Postdoctoral Fellowship: PRFB: Rules of Life: Characterizing maternal nutritional profiles to understand reproduction-immunity tradeoffs in amphibians

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $270,000 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2025. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will contribute to biology in innovative ways. Nutrient balance is critical for an organism's development, as mismatches between needs and availability can lead to abnormalities and other long-term effects. This project examines nutritional provisioning in amphibians, focusing on the impacts of seasonality and disease. Amphibians are known for having a life cycle with two distinct phases. However, they display many reproductive modes, with more than half of species bypassing the tadpole stage to reduce water dependency. In such cases, eggs must provide the nutrients required for offspring to complete development without supplementation from foraging for food. Changes in food availability and disease dynamics across seasons also affect energy-driven differences in parental provisioning of nutrients to offspring. The fellow will integrate field observations, laboratory experiments, and mathematical models to understand the impacts of environmental change and disease on reproductive traits. In addition to mentoring undergraduate students, the fellow will develop and publish educational materials about amphibian reproductive modes to promote conservation and enhance scientific knowledge. Training in cutting-edge laboratory techniques and science education will enhance the fellow’s competitiveness for a faculty position, contributions

Key facts

NSF award ID
2508111
Awardee
Colón-Piñeiro, Zuania (FL)
PI
Zuania Colón-Piñeiro
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
Estimated total
$270,000
Funds obligated
$270,000
Transaction type
Fellowship Award
Period
09/01/2025 → 08/31/2028