Apply for the Minnesota Neuroimaging Postdoc Fellowship

 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The award is for two years and each fellow will receive a stipend starting at $61,008 and support for travel, tuition, and health costs. 

• The award is open to postdoctoral trainees whose research interest is in focusing on developing new neuroimaging technologies.

• This fellowship invites and encourages postdoctoral applicants from across the United States to apply.

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or a noncitizen nationals of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment. 

Selected recipients will be matched with mentors:

• Each fellow recipient will identify a list of potential faculty mentors who will be selected from the 40+ participating faculty from the training grant.

• We highly encourage candidates to reach out to potential mentors and begin making connections with them.

• Top applicants will interview with the executive committee and potential faculty mentors.

• Once the recipient is selected, two faculty mentors who best match with the recipient will determine who will directly supervise the research project and one that represents a core area related to the research project.

  • Mentors will be required to submit letters of confirmation once matched with the recipient.

Fellow recipients will be expected to:

• Take at least two courses to broaden their skillset and prepare for either an academic or industry research career.

• Participate in an Annual Retreat and twice-monthly seminars that will cover research and career development topics such as responsible conduct of research, scientific rigor and reproducibility, grant writing, and other key subjects.

• Participate in UMN's numerous neuroscience conferences, symposia, and workshops, along with well-established UMN outreach programs to high schoolers and undergraduates from communities under-represented in STEM fields.

• Provide 6 month progress reports through the project period (with continued funding contingent on progress). A final report is also due at the end of the award.

• Acknowledge the T32 Minnesota Neuroimaging Training Grant's support if discussing the project in media engagements, professional presentations (eg., talks, posters, community outreach), grant submissions, and publications.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

Fellowship recipients will be selected based on relevance to neuroimaging research interests, personal statement, training experience, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statement and strength of letters of support submissions.

Postdoctoral Fellowships:  We seek outstanding postdoctoral candidates interested in neuroimaging. Upon starting the fellowship at the University of Minnesota, a recipient must be a postdoctoral trainee in a job classification reflective of that role (e.g., recipients must have a Ph.D. and provide proof at the time the fellowship begins). Candidates must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment. The neuroimaging fellowship is a 100% time commitment and recipients of this award cannot have multiple commitments held during the same time.

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The University of Minnesota is an affirmative action/equal opportunity educator and employer. 

DIVERSITY

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission.  The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.  To learn more about diversity at the U:  http://diversity.umn.edu.

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

Please note: All employees at the University of Minnesota are required to comply with the University’s Administrative Policy: COVID-19 Vaccination and Safety Protocol by either providing proof of being fully vaccinated on their first day of employment, or complete a request for an exemption for medical exemption or religious reasons. To learn more please visit: https://safe-campus.umn.edu/return-campus/get-the-vax

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

There are two parts to the application, all must be completed and submitted in order to be considered. 

 Recipients will be notified of awards on a rolling basis. If you have a preferred timeline, please contact us at MNneuroimaging@umn.edu.

• Applications should be submitted electronically by completing the online application survey, which will include uploading required materials.  

• The following link will take you to the online survey.

REQUIRED INFORMATION AND APPLICATION MATERIALS

The online application survey will ask applicants to upload the following required information as a single PDF file (font and margins should be no smaller than 10 pt., and 0.5 inches, respectively):

PART 1:  Online fellowship application form.   

Applicant should complete the online fellowship application form, which calls for the following required information:

Project Cover Sheet - cover sheet with the following:

• Applicant name and contact information (telephone, email, current and permanent address).

• Names and contact information of two individuals who will write LETTERS OF SUPPORT on behalf of the applicant.   

Applicant will also upload a PDF document to the application containing the following sections in the order shown:

1. PERSONAL STATEMENT. The applicant should provide a BRIEF PERSONAL STATEMENT of why they are interested in pursuing a career in neuroimaging - Limit 1 page.

2. STATEMENT OF AREAS of INTEREST. The applicant should provide a BRIEF STATEMENT of your AREAS OF INTEREST and EXPERTISE. They should indicate potential faculty mentors  and skills they are interested in acquiring from at least two of the areas related to this fellowship. Note: we highly encourage candidates to connect with these potential mentors before the review process begins. - Limit 3 to 5 sentences. 

3. STATEMENT of DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION. Applicant should provide a brief statement on (1) how they embody diversity, (2) how their project contributes to advancing health equity, (3) previous experiences working with diverse populations, (4)

how they plan to ensure their project is inclusive. (5) Applicants may also choose to write about ways in which their personal identities have shaped their values or influenced their areas of interest. - Limit 1/2 page. 

4. STATEMENT OF TRAINING.  Describe what new knowledge, skills, and techniques the applicant would like to acquire through the fellowship and how these will advance the applicant's career aspirations - Limit 1/2 page. 

5. APPLICANT CV. The applicant should provide a CV that includes previous education, honors/awards, research experience, publications, conference abstract titles, and IP (e.g., disclosures/patents). The CV should also contain the applicant's GPA for all academic institutions attended - Limit 2 pages.

PART 2:  Applicants must arrange for two LETTERS OF SUPPORT from professional references who can comment on their qualifications and research potential (each letter should not exceed 2 pages). Please note, primary mentors should not provide a letter due to potential conflicts of interest. Letters should be emailed to MNNeuroimaging@umn.edu. 

REVIEW PROCESS

The program will be managed by an Executive Board that represents the diversity of the participating faculty across the Medical School and the College of Science & Engineering. Management plans include a rigorous, ongoing evaluation process that incorporates an external Advisory Board and the University of Minnesota's internal research and assessment services. Applications will go through an extensive review process through an internal review committee by a committee composed of faculty members of the T32 Neuroimaging Training Grant.

Applicants will be evaluated on:

1. Qualifications and productivity of applicant

2. Fit of the candidate with the program’s goals

3. Contributions of the applicant and project to promoting diversity, equity and inclusivity in science.

The committee will also take into consideration:

1. Balancing fellowships between magnetic resonance and optical imaging projects

2. Balancing gender and creating diversity among fellows

3. Applicants will be considered from within and outside the University of Minnesota with preference to granting fellowships to new postdocs

4. Promoting and developing new candidates that have technical backgrounds and are interested in transitioning to Neuroimaging field

Please share this with postdocs who may be interested in this neuroimaging funding opportunity!

Click here to download the program announcement

For questions about the program or application process, please contact us MNNeuroimaging@umn.edu