At Case Western Reserve, we believe that great researchers can also be great teachers. As such, we have created the Presidential Society of STEM Postdoctoral Fellows to be focused on excellence in the future of STEM teaching and research, with an emphasis on encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching, research, and service. We are searching for stellar individuals eager to build a community of STEM scholars who help define the future of learning for the next generation of students, the future of STEM research that crosses disciplines, and the future of diversity, equity and inclusion in all interactions including with neighbors and residents of Cleveland. This approach to scholarship and teaching and service is core to the values and approach of CWRU, as articulated in our strategic plan, Think Big.
About
The inaugural class of four Fellows will help co-design the future of the program, alongside the President, Provost, and Deans. We anticipate this program will ultimately grow to a community of eight Fellows at any one time. This three-year experience will allow Fellows to engage in research with key mentors, eventually moving into grant support with those mentor scholars by year three of the term. At the end of the three years, the Fellows will have taught STEM introductory courses, continued their research trajectories, built research partnerships across disciplines and into the community, published in their fields, and gained an understanding of how great researchers are also great teachers. Along the way, they will also be change agents at the university, building a culture that breaks boundaries, both visible and invisible.
Program Details
- Teach first-year undergraduate courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. Each Fellow will teach one course in the fall semester and one in the spring semester.
- Participate in research with a mentor in biology, chemistry, mathematics and statistics, or physics, with significant focus on research that aligns to federal funding trends.
- Attend monthly STEM Journal Club meetings, with a focus on the role of community as well as the balance of humanity and technology in STEM.
- Engage with the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE) for teaching/mentoring learning activities.
- During the three-year experience, develop or engage in a research program and/or outreach activity (including one of our already established mentoring programs) that involves and enriches the Cleveland community in a STEM-focused and interdisciplinary way.
- Participate in department-based mentoring activities focused on excellence in research and teaching.
- Engage with other Fellows on a frequent basis and attend meetings (often during meals) with the President, Provost, and Deans.
- $75,000/year salary (and health benefits)
- $5,000/year for research and professional development
- Access to mentoring in both research and teaching
- Inclusion in diversity programs
- Applicants must have been awarded their Ph.D. between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022. The Ph.D. must be in biology, chemistry, mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics, physics or a related discipline.
- Candidates must have a strong research agenda, evidence of a strong affinity for teaching, and a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and community engagement.
- The Fellows must be able to start by July 1, 2022 and be a U.S. citizen or authorized to work in the U.S.
Applications must be received by March 25, 2022.
Contents of the application include:
- A curriculum vitae (CV).
- A personal statement outlining your scholarly agenda, inclusive of both research and teaching; completed research (including dissertation), courses taught (including the pedagogical approach); how your professional and life experiences have prepared you to advance CWRU’s interest in community engagement and to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, and any other information related to your professional goals. (7500 character limit, including spaces).
- A statement explaining why you wish to be part of this distinguished cohort of Fellows. Discuss plans for the three-year fellowship (including potential new research beyond the dissertation). Identify two faculty from this list who might serve as research mentors and explain why you see opportunity in working with each of these potential mentors. (7500 character limit, including spaces).
- Three confidential letters of recommendation.
Applications will be reviewed by a committee of University leaders and senior STEM faculty. Recipients of the Fellowship will be notified in April 2022.