Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship
Program Overview
The University of Colorado Boulder’s (CU Boulder) Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship aims to enhance CU Boulder’s academic community by attracting scholars from various backgrounds, races, ethnicities and historically excluded populations. The program is open to all eligible individuals, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or identity, religion, irreligion, age, marital or family status. Email questions to cpfellows@colorado.edu.
Eligibility
Applicants must have a completed doctorate or other terminal degree before July 1, 2025. Applicants are eligible if they have completed their doctoral or other terminal degree within the last three years (2022 or after) and are preparing for an academic career in research, scholarship or creative work. Faculty mentors must be tenured or tenure-track faculty at CU Boulder.
Successful international applicants may be sponsored for a visa depending on the hiring department’s available funding and the applicant’s eligibility under university policies and applicable law. Visa sponsorship is managed by the International Students and Scholar Services office, in collaboration with the faculty mentor and hiring department. Sponsorship will be evaluated before any official offer is extended.
Fellowships
The one-year fellowship provides a base salary of $60,000, which may be supplemented by campus units up to $75,000 based on applicant qualifications and department discretion. The fellowship offers an additional, one-time $5,000 in professional development funding. The fellowship includes medical, dental, vision and basic life insurance benefits. Moving expenses and signing bonuses may be provided contingent on the department’s moving reimbursement and signing bonus policies.
Two to three fellowships are anticipated annually.
In rare circumstances, one-year renewals may be offered, subject to funding availability and fellowship progression. To underscore the department’s commitment to a tenure-track position for the fellow, the fellow’s department must contribute 50% of the salary costs during the one-year renewal; the program will cover the remaining 50%, subject to available funding. Email cpfellows@colorado.edu for more details on renewal requirements.
Application Process and Requirements
The below materials must be uploaded in the online portal.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Personal Statement (4-page, 2,000-word maximum, single-spaced) including:
- Research, scholarly and creative work plan for the fellowship period;
- Future academic career goals;
- Academic and personal experience that will offer different perspectives to the CU Boulder community and your discipline; and
- Contributions to diversity, equity and inclusive practices in educational or community settings.
- Reference Letters (2 in total) – it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure letters are submitted via the online portal by the deadlines.
- Thesis Advisor: Describe the applicant’s potential for an academic career. Thesis advisors will receive an email requesting the recommendation letter, with a submission deadline of November 8.
- Joint Faculty Mentor/Department Chair: Describe the applicant’s planned research as well as the facilities and resources available; the mentor’s ability to support the applicant’s career trajectory and commitment to completing an Individual Development Plan with the applicant; and the department’s commitment to hiring the applicant into a tenure-track position. This letter should be jointly signed by both the mentor and chair. In some cases, the chair may also act as the mentor. Mentors and chairs will receive an email requesting the recommendation letter, with a submission deadline of November 15.
Deadlines and Key Dates
- Online Portal Opens: August 1, 2024
- Deadline for Curriculum Vitae and Personal Statement: November 1, 2024
- Deadline for Thesis Advisor Letter: November 8, 2024
- Deadline for Faculty Mentor and Department Chair Letter: November 15, 2024
- College/School Committee Submits Rank-Ordered Applicants to cpfellows@colorado.edu: December 16, 2024
- Final Selection Committee Decisions: February 2025
Evaluation and Selection
Applications are reviewed in three stages and candidates are assessed based on academic accomplishments, personal statement, recommendation letters, prospective scholarly contributions and a successful faculty career at CU Boulder. At the first evaluation stage, faculty in the proposed home department (i.e., chairs, mentors) discuss and rank order candidates, followed by the appropriate school or college’s review (i.e., the dean or their designee). The school or college also takes into consideration the faculty mentor and department’s commitment to the candidate(s). These rankings are submitted to a final, campus-level selection committee, who assess applicants based on feedback from the school(s) or college(s), strategic areas of growth/need and priorities outlined in the IDEA Plan. View the reviewer guidance shared with departments.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Recipients
- Participate in campus life;
- Focus full-time on research/scholarship without teaching and additional employment;
- Meet regularly with mentor(s); and
- Attend Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Postdoctoral Association of Colorado Boulder (PAC Boulder) events.
- Tenured or Tenure-Track Faculty Mentors
- Identify common or complementary research, scholarly or creative work interests and agree to mentor the fellow;
- Assist the fellow to establish a visible, active presence in the department;
- Meet regularly with the fellow one-on-one and create an Individual Development Plan (IDP) with the fellow to track career progress;
- Encourage the fellow to attend professional development and networking activities offered by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, Career Services, PAC Boulder and other campus units;
- Encourage the fellow to present at conferences and/or symposia;
- Help the fellow network with other mentors, particularly those of various backgrounds and disciplines to help foster a well-rounded experience; and
- Provide support and guidance in the fellow’s work while allowing a degree of autonomy; and
- Advise the fellow about the job market and help facilitate connections.
- Department
- Commit to hiring the applicant into a tenure-track position using department or college/school resources. It is incumbent upon the department/unit to fund the faculty position. Departmental lines and/or Critical Needs Hiring Program funds from the college/school may be potential avenues of support;
- Welcome the fellow into departmental activities such as colloquia, seminars, faculty meetings and social gatherings;
- Onboard fellows like any new hire and provide space, technology, supplies and other necessary resources; and
- Hire the fellow under the Postdoctoral Associate (1312) job code and coordinate offer letters with the HR Research Service Center (resfachr@colorado.edu).