Faculty Mentors FAQs

Yes. Faculty may serve as a mentor for more than one applicant for the Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship for Diversity Program.

The e-mail sent by the application system to faculty mentors will ask them to address the following in a letter of support:

» Applicant’s planned research;

» Expected coursework, if any;

» Extent to which the applicant will participate in departmental and campus academic activity (e.g., seminar programs);

» Extent of applicant’s anticipated participation at national/international research meetings;

» Facilities and resources available to the fellow; and

» Mentor’s involvement in mentoring for other programs designed to increase access and opportunity in higher education.

Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship for Diversity mentors are usually tenured faculty who are expected to:

» Assist the fellow in establishing a visible presence in the department;

» Be available and regularly meet with the fellow on a one-on-one basis;

» Work with the fellow to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP) – a tool to help track your postdoc’s progress and goals (see guidelines here). Research goals should align with the postdoc’s career path, with the potential for publications and other opportunities for development;

» Encourage the fellow to attend orientations, trainings, and workshops offered by OPA, Career Services and other units, and to present at conferences and/or symposia;

» Provide support and guidance in the fellow’s work, while allowing a degree of autonomy.

The mentor should not expect to meet all of the fellow’s career development needs personally, but should provide an overall framework to ensure the fellow has access to a broad academic network to support his or her work.

Mentors may also play an important role in advising fellows about the academic job market and, if appropriate, making connections to related departments. At CU Boulder, the expectation with a fellowship offer is that departments will hire Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellows for Diversity for faculty appointments.

Candidates must contact and work with faculty mentors before submitting online applications. If you receive an electronic request for a recommendation letter for a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship for Diversity Program applicant who has not contacted you prior to submitting an application, please inform cpfellows@colorado.edu; no further action is required on your part. Such candidates are ineligible for the program.

After a candidate submits their application, an automatic email will be generated by the application system that includes a unique URL and instructions for submitting your recommendation letter. If you do not receive such an email, please check your spam folder. In the event you cannot locate the URL, please email cpfellows@colorado.edu.

If you receive an electronic request for a recommendation letter for a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship for Diversity Program applicant who has not contacted you prior to submitting an application, please inform cpfellows@colorado.edu; no further action is required on your part. Such candidates are ineligible for the program.

The deadline for submitting the online application is November 1, 2020. Please provide your recommendation letter to your department chair by November 15, 2020 for departmental review; your department chair will be provided a list of applicants and mentors prior to this date. The deadline for uploading faculty mentor, department chair and reference letters in the online portal is December 1, 2020.