The NMDC Ambassador Program
Training and supporting early career researchers to engage with their research communities
Applications for the 2025 Ambassador cohort are now open!Apply here by February 28th |
The NMDC Ambassador Program
The Ambassador Program utilizes a cohort-based learning approach to train and support early career researchers motivated to engage with their respective microbiome research communities and spread awareness and knowledge regarding data stewardship, metadata standards, and standardized bioinformatics workflows. Ambassadors from eligible institutions are also provided with a $1000 honorarium to defray costs.
The NMDC is seeking applications from early career leaders for its 2025 cohort of Ambassadors who are:
- Familiar with the challenges of discovering, accessing, and reusing microbiome data
- Committed to working with the NMDC to make microbiome data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR)
- Motivated to engage with researchers in their community
Eligibility
Ambassadors should meet the following criteria:
- Early career researcher
- Graduate student or a researcher within 12 years of highest degree
- Generates and/or works with microbiome data
- Works with at least one type of omics data
- Metagenomic, amplicon, metatranscriptomic, metaproteomic, or metabolomic data
- Experience working with multi-omics data is preferred
- Willing to dedicate approximately 40 hours over the course of the year (~3 hours per month; see time commitment below)
- Affiliated with a US institution
- Do not need to be geographically based in the US
What will Ambassadors do?
Ambassadors will become official NMDC representatives and will be supported by the NMDC team throughout their one-year term. During the course of their term, Ambassadors are expected to (at minimum):
Ambassador activity | Details |
Contribute to training and template materials | Update content within NMDC-provided template presentations to reflect microbiomes relevant to their research community |
Lead an additional activity or working group |
Activities can include reusing data in the Data Portal, contributing to publications, curating MIxS templates, and developing Jupyter notebooks |
Engage with their research community | Host a workshop, presentation, or event with their immediate research community or at a conference (can be co-hosted with the NMDC and/or other Ambassadors) |
Spread the NMDC mission | Share updates on FAIR microbiome data and NMDC activities on any online platform (social media, website, NMDC newsletter, blog posts) |
Be an engaged cohort-member | Attend all NMDC trainings and be engaged throughout entire year-long term (see “Time Commitment”) |
2025 Ambassador Activities
2025 Ambassadors must:
- Host 1 workshop or presentation about FAIR data, data management best practices, open science, metadata standards, NMDC resources, or other topics relating to the NMDC mission
NMDC Ambassadors will select a minimum of one additional activity to participate in from the following list:
- Host another workshop or presentation at a larger venue (e.g., a conference presentation) about FAIR data, data management best practices, open science, metadata standards, NMDC resources, or other topics relating to the NMDC mission
- Facilitate the deposition of microbiome omics data into the NMDC Data Portal
- Lead or co-lead a publication working group
- Curate a MIxS metadata template that will be incorporated into the NMDC Submission Portal
- Pilot the use of the NMDC Environmental Microbiome Certificate Program and/or create new laboratory or educational modules
- Develop Jupyter notebooks to facilitate microbiome data reuse
- Lead the implementation of microbiome reporting guidelines (STREAMS or STORMS) in a publication, or provide education on how to use these reporting standards
Benefits of being an NMDC Ambassador
Dedicated training
Receive dedicated training on data management, sample metadata standards, microbiome data stewardship, multi-omic data processing, and standardized bioinformatics workflows, as well as the NMDC Data Portal, the NMDC Submission Portal, and NMDC EDGE
Training on community engagement and event hosting
Opportunities
Expanded professional network in a cohort-based learning environment
Access to the NMDC team members as well as the NMDC’s large and diverse network of data scientists, microbiome researchers, and multi-omics experts
Frequent virtual meetings with the other NMDC Ambassadors as well as the NMDC Champions; in-person microbiome meet-ups
Recognition for service
Co-authorship on NMDC training resources
Co-authorship on publications highlighting the Ambassador Program
Serve as an official NMDC representative
Recognition on the NMDC website and have your work continuously highlighted throughout NMDC online platforms
Support and resources
Funding to support NMDC events
Administrative and logistical support for events
Access to NMDC team members and expertise
Provided with advertising and promotional materials
Time Commitment
The estimated time commitment for each Ambassador is on average 3 hours per month (~40 hours total for the year). Optional drop-in office hours will also be hosted throughout the program. Ambassadors are expected to adhere to this time commitment, and researchers should not apply for the Program if they are unable to fulfill these commitments. Please note that this time commitment is an approximation, and it may vary slightly based on a variety of factors. A timeline is provided below for planning purposes:
Program Timeline
Date | Event |
February 4, 2025 | 2025 Program applications open |
February 28, 2025 | Application deadline |
March 28, 2025 | Cohort announcement |
Week of April 14, 2025 | First Meeting |
Week of April 21, 2025 | Training Session 1: Data Stewardship, NMDC Data Portal, API, & Jupyter Notebooks |
Week of April 28, 2025 | Training Session 2: Metadata Standards, NMDC Submission Portal, & NMDC Field Notes mobile app |
Week of May 5, 2025 | Training Session 3: Standardized Bioinformatics Workflows & NMDC EDGE |
Week of May 12, 2025 | Training Session 4: Workshop Logistics |
Week of May 19, 2025 | Workshop & activity planning session |
Week of May 26, 2025 | Ambassador presentation of event & activity plans |
June 2025 – December 2025 |
Ambassador-led workshop or community event
and Ambassador-directed activity |
June 2025 – December 2025 |
Monthly Ambassador check-ins |
December 2025 |
End of term |