Bridge to Faculty Call for Applications

Call for Applications

Bridge to the Faculty
UIC Postdoctoral Fellowship for Diverse Faculty

August 2020

Bridge to the Faculty is a postdoctoral program designed to recruit underrepresented scholars with the goal of transitioning them to faculty members after two years. This recruitment initiative aims to attract and retain promising scholars to UIC as well as diversify our faculty, with particular emphasis in departments with low or no presence of faculty who are underrepresented in their field. Salary support for the postdoctoral positions and the faculty hires that result will be provided by UIC’s central administration.

UIC departments that are interested in diversifying their faculty through this program are invited to apply to the program in order to host a postdoctoral fellow in their department for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years. Interested departments must send at least one department representative to a virtual informational session about the program, scheduled for September 15, 2020 from 12-1:30 pm. Departments must complete and return the application (see the link below), explaining how the postdoc position fits their department’s research and teaching mission and diversity goals; how they will mentor and support the postdoc; and how they plan to transition the fellow to faculty at the end of the second year. Each department must also provide evidence of dean-level approval of the postdoc application. The deadline for applying for postdoc support is September 28, 2020. Departments that have previously applied to the program may apply to the current call for applications and must complete all requirements specified in this call.

Departments will be notified of selection by Monday, October 12, 2020. Selected departments will be able to advertise the position, conduct a search, and select their postdoc, beginning in the Fall 2020 semester. Searches must be advertised nationally, and all departments are required to conduct a competitive search (i.e., identify and interview multiple qualified candidates). We encourage eligible candidates, within and outside of UIC, to apply for any advertised Bridge to the Faculty position.

In addition to department mentorship, postdocs will participate in a cohort mentoring experience in which they will have the opportunity to meet other postdocs through the Office of Diversity in collaboration with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Center for Teaching Excellence. After completion of the first year, the department must notify its college and the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs if it is recommending the candidate for a faculty position, and Faculty Affairs will work with the college to initiate the hiring process for Fall 2023.

All finalists for any advertised Bridge to the Faculty postdoctoral scholar position must be eligible for an August 16, 2021 start date (i.e., doctoral degree conferral must have occurred prior to this date). The specific characteristics of each postdoc will vary depending on the department. Postdoctoral positions should be designed to encourage research activities and scholarly publications. Some teaching responsibilities can be included but are not to exceed two courses for the two-year duration of the postdoc. Service requirements should be kept to a minimum and required only as they promote the postdoc’s integration into the department and do not interfere with scholarly activities.

The Bridge to the Faculty Fellowship is funded by the Chancellor’s Office and administered through the Office of the Provost. For more information about the application and process for applying, please contact Bridgetofaculty@uic.edu

To apply for the Bridge to the Faculty Program, please use this link to access the current application form:

https://uofi.box.com/s/qffcjdu52jgdqws2ziybjb3ztpxdp25a

For more information, please contact:

Bridgetofaculty@uic.edu