University of California / University of Michigan
President's and Chancellor's Postdoctoral
Fellowship Programs
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
ELIGIBILITY
- Do I have to be an underrepresented minority to apply for this fellowship?
- Can I still be considered if I do not have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency?
- Can I apply if I have a JD, MD, MFA or EdD instead of a PhD?
- I'm an assistant professor, can I still apply?
- I received my PhD over 5 years ago. Am I still eligible for to apply for this fellowship?
- I will finish my doctorate after July 1, next year. Am I still eligible to apply this fall?
FINDING A MENTOR
- How do I find a faculty mentor?
- Are assistant professors allowed to be faculty mentors?
- What are the expectations of the faculty mentors during the fellowship?
- May I select a faculty mentor from my current department or campus?
- Can I select a retired faculty member to be my faculty mentor?
- Can a faculty member serve as a mentor for more than one applicant?
APPLICATION
- Are there sample applications available for review?
- Should I send my graduate transcripts along with my online application?
- May I upload the letters from a dossier service instead of having my references upload the letters themselves?
- How will I know when my faculty mentor and reference letters have been uploaded to my online application?
- What is the application deadline?
- When will the final decisions be announced?
REVIEW AND SELECTION
- Who will review my application?
- What criteria are considered by the selection committees when reviewing applications?
- Should the research proposal focus on turning the dissertation into a book, expanding on the dissertation, or beginning a new research project?
- I'm unable to relocate to a UC campus because of family reasons. Can I still apply?
- What are the faculty mentors and faculty references asked to address in their letters?
Postdoctoral Fellowship Programs for Faculty Diversity
Q: Do I have to be an underrepresented minority to apply for this fellowship?
A: No. The Program is open to all persons who meet the eligibility criteria without regard to race, gender, or ethnicity.
Q: Can I still be considered if I do not have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency?
A: No. All applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents at the time of application.
Q: Can I apply if I have a JD, MD, MFA or EdD instead of a PhD?
A: Yes, applicants with terminal degrees in their field may apply as long as they are preparing for a career in university teaching and research.
Q: I’m an assistant professor, can I still apply?
A: The fellowship is designed to give recent graduates an opportunity to become more competitive candidates for UC tenure-track appointments. It is not a general fellowship program for individuals already on the tenure-track to take time out for research with the intention of staying at their current institution. Candidates with tenure-track appointments at other universities are not favored in the selection process, unless there is a clear explanation of how an award to the candidate would further the goals of the program.
Q: I received my PhD over 5 years ago. Am I still eligible for to apply for this fellowship?
A: Yes. You are still eligible to apply if you are preparing for a career in university teaching and research. Please note that if you have served in postdoctoral fellowship appointments at any university for over five years, you will not be eligible for appointment in this program due to University of California policy that limits total time of service in academic postdoctoral appointments to five years.
Q: I will finish my doctorate after July 1, next year. Am I still eligible to apply this fall?
A: You should expect to complete your doctorate on or before July 1 of the year following your application.
FINDING A MENTOR
Q: How do I find a faculty mentor?
A: In the past, awardees have identified potential faculty mentors through professional contacts in their field. You may also look for an appropriate mentor by reviewing the literature and searching UC department websites for faculty who are working in your area of interest.
Q: Are assistant professors allowed to be faculty mentors?
A: No. Faculty mentors must have tenure (associate or full professor.
Q: What are the expectations of the faculty mentors during the fellowship?
A: Please see the Guidelines for Mentors and Host Departments.
Q: May I select a faculty mentor from my current department or campus?
A: The program encourages applicants to look for a mentor outside their current department and their home campus unless they can articulate a strong reason for remaining in the same academic location in their research proposal or education background statement.
Q: Can I select a retired faculty member to be my faculty mentor?
A: The program encourages applicants to select an active faculty member as their mentor. However, in some cases retired faculty who are still fully involved in their department and their research program are excellent prospective mentors.
Q: Can a faculty member serve as a mentor for more than one applicant?
A: Yes, faculty may serve as a mentor for more than one applicant for the President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. In the past, the program has offered fellowships to two candidates mentored by the same faculty member.
APPLICATION
Q: Are there sample applications available for review?
A: No. There are many variations on successful applications. Applicants are encouraged to consult with their academic advisors about how to submit a competitive application. See the Application Requirements (pdf) for more information.
Q: Should I send my graduate transcripts along with my online application?
A: No. The program no longer requires transcripts to be sent with the application. However, the program will request official graduate transcripts if you are selected as a finalist and will not offer you a fellowship until official graduate transcripts are received. Please see the Application Requirements (pdf) for more information on the required application contents.
Q: May I upload the letters from a dossier service instead of having my references upload the letters themselves?
A: Yes, you may have the dossier service upload the letters for your application. You must enter a unique URL for each letter.
Q: How will I know when my faculty mentor and reference letters have been uploaded to my online application?
A: You will receive e-mail confirmations from the online application system each time a letter is uploaded to your application. You can check on the status of your application including the arrival of your mentor and reference letters by using the username and password you created and returning to the application information page.
Q: What is the application deadline?
A: The deadline for submitting the online application is November 1st each year. The deadline for faculty mentor and reference letters is December 1st each year.
Q: When will the final decisions be announced?
A: Finalists will be notified and awards announced no sooner than March 1st each year. Please consider restraint when contacting the program office about the selection results. Successful candidates are notified first. Alternates are notified if awardees do not accept or if current fellows do not renew their terms. Additional fellowships may be awarded to candidates on the alternate list as late as June, if resources become available. The program makes every effort to notify all candidates as soon as possible.Finalists will be notified and awards announced no sooner than March 1st each year. Please consider restraint when contacting the program office about the selection results. Successful candidates are notified first. Alternates are notified if awardees do not accept or if current fellows do not renew their terms. Additional fellowships may be awarded to candidates on the alternate list as late as June, if resources become available. The program makes every effort to notify all candidates as soon as possible.
REVIEW AND SELECTION
Q: Who will review my application?
A: Applications will be reviewed by at least two faculty who may be from your field or from a range of fields in related disciplines. Final selections may be made by faculty review panels or senior academic administrators (provost, vice provost, vice chancellor). All files may be read by faculty from any university participating in the Partnership for Faculty Diversity.
Q: What criteria are considered by the selection committees when reviewing applications?
A: Faculty reviewers evaluate applicants in all fields according to their potential for success in an academic career with special consideration given to potential for contributions to the diversity and equal opportunity as described in Evaluation and Selection.
Q: Should the research proposal focus on turning the dissertation into a book, expanding on the dissertation, or beginning a new research project?
A: In general, faculty reviewers prefer to see a proposal that includes a significant piece of new work. However, in some fields or for some individuals, a proposal to complete or expand upon previous might be favorably reviewed. In such cases, this should be combined with a plan for making a significant start on a new project.
Q: I’m unable to relocate to a UC campus because of family reasons. Can I still apply?
A: The fellowship requires that you are in residence and establish a presence at your mentor’s campus, school or department. If you wish to propose continuing work where you completed your Ph.D., we recommend that you consider working with different faculty members or a different department if possible. If you wish to stay with your current department or faculty advisors, please explain your situation in your education background statement.
Q: What are the faculty mentors and faculty references asked to address in their letters?
A: For a detailed list of prompts for faculty letter writers, please review the Application Requirements (pdf).