Skip to main content

This job has expired

UNC-ARC Postdoctoral Fellow

Employer
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
View more categoriesView less categories

Job Details

Department:

Postdoc Affairs - 621700

Posting Open Date:

01/21/2025

Application Deadline:

02/20/2025

Open Until Filled:

No

Position Type:

Postdoctoral Scholar

Position Title:

UNC-ARC Postdoctoral Fellow

Vacancy ID:

PDS004442

Full-time/Part-time:

Full-Time Temporary

Hours per week:

40

FTE:

1

Work Location:

Chapel Hill, NC

Position Location:

North Carolina, US

Hiring Range:

$70,000

Proposed Start Date:

03/01/2025

Estimated Duration of Appointment:

12 Months

Be a Tar Heel!:

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:

The Office of Postdoctoral Services (OPA), established in 2001, is one of the oldest in the nation and offers robust training and support to our postdoctoral scholar and mentor communities. OPA is supported by the Office of the Provost, the Vice Chancellor for Research, and the School of Medicine. Our mission is to enhance, support, and promote postdoctoral training at UNC and help prepare postdoctoral scholars for successful research careers. We serve about 900 postdoctoral scholars across UNC during an academic year and are the 21st in the nation for total postdoctoral scholars. The OPA offers a comprehensive range of research, career, and professional development opportunities for our postdocs at all stages of their career trajectory. Programming includes New Postdoc Orientation sessions which happen 5 times a year and is a pan-campus collaborative effort; IDP workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions; responsible conduct of research (RCR) sessions; career exploration in academia, industry, and government in collaboration with OGE, Office of Faculty Affairs, and our research triangle partners; and research skills (i.e., grant writing, data skills, communication, networking), leadership, and management skills workshops. We also have community building activities such as coffee hours, wellness/mindfulness workshops, peer networking, and our yearly postdoc appreciation week. Our office has a strong Postdoctoral Association (PDA), BIPOC Postdoc Alliance, and International Postdoc Alliance, which are all peer-led volunteer organizations dedicated to addressing the needs and concerns of all UNC postdocs. PDA and our alliances work closely with the OPA to provide resources for professional development, generate awareness about resources, create safe spaces to discuss concerns, and foster a sense of community among postdocs.In 2007, UNC School of Medicine established the Office of Graduate Education (OGE), which provides cohesive oversight and support for biomedical graduate training at UNC. The OGE is led by Dr. Donita Robinson, Associate Dean for Graduate Education. The OGE houses the umbrella Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP) that feeds into 15 PhD programs across the School of Medicine and other UNC colleges and professional schools. OGE also houses diversity initiatives that support students at the K-12, undergraduate, post-bac, and PhD student levels (NC DNA Day, summer undergraduate research program support, UNC Post-baccalaureate Research Education Programs [PREP], and UNC Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity [IMSD], respectively). The OGE provides extensive professional and career development for graduate students via the Training Initiatives in Biological and Biomedical Science (TIBBS). OGE includes 12 full-time staff, six with science PhD degrees and postdoctoral experiences that enable them to connect with current graduate students.

Position Summary:

The postdoctoral scholar who will join the UNC-ARC Administrative Team will focus on higher education administration a career path that appeals to a specific group of PhD graduates. While these graduates excel in their scientific disciplines, they often lack experience in program administration and evaluation. Our postdoctoral position aims to bridge this gap by providing targeted skill development and exposure to education research methodologies.

Key Objectives:
1. Skill Development: The scholar will enhance their expertise in education research methodologies, gaining practical skills that complement their graduate scientific training.
2. Program-Director Level Experiences: Through hands-on involvement, the scholar will gain insights into program administration and evaluation at a leadership level.
3. Networking Opportunities: Engaging with professionals in higher education administration will expand the scholar’s network and foster valuable connections.

Program Components and Mentored Areas:
1. Program Administration: The postdoctoral fellow will be fully integrated into UNC-ARC programming, working closely with the OPA. Their involvement spans multiple aspects, including participation in the Summer Institute an opportunity to learn about major event planning. Beyond UNC-ARC team meetings, they will attend OPA and OGE meetings. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, from postdoctoral and graduate programs to inclusion efforts and scholar support. Discussions include strategy, data analysis, national program updates, conference reports, and journal clubs focused on recent higher education publications. The fellow will also lead meetings, receiving valuable feedback from the leadership team. Additionally, an IDP will be created to identify goals and growth areas, with annual written feedback on their professional progress.
2. Program Evaluation and Quantitative Skills Development: The postdoctoral fellow will actively engage in program evaluation, collaborating closely with the PIs and the evaluation team. Their responsibilities will encompass program data collection, coding, rigorous statistical analysis, and interpretation. The scholar will receive guidance in designing and conducting educational research studies, including data collection, analysis, and interpretation. At UNC and within the OGE, we offer abundant resources for enhancing quantitative skills (see Facilities and Resources; letter from Dr. R. Layton). Based on the fellow’s IDP, we will tailor instruction to ensure their professional growth in this critical area.
3. Scientific Writing, Communication, and Networking: The postdoctoral fellow will actively engage in scientific writing, contributing to manuscripts for publication and dissemination. Additionally, they will participate in major higher education administration conferences, such as the National Postdoctoral Alliance and the AAMC Group on Research, Education, and Training (GREAT) meetings. These conferences provide a platform to present study findings to the broader community. To further amplify the impact of UNC-ARC and enhance their skillset, the fellow will also have opportunities to contribute essays, blogs, and other written pieces for publication.
4. Leadership Exposure: Opportunities to shadow program directors and engage in strategic discussions will provide firsthand experience in higher education leadership.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

PhD in Biomedical sciences or closely related field; or PhD in Education, Higher Education Administration, or Social Sciences (education, psychology, sociology).

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:

Professional Knowledge: Knowledge of evaluation research methods, including research design, data collection, analysis techniques (quantitative and qualitative), and interpretation of results. Ability to collect, manage and analyze data from multiple projects and contexts. Ability to disseminate program progress and findings to multiple stakeholders and make recommendations for implementing improvements or changes. Experience with mentoring and/or participated in mentor training. Collaboration: Ability to work with a pan-campus team to develop and implement program, implement novel strategies to meet program goals, and to interact with diverse stakeholders including faculty, administrators, staff, and UNC ARC scholars both at UNC-CH and across the country. Communication: Ability to communicate scholarly ideas and findings effectively in various venues, including conferences, committees, publications, and group meetings. Ability to build, maintain and enhance professional relationships.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:

.

Special Instructions:

For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here

Organization

The nation’s first public university is at the heart of what’s next, preparing a diverse student body to become creators, explorers, innovators and leaders in North Carolina and throughout the world. Carolina’s nationally recognized, innovative teaching, campus-wide spirit of inquiry and dedication to public service continue the legacy that began in 1795 when the University first opened its doors to students.

Here, in one of America's most beautiful college settings, we offer exceptional careers in richly diverse fields. Come explore what UNC-Chapel Hill has to offer you.


Undergraduate Enrollment: 19,117

Graduate/Professional Enrollment: 10,894

Total Student Enrollment: 30,011

Founded: 1789, as the first state university in the United States

Type of Institution: Public, four-year

Undergraduate Admission: 15,961

Graduate/Professional Enrollment: 10,039

Total Student Enrollment: 26,000

Faculty: 3,000

Percentage of faculty who hold Ph.D.s or the highest degrees in their field: 94 percent

Faculty/student ratio: 1/14

Location: UNC is located in the heart of Chapel Hill, the best college town in America! It's a friendly town of about 40,000 in the geographical center of North Carolina. Chapel Hill is at the western point of the Research Triangle, an area of about one million people, comprised of Chapel Hill, the cities of Durham and Raleigh, and the Research Triangle Park, home of many corporate offices and scientific research centers. Carolina is about 30 miles from the state capital, Raleigh, and 20 minutes from Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Chapel Hill's main street, Franklin Street, borders the campus and offers shops, coffee houses, cafés, movie theaters and houses of worship. The town has a historic district, museum, library, parks, malls, and many recreational facilities.

Origins of Carolina's students: 82 percent of UNC's freshmen are from North Carolina and 18 percent are from out-of-state. Our students come from 42 different states and our international students represent 37 countries.

Size of freshman class: Approximately 3,400

Class size: Barely five percent of undergraduate classes contain more than 100 students; two-thirds of undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students. Forty-one percent have fewer than 20 students, including First Year Seminars, in which first-year students work closely with professors.

Sports and athletic programs: UNC is an NCAA Division I school with 28 varsity teams. Carolina is the proud home of the Dean Smith Center, Kenan Stadium, Carmichael Auditorium, Koury Natatorium, and many other fine athletic facilities. Students join more than 60 intramural and club sports, which include baseball, bowling, crew, golf, lacrosse, rock climbing, rugby, tae kwon do, and ultimate frisbee. The Student Recreation Center offers weight training, aerobics, stair machines, and all the equipment you would expect to find at a great health club! Carolina offers a newly renovated outdoor pool and indoor pools, a golf course, tennis courts, and the longest zipline in America!

Number of residence halls: Incoming undergraduates will live in one of Carolina's 29 residence halls, which are wired for Internet access and cable television. housing.unc.edu

Scholarships and financial aid: About 40 percent of UNC-Chapel Hill students receive scholarships and/or some form of financial aid. studentaid.unc.edu

Special research institutes: Institute for Research in Social Science, Institute of Outdoor Drama, Morehead Planetarium, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Institute of Government, Institute of African American Research.

Career services: On-campus counseling, job fairs, résumé writing service, internships, placement services. www.unc.edu/depts/career

Technological facilities: Students find multiple uses for Carolina's state-of-the-art technological resources. They can access Carolina's computer services through Academic Technology and Networks, which manages academic computing, e-mail, microcomputing labs, interactive media presentation, video and classroom support, and a help desk. The MetaLab oversees the development of SunSITE, one of the world's busiest digital library and electronic publishing projects.

Students may open e-mail accounts, and many use campus computer resources to construct personal Web pages. Students in residence halls have hardwired network connections to the Internet and cable television in their rooms. At the ATN Training center, students may take classes on software packages and utilities. Computer labs are available for student use all over campus.

Carolina Computing Initiative: Beginning with the freshman class of 2000, undergraduates must purchase laptop computers. The University has arranged for IBM to offer computers at excellent prices. Students, faculty, and staff will enjoy cost savings, higher quality compatible equipment, and better technical support through CCI. www.unc.edu/cci

The Study Abroad program allows students to live and learn in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Rim, Africa, and the Americas. www.unc.edu/depts/abroad

The Honors Program offers special seminars, research programs, and the chance to design your own independent studies. www.unc.edu/depts/honors

Carolina students spend time in public service through student organizations, the Campus Y, the Carolina Center for Public Service, and courses that incorporate community service.

UNC's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, a national collegiate honor society, is the oldest in North Carolina, dating from 1904. There are many other honorary societies at Carolina.

UNC offers ROTC programs in all branches of national military service.

Through the First Year Seminars program, first year students will understand what it means to study at a premier research university. They will learn from faculty members and share in their research in seminars of no more than 20 students.

Life outside the classroom: More than 370 clubs, teams, and student organizations offer something for everyone! You can choose from among musical and dramatic performing groups, publications, ethnic and religious clubs, the Campus Y and other service organizations, fraternities and sororities, and pre- professional organizations. Whatever your interests, you will find others at Carolina who share them! www.unc.edu/depts/union/student/listintr.htm

Get job alerts

Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.

Create alert