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ESA Peer Review Academy

Developing the Next Generation of Ecological Peer Reviewers 

Application Period: by October 15, 2026 
Duration: 24 months, virtual 
Format: Online workshops, mentored peer review, and editor engagement

Program Vision 

The ESA Peer Review Academy prepares emerging ecological scientists to contribute rigorous, ethical, and constructive peer reviews while strengthening the future of ecological scholarship and scientific communication. 

Overview 

The ESA Peer Review Academy is a professional development program for early-career ecologists, environmental scientists, and interdisciplinary researchers seeking practical training in peer review and scholarly publishing. Through editor-led workshops, mentored review assignments, and discussion with ESA journal editors, participants build the skills, confidence, and judgment needed to evaluate ecological research and write constructive reviewer reports. 

Goals and Learning Outcomes 

The Academy will help participants: 

  • Understand peer review, editorial workflows, reviewer selection, reviewer responsibility, decision-making, and ethics, values and risks of AI-assisted peer review. 
  • Evaluate ecological and related research questions, methods, analyses, interpretations, transparency, and reproducibility. 
  • Write clear, constructive, timely, and actionable reviewer reports. 
  • Apply ethical practices related to confidentiality, conflicts of interest, authorship, and research integrity. 
  • Build professional networks with ESA editors, mentors, and peers, and publishing staff. 

Program Components 

1. Interactive Workshops 

Virtual sessions led by ESA editors and publishing experts will cover peer review fundamentals, ecological research and publication types, reviewer reports, statistics and reproducibility, ethics, conflicts of interest, diversity and inclusion, artificial intelligence, and editorial decision-making. Recordings will be available to participants. 

2. Mentored Peer Review 

Scholars may complete 3-4 ESA journal reviews per year, work with a scientific mentor, receive editor feedback, and learn how reviewer comments inform editorial outcomes. The number of review invitations will depend on the subject matter expertise required and the volume of manuscripts received in that area.

3. Editor Roundtables during the ESA Annual Meeting 

Small-group conversations with ESA editors will address reviewer selection, common strengths and weaknesses in reviews, editorial triage, decision-making, and pathways into editorial service.

Scholar and Mentor Responsibilities 

Scholars will complete confidentiality and conflict-of-interest requirements, attend required sessions, submit reviews on schedule, engage constructively with mentors and editors, and provide program feedback. Mentors will discuss assigned manuscripts, review draft reports, provide feedback, and support scholars’ development as reviewers. ESA will formally recognize mentor contributions through Society’s newsletters and social media channels. We may also highlight this initiative in the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, the Society’s official publication of record. ESA will provide administrative support for the program; however, no monetary funding is available to either the mentee or the mentor. 

Eligibility

Applicants should be senior postdoctoral researchers, early-career faculty, research scientists, or professionals in ecology, environmental science, conservation biology, ecosystem science, or related fields. Applicants should have published at least two original research papers, preferentially including one with ESA journals, demonstrate interest in peer review and scientific publishing, identify a scientific mentor before your application, and participate in training, complete peer review on schedule. ESA encourages applications from individuals, native and non-native English speaking, representing diverse backgrounds, institutions, career pathways, and geographic regions. 

Benefits

Academy scholars will receive formal training, hands-on reviewing experience, editor interaction, personalized feedback, expanded professional networks, and a digital certificate of completion. Outstanding participants may be considered for future ESA reviewer and editor recruitment, recognition programs, editorial board service, or advanced publishing training opportunities. There is no monetary fund to support this initiative.  

Potential Participating Journals

Ecology, Ecosphere, Ecological Monographs, Ecological Applications, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Earth Stewardship, and The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America.

Application Process

Mentee: 

  1. Candidate and mentor contact information, and mentor endorsement.
  2. Research specialty (10 words or fewer) and the journal(s) you prefer to support.
  3. A biography of 50 words or fewer and a letter of interest of 100 words or fewer.
  4. A CV labeled Lastname.Firstname.pdf.

Mentor:  

  1. Research specialties of 10 words or fewer, and the journal(s) you prefer to support.
  2. A biography of 50 words or fewer, a letter of interest of 100 words or fewer.
  3. A CV labeled Lastname.Firstname.pdf.

Please apply here!

Agreed Mentors

(additional mentors will be added as more information becomes available) 

Senior & Advancing Generations (SAGE) Section Mentors

  • Carmen Cid, next chair, Senior & Advancing Generations (SAGE) Section
  • George Middendorf, Chair & Council Representative, Senior & Advancing Generations (SAGE) Section
  • Kenneth Klemow, Past Chair, Senior & Advancing Generations (SAGE) Section

Additional Editor Mentors

  • Peter Adler, Utah State University
  • Monica B. Berdugo, University of Marburg
  • Caroline Farrior, The University of Texas at Austin
  • Jessica Forrest, University of Ottawa
  • Jennifer Funk, University of California, Davis
  • Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica
  • Ryosuke Iritani, RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences
  • Darrel Jenerette, University of California – Riverside
  • Saheed Olaide Jimoh, Rice University
  • Gaurav Kandlikar, Louisiana State Univerity
  • John Kominoski, Florida International University
  • Burt Kotler, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
  • Quresh Latif, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
  • Lisa McManus, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
  • Jorge Fernando Saraiva de Menezes, Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development
  • Matthew Mitchell, The University of British Columbia
  • Michael Monaghan, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
  • Madan Oli, University of Florida
  • Germán Orizaola, University of Oviedo
  • Julio Postigo, Indiana University
  • Whitney Preisser, Kennesaw State University
  • Julian Resasco, University of Colorado
  • Matteo Rizzuto, Concordia University
  • Annabel Smith, University of Queensland
  • Elise Zipkin, Michigan State University