Continuation of COVID Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

  • Funded by National Science Foundation (NSF)
  • Total publications:0 publications

Grant number: 2125978

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Key facts

  • Disease

    COVID-19
  • Start & end year

    2021
    2022
  • Known Financial Commitments (USD)

    $261,603
  • Funder

    National Science Foundation (NSF)
  • Principal Investigator

    Silvia Ronco
  • Research Location

    United States of America
  • Lead Research Institution

    Research Corporation for Science Advancement
  • Research Priority Alignment

    N/A
  • Research Category

    Research on Capacity Strengthening

  • Research Subcategory

    Individual level capacity strengthening

  • Special Interest Tags

    N/A

  • Study Type

    Not applicable

  • Clinical Trial Details

    N/A

  • Broad Policy Alignment

    Pending

  • Age Group

    Not Applicable

  • Vulnerable Population

    Not applicable

  • Occupations of Interest

    Not applicable

Abstract

With the support from the Division of Chemistry and Division of Physics in the Mathematical and Physical Science (MPS) Directorate at NSF, the Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA) will support three fellowships for highly trained postdoctoral associates in chemistry and physics, with the aim to help stabilize a portion of the scientific workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption in many sectors of society. University budgets have been reduced, hiring freezes put in place, and work stoppages/restrictions enacted. Newer science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) professionals hoping to enter the professoriate at this time face significant challenges that could force many of them to leave the profession. This activity complements the existing RCSA programs to help these highly trained members of the STEM workforce bridge the gap between training and the start of their independent careers, by helping to retain them in STEM while also augmenting the breadth of their experience, especially for women and underrepresented minorities.

This grant provides three fellowships for individuals caught in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis that has impacted their prospects for securing independent positions on the scientific job market. Rather than have these individuals leave the STEM fields, these fellowships will provide them with at least one year of additional support. Beyond furthering their scientific expertise in areas which they are already familiar, this support will provide these postdocs with opportunities to gain pedagogical training in active learning and its implementation in online and/or in person classes. The mentors of these fellows will also benefit since they will be able to maintain some stability in their research endeavors. These fellowships are designed to help mentors retain highly trained and productive researchers at a time when training new project members remains difficult. Colleges and universities will benefit from these fellowships in that the fellows will become an additional resource for course delivery, both over the fellowship period and beyond, as they embark on their own independent faculty careers.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.