Skip to main content

Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunity - Biomedical Education, Searle Center

The Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching at Northwestern University invites applicants for a postdoctoral fellow to support a new National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded initiative. The fellow will assist the Searle Center and a multi-institutional team to develop, implement, research and assess a postdoctoral professional development program called the Postdoc Academy, offered at scale to postdocs across the country. The goal of the Postdoc Academy is to prepare a diverse national community of postdocs to be successful in their careers.

The successful applicant will work with the multi-PI team at Northwestern and Boston University, as well across the collaborating institutions within this program. They will develop relationships locally at Northwestern with Searle Center staff, online learning designers and videographers, the Northwestern Postdoc Forum, The Graduate School, and relevant departments and programs to implement and evaluate a robust and coherent set of programs for postdocs. The fellow’s primary responsibilities will be to:
  • Collaborate with Postdoc Academy team to develop, implement, research and evaluate postdoc professional development programs online and in-person
  • Facilitate in-person workshops for postdocs and train-the-trainer sessions for faculty/staff
  • Lead the program evaluation work and contribute to research on the program, including producing scholarship related to the program
  • Collaborate with campus stakeholders and the national community to build supportive partnerships for the project
  • Provide logistical management for programming

These activities will provide valuable experience for the postdoctoral fellow in program development, program evaluation and research. This training position is ideal for those interested in careers within academic administration, learning design, or at university centers for teaching and learning. The successful candidate will be supervised by the director of the Searle Center. The Searle Center will provide training in evidence-based approaches to STEM teaching and learning, evaluation, online learning, and educational research methods.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible appointment for two years with the possibility of a one-year extension and an anticipated start date of November 1, 2018. To apply, please send a cover letter describing your background, qualifications, future goals, and why you believe you would be a strong fit for the position to the Postdoc Academy team at postdocacademy@gmail.com. Please be prepared to provide three references and a writing sample. Application materials will be considered on a rolling basis, but for full consideration, all materials must be received by September 15, 2018.

Qualifications

  • Applicants should have completed a PhD in the biomedical sciences, biology education research, or related fields before starting the position, and have a strong interest in academic administration, academic and/or professional development programming, and program evaluation.
  • The ideal candidate will have experience with qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and/or program evaluation.
  • Candidates with a demonstrated publication record, involvement in professional development or teaching-related projects, program evaluation and/or grant-funded research (e.g., NIH training program) are preferred.
  • The individual should be able to work proactively and independently and must be comfortable managing competing project activities, deadlines, and deliverables.
  • They also must possess strong communication skills, be familiar and facile with online collaboration, able to work collaboratively across remote teams.
  • The candidate should have an interest in working across disciplines and be able to collaborate with colleagues across a range of academic fields.
Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.