Koch-Richardson Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship

Koch-Richardson Fellowship Application Information

The Koch-Richardson Fellows Program in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) is designed to bring promising young scholars to Tulane University. Inaugurated in 2012, the Koch-Richardson Fellowship combines teaching and research in any area of plant ecology or evolution.

One position is available for a recent Ph.D. in plant ecology or evolution.  The position is for two years, non-renewable, with a start date of July 1 in the year of appointment. Koch-Richardson Fellows have a special faculty appointment. They receive employee benefits, including individual health coverage, and a competitive salary. Funding for any independent or collaborative research should be sought from external sources, but some limited funding may be available from the department or through collaborations with tenured or tenure-track faculty.

Selection of Koch-Richardson Fellows begins with an internationally advertised search. Applicants are encouraged to identify a potential faculty collaborator within the EEB department, although applicants interested in botanical fields of study not represented in the EEB department will be given full consideration. Finalists are invited to visit New Orleans to give a seminar and to meet with the search committee, the EEB faculty, and students.

Koch-Richardson Fellows may have prior postdoctoral research experience, but this is not required. They will teach two different courses each year, one each semester. The courses will be repeated the second year of the fellowship. One course should appeal to undergraduates (lower or upper division), and one course should appeal to both upper-level undergraduates  and graduate students. The courses should be on topics not already being taught in EEB. In addition, Koch-Richardson Fellows will be expected to participate actively in the EEB program by mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, and by attending seminars and relevant discussion groups.

Applications must include a curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests, a statement of teaching philosophy and interests, and three letters of recommendation focusing on both research and teaching excellence. In the statement of teaching interests, applicants should describe in some detail the botanical courses they would be able to teach. Those documents may be submitted via e-mail to the Search Committee, at ecolevol@tulane.edu - please write "KOCH-RICHARDSON FELLOW" in the subject line.  Applications may also be sent to: Koch-Richardson Fellowship Search, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Room 400 Boggs Center for Energy and Biotechnology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118. Application review normally will begin on February 15 of the year of appointment, and the position will remain open until filled. Applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the Department and University websites for general information about faculty, courses, academic programs, and facilities. For other information and informal inquiries please contact any member of the Koch-Richardson Fellowship Search Committee: David C. Heins (Professor and Department Chair), Steven P. Darwin (Professor), Michael J. Blum (Associate Professor), Sunshine A. Van Bael (Assistant Professor), and Julie S. Denslow (Adjunct Professor).

Tulane University is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action/ADA employer committed to excellence through diversity. All eligible candidates are invited to apply.

 

Postdoctoral Commitment

Most postdocs considering a career in academia know that securing and maintaining independent research funding during their postdoctoral years is an important component to securing a permanent faculty position. The vast majority of postdoctoral fellowships do not allow the development of teaching skills, notwithstanding the importance of teaching skills – especially involving active learning – in securing a faculty position and attaining tenure. There are, however, exceptions to traditional postdoctoral programs. Teaching post-doctorates are increasingly being added to departmental programs.

If you qualify for and obtain this type of funding as a postdoc, you are required to spend a portion of your time learning how to be an educator for the future. Teaching, then, becomes the cornerstone of the postdoctoral fellowship and one’s career, and it requires as much time or more as one devotes to research endeavors. The teaching responsibilities involve spending time with a teaching mentor(s) planning, developing, and teaching undergraduate courses. The instructional component can also involve attending education and instruction workshops and courses. Applying for this type of fellowship requires serious consideration, as there are a lot of commitments involved that will restrict time devoted to research. If you have already had one or more traditional, research-focused postdocs and are the type of person who knows you want to teach, the rewards of this fellowship can be immeasurable because you should finish your postdoctoral work experienced in many aspects of teaching.