Presidential Postdoctoral Fellows Program  

Applicants from any discipline are eligible to apply but must be conducting work in one of the four presidential priority areas: Advancing STEM diversity, Engaged Climate Action, Health Equity and Race, Racism, and Inequality. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. To be eligible for the program, applicants must have their terminal degree (Ph.D., MFA, D.F.A., M.D., J.D., or equivalent) fully conferred byAugust 31 in the year of appointment at Rutgers. This includes completing, defending, and submitting all degree requirements to the degree-granting institution by this date.

Applicants with a Humanities or Social Sciences degree must have received their terminal degree within three years prior to their appointment at Rutgers. For example, a postdoctoral fellow appointed on September 1, 2025, must have completed their degree between August 31, 2022, and August 31, 2025. 

Applicants with a STEM or Biomedical research degree must have received their terminal degree in a STEM or Biomedical discipline within five years prior to their appointment at Rutgers. For example, to be eligible for an appointment starting on or after September 1, 2025, applicants must have completed their degree on or after August 31, 2020. Individuals with previous postdoctoral experience are eligible to apply.

Applicants with a healthcare training background, such as medical residents or fellows, must have received their terminal degree (e.g., M.D. or equivalent) within five to seven years prior to their appointment at Rutgers. For example, to be eligible for an appointment starting on or after September 1, 2025, applicants must have completed their degree on or after August 31, 2018. These candidates can apply through the Clinical Scientist Pathway, part of the RBHS Presidential Faculty Diversity Initiative. 

• A cover letter that introduces yourself as a scholar, describes your current and previous work, and speaks to the relevance of the fellowship to your research and career path.
• A curriculum vitae, including publications, awards, honors, current and pending funding (if any).
• Rutgers University values contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion (diversity.rutgers.edu). We encourage applicants to comment (in a separate statement or in the cover letter) about how their research, teaching, and/or service in the past, present, and/or future could contribute to these values.
• A proposed research plan that describes what the applicant aims to achieve during the term of his /her/ their appointment. Applicants should use this Plan to request specific placements at Rutgers and explain why such a placement would be beneficial. Plans may be no longer than 3 pages, single-spaced, with one-inch margins, in 11 pt. font. If you require an extra page for citations or references, aim to keep them within one additional page.
• A writing sample of no more than 25 pages (all inclusive), double-spaced, or a sample of prior research. The writing sample can be any written work that best represents your research and/ or creative efforts at this career stage. Depending on your field of expertise, your sample might be a published paper, article, essay, creative work, or a selection of one; a compilation of different shorter papers; an unpublished research paper that represents current work; a scholarly article; or an excerpted chapter from a dissertation.
• Three confidential letters of reference, one of which should be from the applicant's dissertation or thesis advisor. All letters must be submitted by referees through the application portal via an automatically-generated email request link. Applicants can save the application as a draft and send the letter requests before they submit their application. For details see #6 on the Requesting a Reference Letter webpage. All letters must be received via the portal no later than October 18. We recommend that all applicants directly alert their referees of the deadline to submit their letter. Applicants must ensure that their referees submit their recommendation letters before the deadline. It is the responsibility of the applicants to follow up with their referees and confirm the status of the letter submissions. Applications will not be considered if one or more letters are missing when the portal closes.
• All applicants must apply through the online portal. Only complete applications received through the portal by the closing date of October 18, 2024, will be reviewed.

We include supplementary questions about demographics, disability status, and veteran status at the end of the application portal as part of the application process.  As a Federal contractor, Rutgers University is required to ask all applicants to provide this demographic information.

While all applicants are required to review these questions at the time of application, providing your information is optional and will not affect the status of your application.

Your answers will be kept confidential and will not be shared with reviewers.

You can locate the required supporting document for the Supplementary Questions by navigating to the DETAILS tab at the top of the portal screen.

Campus & Mentor Placement

We ask applicants to identify and indicate their preferred campus placement and mentor on their application. If desired, applicants can also request an alternative campus and mentor as a second choice.

Applicants are encouraged to contact possible mentors to express interest in working with them through the fellowship program. Taking this initiative will help both the applicant and the potential mentor to assess whether they would be a good fit and will help evaluate the best placement and assist departments in assigning mentors.

During the application review process, departments will assign mentors to nominees who are considered suitable. Every participant in the program will be matched with at least one mentor.

We recommend reading our best practices for Choosing the Right Postdoc Position for additional guidance.

The Presidential Postdoctoral Fellows program is a vital new pathway into the professoriate for emerging researchers and scholars who are preparing to join the Rutgers community as full-time faculty colleagues. The role of the mentor is a critical one in guiding the career development of the fellow and assisting in their integration into the host department. Mentors ensure that labs and other research environments are welcoming and inclusive for the fellows. They act as a trusted resource for information about career success at Rutgers and as intermediaries for introductions to department colleagues who will eventually be asked to support the fellow's faculty appointment, should the fellowship period be productive.

In addition, hosting units commit to providing the infrastructure and resources to support the fellow's proposed research and to consider them for a tenure-track faculty position by the end of their second year in the program.

Fellows are required to attend the following PPF activities:

• A welcome session, which may be scheduled 1-2 months before or up to 2 weeks after start date.
• Check-in Focus Group Discussions are conducted at least twice a year, but no more than four times annually. These 90-minute discussion sessions offer an opportunity to talk about and share progress on career goals and other professional development topics. 
• Submit a Rutgers Postdoctoral Individual Development Plan (IDP) at the end of each appointment year. Fellows will work together with their faculty mentor(s) to write the IDP, and the Office of Postdoctoral Advancement offers a specific workshop, “Your Career on Track,” to explain how to complete this document. Completing an IDP helps with setting career and professional goals, making postdoctoral training more intentional and productive, and allowing you to track your progress. It clearly outlines your and your mentor's expectations and establishes mutual understanding and clear communication.
• At least one activity or event regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion per year in the fellowship program. These may include workshops on implicit or unconscious bias, mentoring across differences, or other topics offered through The Office of University Equity and Inclusion, the Faculty Diversity Collaborative, or Chancellor Led Units activities like equity talks and racial healing circles, among others.
• At least one mentoring activity or program per year. Examples include the workshop on “Effective Mentoring of Undergraduates in Laboratory Setting,” led by Drs. Janet Alder, Evelyn Erenrich, and Xenia Morin (for STEM/Biomed Fellows), the Rutgers Connection Network Mentoring Program offered through the Faculty Diversity Collaborative, or the “Strengths-Based Mentoring Skills: or “Mentoring-Up” workshops offered through the Office of Postdoctoral Advancement and other units.

In addition to these specific requirements, fellows will be expected to participate in a selection of professional and career development cohort activities offered through the Office of Postdoctoral Advancement and other units or programs on time management skills, writing for grants and/or publication, teaching, faculty job preparation, mentoring skills, leadership skills, communication skills, networking, advocacy, teaching statements, and diversity statements. Fellows will be notified of all scheduled professional development sessions. A certificate of completion in professional development will be granted to fellows that dedicate 10 hours or more per academic year to these programs.

Fellows can schedule 1:1 Advising Sessions with the OPA Director for personalized guidance on navigating Rutgers, discussing their experiences, and maximizing their postdoctoral journey. Additionally, 1:1 Coaching Sessions are available for fellows seeking a safe space to self-explore, reflect, clarify goals and next steps, and foster professional growth in an individualized way. 

Please note that the activities and events mentioned in this document are meant to complement the field or discipline-specific professional skills training and activities offered by the hosting department and school.

The application portal is now closed.