepares a Drosophila specimen for imaging.

Credit: James Kegley

In addition to our resident scientists and fellows, we offer visiting scientists, graduate, and undergraduate candidates a range of scientific programs.

Graduate scholar Arbora Resulaj (left) and her mentor, Janelia Emeritus Fellow Dmitry Rinberg (right).

Credit: James Kegley

Janelia Farm regularly hosts scientific meetings, ranging from workshops to intensive, specialized conferences. See what's coming up and visit the archive of past events.

Janelia's large auditorium seats 250 people.

Credit: Matt Staley

Janelia provides outstanding employment opportunities, at all levels.

Credit: James Kegley

Many tools developed in Janelia Farm labs are made freely available to outside researchers, while others are taking shape through collaborations with industry, academia, and government.

A virtual arena for the study of flight in insects.

Credit: James Kegley

Janelia’s sense of community comes from a core belief that people of diverse disciplines and backgrounds can accomplish great things when working with a common purpose.

Research specialist Trevor Wardill (left) and group leader Vivek Jayaraman (right).

Credit: James Kegley

Research Positions

Position Overview

We encourage applications from scientists at all career stages: from those just finishing their graduate degrees to senior, established scientists.

We invite applications from biochemists, biologists, chemists, computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians, neurobiologists and physicists who are passionate in their pursuit of important problems in basic scientific and technical research.

All laboratories are internally funded without extramural grants. Scientists at Janelia have no formal teaching duties and minimal administrative responsibilities. Janelia labs are small groups of postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and technicians tackling challenging research problems that are expected to have transformative impact. Lab heads are expected to engage in the direct conduct of research in a highly interactive and collaborative environment.

Janelia Farm hosts conferences and lab heads are encouraged to organize meetings in their areas of interest. A central objective of Janelia Farm is to free scientists to focus on their research and minimize distractions. The infrastructure of the campus is designed to support the creativity, insight, courage, experimental skill, and effort of the resident scientists.

Lab Heads

Janelia Lab Heads are independent scientists directing a small team of researchers. Lab heads are at all career stages, ranging from those who have just completed their PhD to more senior scientists, similar to HHMI investigators.

Janelia Lab Heads have few responsibilities other than engagement in hands-on research. Labs are fully internally funded at levels sufficient to pursue an ambitious research program, and have access to unparalleled scientific and technical facilities. The absence of teaching, fundraising and administrative responsibilities allows lab heads to devote all of their energy and creativity to a transformative research program that might be difficult to pursue elsewhere.

Lab Heads are expected to maintain a research program with high impact, as evidenced by published and unpublished work as well as long-term vision, creativity, novelty of approach, and progress toward significant scientific goals. Lab Heads are also expected to make a positive contribution to the overall scientific environment at Janelia.

The selection process for lab heads puts strong emphasis on vision and excellence in research, with some consideration for the diverse programmatic goals of Janelia Farm Research Campus. Lab Heads are recruited from a wide spectrum of disciplines. They have the opportunity to build their own research team and are encouraged to collaborate with other scientists from a range of fields. Group size is limited in order to encourage hands-on research by the lab heads and interaction between labs. Early career lab heads have a minimum of two lab members (graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or technical staff), while more senior lab heads have up to six lab members. Research programs are augmented, however, by access to shared research resources and additional research opportunities offered by the Visitor Program and/or Janelia Project Teams.

Janelia Lab Heads have initial appointments of 5-6 years. Early career Lab Heads have fixed-term appointments, but are supported by both internal and external mentoring programs to help them establish an independent research program that may be continued at Janelia or elsewhere. Established Lab Heads have appointments that are renewable in five-year terms. Successful renewal can include the ability for the Lab Head to transfer their HHMI appointment to a research university in the United States.

Our next lab head competition will open during the Fall 2013.

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Jr. Fellows

A Janelia Junior Fellow is an independent, early career scientist engaged in hands-on research that is synergistic but distinct from existing Janelia labs.

A Janelia Junior Fellow is an independent, early career scientist engaged in hands-on research that does not fit well into an existing Janelia lab. Junior Fellows pursue a research project of their own design, with support from two or more lab heads who serve as mentors. Although they do not supervise other lab members, they have access to Janelia's exceptional resources, including unparalleled scientific and technical facilities. The absence of teaching, fundraising and administrative responsibilities allows Junior Fellows to devote all of their energy and creativity to developing a transformative research program that might be difficult to pursue elsewhere.

The three-year, non-renewable appointment gives Junior Fellows an opportunity to establish themselves as effective independent investigators tackling ambitious research projects. Under exceptional circumstances, the appointment can be extended for a further two years.

Junior Fellows are recruited from a wide spectrum of disciplines. They typically have little or no prior experience running their own lab. Postdoctoral experience is not required.

Applications are now cloed.

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Postdoctoral Associates

Postdoctoral associates work in the laboratories of Janelia lab heads. Appointments are made for a one year period and may extend for a total of five years.

Recruitment for postodoctoral associates is ongoing. Please send correspondence to individual lab heads to get more information about potential postdoctoral positions in their labs.

Completed applications are reviewed regularly for postdoctoral associates.

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Other Positions

Various other positions

Position openings for Project Scientists, Program Managers, Research Specialists and Research Technicians will be posted here

For information on how to apply to Janelia’s graduate program
For information on how to apply to Janelia’s undergraduate program

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Position Overview

Lab Heads

Jr. Fellows

Postdoctoral Associates

Other Positions

Program Administration