Career & Tools

Northwestern University, the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and the University of Chicago (UChicago), are excited to announce that applications are now open for the second annual Chicagoland Diverse STEM Postdoc Recruitment Initiative! The initiative has two components: professional development programming, and informational interviews. Applications due September 12. Read on for more info!

By Graduate Division Staff
Monday, August 15th, 2022 - 4:27pm


Northwestern University, the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and the University of Chicago (UChicago), are excited to announce that applications are now open for the second annual Chicagoland Diverse STEM Postdoc Recruitment Initiative!

About the Initiative
The initiative has two components: professional development programming, and informational interviews. The programming will be held virtually on October 20-21, 2022, while the interviews (also virtual) will take place between October 20 - November 5. The programming includes:

  • Overviews of the postdoc programs at Northwestern, UIC, and UChicago
  • Demystifying the Postdoc Search: From Finding a Position to Negotiating an Offer
  • Effective Interviewing
  • Making the Most of Your Postdoc experience
  • And more!

Participants will be matched with faculty volunteers at each institution for informational interviews. Prospective postdoc participants will be responsible for scheduling virtual informational interviews with their faculty partners once they receive their match information in early October. More than 150 faculty from a range of disciplines are participating!

This is a collaborative event that seeks to improve diversity and inclusion at the three largest research universities in the Chicago area (Northwestern University, UIC, UChicago). The goals of this program are to:

  • Improve the "pipeline" pathway in STEM for historically marginalized graduate students and postdocs.
  • Recruit and retain individuals from groups underrepresented in academia and the sciences, including individuals from the following communities: underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, the disabled community, the LGBTQIA+ community, and the first-gen community.

Eligibility
This opportunity is for advanced (post-candidacy) PhD students, recent PhD grads, or early-career postdoc scholars in STEM fields who identify as an underrepresented racial and/or ethnic minority, disabled, LGBTQIA+, or first-gen. There is no citizenship requirement.

Applications
Applications are now open. The deadline is Monday, September 12.

Questions
To learn more about the Initiative and the participating schools, please visit our website. You can also find a flier to share with your graduate students. If you have questions, please email chicago.postdoc.recruit@gmail.com. Thank you for your help spreading the word!