At the University of Notre Dame, the Society of Science Fellows is a Postdoctoral Fellowship Program established by the Dean of the College of Science to support highly motivated and accomplished individuals who represent the best of the next generation of scientists. 

These prestigious fellowships are designed for early-stage scientists who are bound for research intensive careers in research universities, institutes or industries. The Society Fellows will be initially appointed for two years, receive a stipend corresponding to the NRSA NIH pay scale for postdoctoral fellows and individualized support from College of Science Director of Postdoctoral Studies. Each fellow will work with the director of postdoctoral studies to identify a suitable primary research mentor from the five departments in the College of Science. Additional co-mentors can also be appointed and must have an appointment at the University of Notre Dame. The primary research mentor will provide research space, supplies, and travel support.

Monetary support will be coupled with faculty mentoring, professional development, and networking opportunities. The Society Fellows will have an independent mentoring committee to review their progress and discuss future plans every six months. A sum of $10,000 will be placed under the control of the fellow to cover expenses related to training, professional development, and independent research endeavors. The fellow will participate in the College of Science Postdoctoral Training program, a curriculum that enhances our postdoc’s research skills, career development, and social and personal skills, where they will learn how to apply and obtain a job, how to set up an independent laboratory, and develop a short- and long-term plans to be a successful faculty member or scientist.

Our goal is to train our postdoctoral fellows through workshops, panel discussions, seminars, and networking opportunities designed to advance lab management skills, grantsmanship, communication, academic and industry career exploration, as well as work/life and cultural considerations throughout the year. Moreover, the fellows will participate in a rigorous grant writing workshop for transition awards and fellowships. The Society Fellows are encouraged to apply for both internal and external funding to continue their research at Notre Dame. The Society Fellows also have opportunities to teach at the University of Notre Dame, Holy Cross College, Saint Mary’s College, or Indiana University South Bend.

Eligibility: 

Applicants should have successfully completed (or plan to complete) a doctoral degree after June 2023. Earlier dates can be accepted if maternity or paternity leave, or Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave occurred within the past two years.

Application Instructions:

Applicants should submit the following via the Interfolio website:

1. A cover letter including: the motivation for your application, how this fellowship will further your career goals, and your research interests at Notre Dame.
2. Your curriculum vitae.
3. A statement describing your previous research accomplishments and what research you propose to do under the fellowship. This statement must include the identification of primary mentor and co-mentors, and rationale for selecting mentors. Please see the following links for more information on faculty: Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy. The research statement should not exceed 5 pages.

Candidates must also arrange for at least three letters of recommendation to be submitted via Interfolio. (Do not ask your letter writers to e-mail their letters directly.)

The application deadline is December 15, 2024 at 11:59 pm EST. Decision by Feb 15th, 2025.

For questions or concerns about the submission process, please email sciencepostdocs@nd.edu.

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace. We strongly encourage applications from female and minority candidates and those candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and requires affirmative action by covered contractors to employ and advance veterans and qualified individuals with disabilities in compliance with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a).