Post-Doc Researcher

If an applicant is interested in applying, they should “pair” up with a faculty member (Dr. Tiffiny Tung or Dr. Jada Benn-Torres, or both) in the Dept. of Anthropology at Vanderbilt.
The Academic Pathways program at Vanderbilt is designed to prepare recently graduated doctoral students (Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.) for competitive academic careers. The need is particularly acute to develop faculty candidates who come from diverse racial, ethnic and other backgrounds and experiences, as differing experiences, views and perspectives are of exceptional value for academic institutions in their research and educational roles.
Academic institutions, including Vanderbilt, have made great strides in recruiting and training undergraduate and graduate students coming from diverse groups that are underrepresented in the educational arena. Institutions have been less successful in attracting these students into postdoctoral training positions, and the challenge becomes particularly acute at the transition to the faculty level. To continue to make strides on our campus in the education of the best and brightest students from all backgrounds and settings, and to embrace the diversity that makes Vanderbilt a leader in research and scholarship and a unique training environment for the next generation of thinkers and scholars, we must support the career development of future academics that reflect the diversity of our society.

The Academic Pathways Postdoctoral Fellowship creates a bridge between academic training and entry-level faculty positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States. Essential elements of the program include the creation of substantial “protected time” for the pursuit of the fellow’s academic and scholarly objectives, the construction of a robust mentoring architecture, and the development of the “soft skills” so important for success in today’s academic setting. Specific elements of the program will include: leadership training, grant and manuscript writing and preparation, a multi-level mentoring framework, and connections to relevant resources and training across campus. These opportunities will be individualized based on the academic discipline of fellows with similar formats for the humanities, social science, and life/physical/biomedical science areas.
This program is sponsored by Vanderbilt’s Office of the Provost with additional funding from the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate of the National Science Foundation.