The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) sponsors Postdoctoral Fellowship Programs at a number of Naval R D centers and laboratories. The program is designed to significantly increase the involvement of creative and highly trained scientists and engineers from academia and industry to scientific and technical areas of interest and relevance to the Navy. Fellowship awards will be based upon the technical quality and relevance of the proposed research, recommendations by the Navy laboratories or centers, academic qualifications, reference reports, and availability of funds. Applicants will then need to contact the research facility at which they are interested in working in order to develop a suitable research proposal. Proposals developed closely with the proposed host facility stand the greatest chance of success in the selection process. The proposal should be prepared addressing a problem of mutual interest to the applicant and the Navy research facility. The research proposal should present the goals of the proposed research endeavor and should set forth plans to achieve them. A clear objective of the research and the results that will be delivered will be an important criteria. Background material, such as previous studies done, and motivation for the proposed research should also be included. A time frame for the research should be proposed and the importance and benefits to the Navy should be explained. Before appointment, participants must present evidence of having received the Ph.D., Sc.D., or other earned research doctoral degree recognized in U.S. academic circles as equivalent to the Ph.D. within five years of the date of application, or must present acceptable evidence of having completed all formal academic requirements for one of these degrees. Applications are accepted and processed on an ongoing basis. Please visit the award's website for more information.