Yes, if you meet the eligibility requirements then candidates from any university may apply and be selected. 

Maybe. Successful applicants must present documents demonstrating that they are legally authorized to work in the United States. If you make it to the final round, before we invite you to Zoom interview, we will work with our UMN International Student and Scholar Services office - ISSS - to understand the current guidance for our University at that moment in time so that we can be very clear about what is and is not possible in terms of sponsorship. We will not invite people for Zoom interviews unless, through working with the candidate and ISSS, we believe there is a possibility or pathway for us to be able to sponsor a visa extension or change that would enable you to take a job. Also we want to be clear, we are not considering your visa status in our application reviews, but US work eligibility is a requirement for employment. Visa sponsorship and work authorization may be possible for successful applicants through a process which would be managed by you and the International Student and Scholar Services Office - ISSS - with the support of the faculty mentor and department. Our ability to sponsor visas is dependent on current U.S. policy and restrictions. For the most up-to-date information, please visit this site.

Updated 1/29/26

Maybe. If you meet all of the eligibility criteria and if you are selected, visa sponsorship may be possible. Our ability to sponsor visas is dependent on current U.S. policy and restrictions. For the most up-to-date information, please visit this site. For candidates who need extended or new visas for US work eligibility we will work with our UMN International Student and Scholar Services office - ISSS - to understand the current guidance for our University at that moment in time so that we can be very clear about what is and is not possible in terms of sponsorship. We will not invite people for Zoom interviews unless, through working with the candidate and ISSS, we believe there is a possibility or pathway for us to be able to sponsor a visa extension or change that would enable you to take a job. Also we want to be clear, we are not considering your visa status in our application reviews, but US work eligibility is a requirement for employment. 

The University of Minnesota International Student and Scholar Services office would evaluate your current status to determine if a transfer or extension of your current status or a change of status is possible. 

Updated 1/22/26

Maybe. Successful applicants must present documents demonstrating that they are legally authorized to work in the United States. Our ability to sponsor visas is dependent on current U.S. policy and restrictions. For the most up-to-date information, please visit this site. For candidates who need visas for US work eligibility we will work with our UMN International Student and Scholar Services office - ISSS - to understand the current guidance for our University at that moment in time so that we can be very clear about what is and is not possible in terms of sponsorship. We will not invite people for Zoom interviews unless, through working with the candidate and ISSS, we believe there is a possibility or pathway for us to be able to sponsor a visa that would enable you to take a job. Also want to be clear, we are not considering your visa status in our application reviews, but US work eligibility is a requirement for employment.

For anyone who would be moving from an international location, relocation to the Minnesota Twin Cities metropolitan area is required. See FAQ for moving expenses provided. IonE Postdoctoral Fellows may not work remotely from a different country.

Updated 1/29/26

Yes, if your degree will be conferred by July 31, 2026. If your PhD conferral occurs August 1, 2026 or later, we encourage you to apply next year. We are unable to make exceptions to this timeline for conferral date.

last updated 12/9/2025

It depends. You are eligible if you completed or received your Ph.D. after December 31, 2020.

last updated 12/9/25

Ph.D., DDS, DVM, JD, MD, or equivalent is required.

You will need your degree to be conferred by July 31, 2026. If your PhD conferral occurs August 1, 2026 or later, we encourage you to apply in the following year. We are unable to make exceptions to this timeline for conferral date. 

updated 12/15/25

In order to receive an IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship for this year you must defend early enough to have your degree conferred by July 31, 2026. What that “defend by” date is for you personally will vary by institution. We recommend you speak with your advisor and your Registrar’s office so that you can plan accordingly to organize your defense date, any anticipated revisions, and the time it takes for your Registrar’s office to process your conferral.

Updated 1/22/26

In the application you will be asked for a CV, 3 short essay questions (250 words or less), a dissertation abstract, 3-4 references, and you will have the opportunity to include examples of impact products should you so desire.  Please note: an "impact product" does not need to be submitted. This year, we ask that if relevant, include a separate section in your CV titled "Impact Products" and list them there, including hyperlinks if available (which can be to a google folder that has pdfs). 

updated 1/10/25

In your application we are only looking for contact information. If you advance to the final interview stage we will then reach out to references at the same time as when we invite you to your Zoom interview. Your references will be given an option to fill out a short google form that has a few brief questions, with the longest question giving them the option to instead upload an already written (so don't need to tailor to us) letter. We know their time is valuable and we want to make it easy for them to provide a reference on your behalf. Please note, in the case that they wish to provide a pre-written letter of recommendation, we still ask them to attach the letter through the google form and answer a few other brief questions. 

updated 7/8/25

You can find a digitally accessible readable copy of the application questions here. 

Updated 1/23/26

Yes - as long as you are signed into a Google account. The application will prompt you to sign in to complete the form and Google form now has a user autosave feature that will automatically save your entries for 30 days when you are signed into your Google account. 

We aren't asking for your PhD abstract as a writing sample, rather we are trying to get a sense of you and your research. If you want to send your manuscript abstract that would be fine, but we do not need the whole article. 

updated 1/23/25

A brief narrative would be useful in addition to title, date, location, and partners (generally you don't have to list actual names - organizations/institutions are sufficient).

updated 1/23/25

The impact product is not a necessary requirement, but be sure to highlight how your work has had - or how you want to build skills in - society impact (Question #2 in the PDF upload).

updated 1/23/25

The evaluation process will include 3 phases: 1) application review, 2) 1-way interview of qualified candidates, and 3) 2-way zoom interview of finalists.

Phase 1:

Initial applicants will be reviewed for eligibility requirements and assigned to at least three IonE team members. These reviewers will evaluate the applicants in all fields according to their potential for success within IonE’s impact focused research portfolio. Special consideration given to potential contributions to the diversity and equal opportunity goals of IonE. Reviewers will decide which candidates are qualified to move forward to a semi-finalist stage. Candidates will be notified of their status for the semi-finalist stage by February 14th.

Phase 2: 

The semi-finalist stage is a 1-way, asynchronous recorded video interview (Spark Hire). Each candidate will respond to 3-5 questions. Candidates will be given the questions ahead of time and have 3 minutes to answer each one; you will be given one opportunity to re-record your response if you wish. The reviewers will review these responses and indicate which candidates will be selected as finalists to move forward into Zoom interviews. Candidates will be notified of their status for Phase 3 interviews by March 10.

Phase 3:

ALL Zoom interviews will take place June 29 and 30. We will work with the finalists to schedule a 45-minute time slot for their 2-way Zoom interview; times are not guaranteed until scheduled, so we encourage all candidates to reserve June 29 and 30, 2026 on their calendars. We will provide finalists with the interview questions in advance. 

Final Selection:

After the Zoom interviews, principal investigators will submit their recommendations to the Knowledge Initiatives Director for final selection and notification. All candidates will be notified of their final status in August 2026.

last updated 1/26/26

Candidates who advance to the finalist stage will be contacted about projects that they have matched to given their expressed project interests in the application and the determination of the project PIs (who are part of the review team). All finalists will be able to learn more about the projects they matched to and can choose not to interview for a project if they are not interested. 

(Although we would encourage you to be open to all possibilities and to learn more through the finalist interview process, where you will be able to personally meet mentors, colleagues, and project team members and ask questions about the projects.)

The projects that we anticipate that postdocs will be matched to as part of the 3rd IonE Postdoctoral cohort are listed on the Postdoctoral Projects page.  Additional projects may be added over the course of the application and review period.

No. All IonE Postdoctoral Fellows will be matched to 1-2 projects. There will be opportunities as part of all projects to shape the intellectual direction of the work with the project team.

The IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship program creates a community of postdocs working on specific projects connected to our IonE researchers. We have these projects listed on our website and want to make sure we do our best matching the interests and skills of our applicants to the project needs. To do this we are asking applicants to pick up to three projects as part of their initial application. However, we are also asking “If we think you’re a strong candidate for another project can we consider you for that?”. If you answer Yes, we might consider you for projects outside your list. 

However, our fellowship is more than just project fit, it is about you as a system thinking, interdisciplinary, impact orientated, team scientist.

Each project description on the projects page includes a video interview with the PI about the project and what they are looking for in a postdoc.

 If there is a commonality between the two that make you interested in both, we recommend  that you mention this and then get into more specifics on the one to which you are most drawn. If you are interested in projects for separate reasons, then give at least a sentence to your second choice (or two) but talk more about the first. What we are really looking for here is an understanding of your skills and interests (almost like the cover letter aspect of your CV) so you want to make sure that we see why you'll be a great fit for the project(s) you indicated. 

updated 1/10/25

Thank you for your continued interest.  If you responded “Yes” to the question "If we think you’re a strong candidate for another project can we consider you for that?" then we will automatically consider you for all the projects where we see an overlap in your skills, interests, and project needs.

We have tried our best to list all projects upfront, but there are new opportunities that arise that we want to be sure to include. If you have already submitted your application and a new project is then added that you are interested in and you wish to communicate your interest directly to us, please email ione-research@umn.edu with your full name and the newly added project(s) you are interested in and we will add them to your application. 

There is no expectation that applicants will contact PIs prior to submission. 

First and foremost, follow the instructions in the application form.

Secondly, we look for written questions to be focused on concrete examples. 

If you'd like to reference a "Tips & Tricks for Applying" webinar we recorded a couple of cycles ago, we recommend starting midway. This particular recording speaks to the questions asked in last year's application, but some of the broader questions about IonE are still relevant. We also recommend you listen to the webinar recordings with the PIs from last year, and strongly suggest that you register to attend or listen to the replay of the Feb 10, 2026 Informational Webinar with the PIs before submitting your application.

Last updated 1/28/26

Yes, IonE implements inclusive hiring practices.  This means we share interview questions ahead of time so that you can prepare and put your best foot forward. 

The finalist interviews will be over Zoom and will be scheduled for on June 29 and 30, 2026 between 9 am - 5 pm US CDT. If you are selected as a finalist you will be given an interview time on one of those days in June. We will be mindful of time zone differences so that everyone can be their best, but will not be able to accommodate interviews scheduled on different days or during different time windows. We recommend holding both of these days on your calendar.

We will welcome Cohort 4 on September 14, 2026. All new cohort members will be welcomed with a multi-day group orientation.

Last updated 12/15/25

Given the structure of the cohort-based fellowship and professional development programming, Minnesota residence is required for all projects.  In rare cases, for candidates who would only be able to participate remotely with regular (at least 3 weeks per year) in person attendance, we will consider those candidates if it is disclosed during the application process.  Remote requests made at later stages are unlikely to be accomodated.

Last updated 1/23/26

If the work is part of the research project as field work or professional development, then yes, and logistics will be project specific. However, all postdocs must be based in the U.S, whether in-person or hybrid.

updated 1/23/25

IonE postdoc salaries have been updated, given RIO approval, to the following pay bands:

Years of Experience (as a postdoc or relevant prior professional experience) Starting Annual Salary

0-1 $63,500

2-3 $66,000

4-5 $68,500

> 5 years $71,000

In special circumstances, in addition to prior professional experience, consideration for starting salary can consider skill, technical background, specialty, or other qualifications. In addition to the initial annual salary offered to postdocs given their prior experience, continuing postdoc employees would be eligible for in-range adjustments given years of experience.  

last updated 7/8/25

IonE postdocs will be offered, as part of standard postdoc employment packages, 20% time to devote towards their postdoc professional development plan activities, $1500 per year of professional development and/or conference expenses, office space, computer equipment, office supplies needed to accomplish their work, and moving expenses, if relevant.

Our postdocs get medical and dental benefits. You can learn more here: https://hr.umn.edu/Benefits/U-M-Employment-Benefits

You can find benefits on these links:

https://policy.umn.edu/hr/postdocappoint, 

https://policy.umn.edu/hr/postdocappoint-appa (explore voluntary retirement benefits here)

https://hr.umn.edu/Employees/New-Employees/Deciding-Your-Benefits

Also helpful is UMN Enrollment Guide: https://humanresources.umn.edu/sites/humanresources.umn.edu/files/2022_new_employee_accessible_final.pdf

Important pieces include:

- UPlan medical insurance

- Optional retirement accounts

- Flexible spending accounts

last updated 7/8/25

IonE postdoc moving expenses are paid as a lump sum amount as part of the first paycheck (UMN relocation policy) given the following guidelines: 

• Move within 150 miles of campus (outside of Twin Cities metro region): $500

• Move move 151-999 miles: $1500

• Move >1000 miles: $2500

A work week is considered as 40 hours of work.  There is some flexibility around the working hours that are adopted based on people’s individual work preferences, however, regardless of the time zone where you are located, the core hours in which project meetings are scheduled for projects are Monday through Thursday 10-4 CT.  “Science Fridays” are deep work, no/limited meeting day for the entire Knowledge Initiatives team. 

Fellowships are for two years.

The Research & Innovation Office (RIO)  and IonE endorse a “work with flexibility” approach that offers a welcoming and flexible work environment where everyone is inspired to do their best. Work location options include working entirely in the office or partially remote (hybrid) and work location options are based on the position and nature of the work. Because we are a land-grant institution that serves the state, the University will continue to - in most cases - expect employees to live in Minnesota. Given the collaborative and community aspects of IonE research projects, we will give preference for those willing to be local. 

The University of Minnesota will not reimburse commuting costs, including on campus parking or public transportation passes, for employees. 

last updated 1/26/26

Postdocs are expected to spend 50% or greater time in the office. The expectation during onboarding is that you are primarily in the office and then you can work out your schedule with your supervisor to allow you to be most productive. You will work with your supervisor directly on requests for work schedule adjustments, such as medical appointments. 

last updated 7/8/25

KI researchers are evaluated given their job classification and the goals that they annually set in collaboration with their supervisors.  For postdoctoral scholars, in addition to initial 1-month and 3-month goals set for every new employee as part of onboarding processes, IonE Postdoctoral Fellows work with the Project PI(s) to set semester goals given the project priorities.  Given our commitment to training and communication, regular feedback will be provided to team members about their performance.

IonE researchers who are part of Knowledge Initiatives group are expected to build an impactful record of research products and publications that may consist of, for example, scientific databases, reports, and white papers, training materials, decision support systems, and software and metadata documentation, policy memos, peer-reviewed publications, and patent filings. Impact-oriented public engagement and partner relationship cultivation are expected to be integrated into research and professional activities. Impact is assessed by the use of knowledge in society and can consist of a range of outcomes that are described in this guidebook. 

IonE is committed to becoming an antiracist organization, announced by our director in July of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd and amidst the beginning of the pandemic. We also have made a commitment to equity and have a 2024-29 DEIJ plan that represents more than one year of engagement, reflection, and significant contributions from the Institute on the Environment (IonE) community, including affiliates, staff, students, partners, and other stakeholders. 

If you want to stay informed about the IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, please fill out this google form to stay connected. Note, these are general updates, not individual application updates or notices.

We appreciate the time and effort you have invested in your application.

For general questions that are not answered in this FAQ, or if you have any difficulties completing the application form or submitting documents, please email: ione-research@umn.edu.

Yes, this is an annual postdoctoral fellowship program.  The specific projects that IonE Postdoctoral Fellows will be matched to will change annually. To get notified of the release of our 2027 postdoc opportunity please sign up here.