Post-doctoral fellowships that provide training in both teaching and research are actually quite rare.
A new career development training program at UIC is available here that could help you develop teaching and research skills necessary to make that next career step.
There are three main goals of the mentored program that include:
- A research-intensive training experience,
- Preparation in the core competencies required for excellence in teaching, and
- Developing critical career and cultural skills necessary to successfully transition to faculty positions at research- or teaching-focused institutions.
How long do post-doctoral fellowships last?
A fellowship after completing your PhD could be 1 year, 2-3 years, or more. In fact, it is not uncommon to complete 2 post-doctoral fellowships for some faculty. The fellowship linked above is 3 years long and should be started within 2 years of completing your PhD.
What should be included in a fellowship program?
Many post-doctoral fellowships are guided by the trainee and/or the mentor. In some cases, there may be little input from the mentor, while others may provide a more formal training program.
The program linked above describes different components that include participation in workshops, journal clubs, research experiences, publishing of scientific research, and training students.
Your goal should be to think about how you can market your training experience during your post-doctoral fellowship to secure your next position.
Also, don’t forget to keep track of these experiences so you can discuss these in your application, interviews, and conversations.
Can teaching experience be more than giving “lectures”?
The quick answer is yes.
Teaching experiences can include traditional lectures, however, the reality is very few post-doctoral fellows lecture in traditional courses.
Teaching can also include one-on-one training of student researchers (e.g. undergraduate, graduate), journal club presentations, seminar presentations, and workshop presentations.
One important thing during your fellowship is to make sure to track any contributions you have provided as you are completing them.
Write these things down in an Excel spread sheet as you complete these because after 1 or 2 years you will likely not remember everything.
How do I apply for a post-doctoral fellowship?
If you are interested in a post-doctoral fellowship that includes training in teaching AND research you should consider the program at UIC here.
Alternatively, you can contact a faculty member directly to see if they have open positions or finding them in job listing sites such as Science and Nature.
Once you get into a lab, your mentor may have you apply for career development funding that may include NIH fellowships, DOD fellowships, K-awards, and more – We will have to write more about that another time.
