Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowships

Background and Purpose

Biomedical research faculty diversity is an ongoing, recalcitrant challenge. Much evidence has demonstrated that the academic pathway is most vulnerable during the postdoctoral phase and that faculty diversity will increase as more postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented backgrounds transitioned onto the market and were hired into academic positions. Based on this evidence, the Bio Sci Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will invest in a program to recruit and train a diverse pool of postdoctoral fellows who are interested in pursuing academic careers.

The program will provide two $25,000 recruitment fellowships, to be used by mentoring faculty to recruit highly competitive postdoctoral fellows. The fellowship may not be used to partially defray salary or benefits and must be provided to the prospective fellow as a supplement to standard salary and benefit packages to aid with recruitment. The fellowship is paid out in increments over the first year of employment for the postdoctoral fellow.

Qualifications and Expectations

Eligible fellows must have received their Ph.D. (or equivalent) degree within the last three years, demonstrate a strong commitment to inclusive excellence and a clear interest in the academic path. The evaluation process will take into consideration evidence of research productivity, potential for success in an independent research career, and a strong track record of contributions to diversity. Women and individuals from groups historically underrepresented in biomedical sciences are strongly encouraged to apply. International scholars are also encouraged to apply, provided that they are interested in pursuing an academic career within the U.S. Prospective fellows may apply before receiving their doctoral degree, as long as that their PhD defense date is prior to September 1 of the same year.

Awardees are expected, within the first year of being in the lab, to apply to fellowships from federal or private sources, and if eligible, apply to the University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (UC PPFP). The UC PPFP was established in 1984 to encourage outstanding women and minority Ph.D. recipients to pursue academic careers at the University of California.

Awardees will receive dedicated mentorship and help in preparing fellowship applications and access to a suite of professional development resources through GPS-STEM including formal training in grant writing, paper writing, effective mentoring, and science communication.

Application Instructions

The applicant must be nominated by a full-time senate faculty member at any rank with a primary appointment in the School of Biological Sciences. The nomination packet should include:

An NIH Biosketch (download | instructions | sample)
Research Statement (max 3 pages, single spaced, 11pt font, 0.5-inch margins)
Inclusive Excellence Activities Statement (instructions) (max 2 pages, single spaced, 11pt font, 0.5-inch margins)
Letter of Recommendation from Ph.D. Advisor
Letter of Support from the Prospective Postdoctoral Mentor at UCI.
If the candidate has not attained the Ph.D. yet, the Ph.D. advisor’s letter must clearly state that the candidate will have completed all degree requirements including final submission of dissertation before September 1.

The complete application must be emailed as a single combined PDF to inclusionbiosci@uci.edu. Consulting with Associate Dean Yassa prior to submission is highly recommended to better understand program goals and dynamics.

There is no deadline for application. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis to accommodate highly variable postdoc recruitment schedules.