The University of Iowa Office of the Provost is accepting proposals from campus units interested in hosting a postdoctoral fellow as part of the new Provost’s Postdoctoral Faculty Fellowship Program. The program is intended to serve as a pipeline to tenure-track positions, and is expected to increase campus diversity and align with the goals of the 2019-2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan.

“The ultimate goal of this program is to produce successful faculty members with skills in teaching, research, and service,” says Montserrat Fuentes, executive vice president and provost. “We will provide an excellent experience for fellows and hope to recruit them to increase the talent and diversity of our tenure-track faculty."

The Office of the Provost will provide salary support for up to four fellowships per academic year and each fellowship will be awarded for a maximum of two years. Ideal candidates will be interested in teaching and interdisciplinary research.

In order to provide support, encourage research across disciplines, and create a pipeline to a tenure-track faculty position, the program will use a cohort model. Postdoctoral fellows will participate together in tailored workshops to prepare them to teach and to support their ability to pursue grants, create productive mentor relationships, and publish or present work. Opportunities for leadership development and teaching training will be provided. 

Campus units interested in hosting a fellow must submit a proposal to the Office of the Provost by March 1. The office will announce selections in April and the first cohort of fellows is expected to arrive on campus in fall 2020.

Criteria for successful unit proposals include the availability of interdisciplinary faculty and mentors to supervise fellows, as well as professional development opportunities. Proposals from units that anticipate a tenure-track faculty opening in the near future will receive priority.

Postdoctoral candidates who identify as members of underrepresented groups are highly sought after in academia, Fuentes says. By offering high quality postdoctoral fellowships, the UI will be better able to draw diverse talent to campus, she says.

“Attracting a talented and diverse faculty body is essential for the continued success of our university as a premier public research institution,” says Fuentes. “Creating this new pipeline is an exciting step in that direction, and I look forward to meeting our first group of fellows.”