Rising Scholars Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
As part of an ongoing commitment to diversifying our programs, the professoriate, and the research workforce, the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Virginia solicits applications to the Rising Scholars Postdoctoral Fellows Program. This program recruits postdoctoral scholars who have the potential to assume tenure-track faculty positions and who would benefit from mentored professional development opportunities.
There are two components to this program:
Professional Development
The goal of this program is to provide a mentored professional development opportunity to train the next generation of scholars for future tenure-track positions at UVA or elsewhere. Postdoctoral Fellows selected under this program will be appointed for two years (subject to annual review) and will carry out research, teaching and professional development activities directed toward securing a tenure-track position. The Fellows funded through the Mellon grant will carry out transformative, cross-disciplinary research; contribute to the understanding of the legacy of racial inequity using place-based methodologies for research or artistic expression; and strengthen existing initiatives that address RJE issues. In addition to mentoring within departments, Fellows will join a university-wide cohort for additional career development programs and opportunities.
Teaching is an important part of preparation for a faculty position, and the appropriate amount of teaching varies with discipline. During the two-year appointment, fellows in the Arts & Humanities and the Social Sciences will participate in course development training and mentoring during their first semester and teach one independent course in each of the following three semesters. In the Sciences, the training and mentoring would lead to an expectation of one independent course per year. Different types of teaching opportunities may be available, and the specific course content will be consistent with the Fellow’s interests and expertise.
With the aim of building professional research networks and community, Fellows may choose to connect with one of the many organizations at UVA working on issues of race and equity. Some examples include: The Equity Center, the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies, the Native and Indigenous Relations Community, the Institute for Humanities and Global Cultures, the Democracy Initiative, the Memory Project, the Center for the Study of Race and Law, Digital Humanities@UVA and Environmental Humanities at UVA.
Postdoctoral Fellow Support
Postdoctoral Fellows funded under this program will be appointed for two years contingent on a successful annual review. These are 12-month residential appointments in a host department which will provide full research, teaching, and administrative support. In addition to salary and benefits, the program will provide a research fund allocation for each Fellow.
Application Deadline and Instructions
The application portal will go live on October 15, 2022. Review of applications will begin January 15, 2023. In addition to submitting basic application information in Workday, applicants must complete an application on this site where they will submit the following:
- Cover Letter
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement
- Resume
- Research and Teaching Statement
- Writing Sample
- Contact Information for Letters of Reference
For full consideration, both applications should be completed by the deadline.
Application
Requirements
Applicants must have a terminal degree (PhD, or, where appropriate, an MFA). Candidates who received (or will receive) their terminal degree between August 24, 2020 and August 24, 2023 are eligible to apply. The RJE component specifically seeks applicants with a relevant scholarly or creative focus. Areas of research or creative focus might include, but are by no means limited to, labor stratification, race and environment, health, inequity, settler colonialism, sovereignty and survivance, civil rights history, race and public policy, social movements, decolonizing methodologies, race and literature, arts, etc. Scholars from underrepresented communities, including Native American, Indigenous, African American, Latinx, Asian American, queer, neurodiverse, and differently abled scholars, are especially invited to apply.
Contacts
Applicants who seek additional information regarding this program are welcome to contact the department for their specific field of interest listed in the directory on this page, as well as Keisha John, associate dean for diversity and inclusion; and Liza Flood, program coordinator for the Rising Scholars Program.
See updated program details at The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences web site