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Frontiers of Science

Science Fellows

The Columbia Science Fellows Program

With the creation of Frontiers of Science, a new postdoctoral position was established for young scientists interested in developing their skills in both research and science education. These “Science Fellows” are instrumental in developing new course material. However, Science Fellow positions are not purely teaching appointments. Because one goal of Frontiers of Science is to expose students to the way scientists work and think, Science Fellows actively pursue their own research projects within their department. Yes, being a Science Fellow can certainly make for a busy life, but if you love to teach and don’t want to give up research, this may be the perfect position for you!

The 2019 Science Fellow Job Announcement

For more than 80 years, Columbia College has sustained an extensive Core Curriculum, required of all students, which serves as an intensive introduction to the great ideas of Western literature, art, music, and philosophy. In the University’s 250th year, we launched a complementary course in science to be taken by all first-year students.

Frontiers of Science is a one-semester course that integrates modern science into the Core Curriculum of Columbia College in order to introduce exciting scientific ideas and inculcate scientific habits of mind. The program will appoint a number of post-doctoral fellows in the natural sciences for the academic year 2019-2020. We invite applications from qualified candidates who have received or expect to receive the Ph.D. before June 30, 2019 and have demonstrated teaching experience. Columbia Science Fellows hold the rank of Lecturer in Discipline in an appropriate natural science department. The fellowship is renewable for a second and third year based on satisfactory performance.

Fellows teach two once-per-week seminar sections each semester, attend the weekly course lecture, faculty meeting and pedagogical seminar, participate in the curriculum development for the course, including course-wide assessments, and carry out research at Columbia. In addition to teaching and research, the Fellows engage in the intellectual life of the department of affiliation. A competitive salary is supplemented by an annual research allowance.

Applications should include the following:

  1. Current CV and Cover Letter (In a cover letter of application addressed to the Frontiers Program, please include the names of any Columbia University faculty in the sciences in whose laboratory or research group it would be particularly desirable to conduct postdoctoral research and training.)

  2. Statement of research accomplishments and future plans

  3. Statement of teaching experience (to be submitted as “statement of teaching philosophy”)

  4. Three letters of reference

To apply, please visit: https://pa334.peopleadmin.com/postings/2114

Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Applications will be evaluated by faculty specialists and an interdisciplinary committee; research should be presented appropriately.

For questions about the program please contact fos@columbia.edu ; please make the subject of your email “FOS Science Fellows Program”

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

Past Science Fellow Experience - An Article by Robin McGary Herrnstein