One-U RAI Postdoctoral Fellows Program
Three to five postdoctoral fellows will be recognized each year as One-U RAI Postdoctoral Fellows. Selection will be based on project proposals in alignment with one or more of the thematic areas of interest:
Overview of the Program
One-U RAI Postdoctoral Fellows will be awarded for two years. Fellows will be selected based on a submitted project proposal and will be matched with at least two faculty mentors from the University of Utah who will support the career development of the candidate. The program will cover a salary of $70,000 and employee benefits, including retirement, for the postdoctoral fellow for two years, while the faculty mentors will be responsible for additional research costs, including computing, travel, publishing fees, etc. The RAI Postdoctoral Fellow will be granted a research appointment at SCI, which will include access to SCI services as appropriate.
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Applications can be submitted via the online form below and should include:
- Current CV
- Brief summary of the research project (3 sentences or less)
- Statement of alignment with the goals of the One-U RAI and associated thematic area(s) (half page or less)
- Research statement, including a description of the proposed project and qualifications that make the candidate particularly suitable for the program (2 pages or less)
- One letter of recommendation from a current or previous research mentor
- Suggested faculty mentors including a brief statement on their perceived alignment with the proposed project
Faculty members who have expressed interest in serving as a mentor for a One-U RAI Postdoctoral Fellow are available on the Interested Faculty page. However, candidates are welcome to reach out to University of Utah faculty members not on this list.
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Applications will be reviewed on a quarterly basis with initial submission deadlines of January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. Initial application decisions can be expected within 4 weeks of submission.
Candidates will be assessed using a two-stage review process. First, candidates will be assessed based on their proposed project, alignment with the goals of the One-U RAI and associated thematic area(s), and the ability and willingness of at least two faculty mentors to support the candidate. For selected proposals, the candidate and the identified mentors will work together to develop a career development plan and a final project proposal, which can be identical to the initial proposal but should incorporate any feedback and be approved by both faculty mentors. It is expected that these materials will be due two months after the initial deadline, however the timeline may vary and will be communicated to eligible candidates.
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The One-U RAI Executive Committee and Faculty Engagement Committee will review applications and make recommendations based on:
- alignment of the project with the goals of the One-Utah RAI and associated thematic area
- ability of the faculty mentors to support the project
- ability to bring together unique perspectives from varied backgrounds
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All One-U RAI Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows must have a PhD at the start of the Fellowship and should have received their PhD within five years of their start date. Candidates may have had an existing postdoctoral fellowship but may not have had a previous faculty position. Candidates will submit a project proposal in alignment with at least one of the three thematic areas. In addition to a project, candidates will suggest University of Utah faculty mentors at the time of application. Strong projects that are well-aligned with the One-U RAI will be matched with at least two faculty mentors in different University of Utah departments. Faculty mentors will be responsible for co-mentoring the fellow for the project's duration and will represent both domain and AI methodological expertise, respectively. The candidate and faculty mentors will work together to develop a career development plan and final project proposal.
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Postdoctoral Fellows will also be expected to participate in RAI activities, including distinguished visitor lectures, community events, and communications, and to complete a yearly survey on the program's value. The standard cycle for awards for the One-U RAI Postdoctoral Fellowship will begin on January 1, however exceptions to this cycle will be made to accommodate awardees needing flexibility.