Application & FAQ

We encourage you to apply to one discipline based on your educational and professional background, experience, and interests. You could indicate possible collaborations with different departments should your work be conducive to such institutional partnerships.

You must have received your doctoral degree within three years of the start date of the entering cohort.

Earlier dates may be accepted if maternity or paternity leave or Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave occurred within the past two years.

We welcome applications from candidates with or without permanent full-time research or teaching positions.

You may apply, but you must confirm in your application, preferably through your letters of recommendation, that you will defend your dissertation by June before the start date of the entering cohort.

Those who have completed a master’s degree as their highest level of educational attainment are not eligible to apply. Only those with doctoral degrees from accredited institutions are eligible to apply.

Current Notre Dame students, graduates, and fellows are not eligible for the program. This program was designed to attract new postdoctoral researchers to the University, outside of the preexisting postdoctoral fellowship opportunities that exist at the University.

Both the cover letter and research statement should be double-spaced, with a font size 12 and 1-inch margins. The cover letter should not exceed 4 pages in length, and the research statement should not exceed 5 pages in length.

Yes, the applicant is responsible for ensuring that all of the letters of recommendation are submitted correctly, legibly, and on time by the application deadline. If all the letters are not received in such a manner and on time, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed by the selection committee.

Please do not reach out to faculty in the hosting department or institute to arrange a primary mentor or co-mentor prior to submitting your application. In your application, however, you may include the names of faculty from whom you would like to receive mentorship if you should be selected as a fellow, and why you think you would benefit from their expertise and experience.

Yes, with the permissions of the director of the program, your mentor, and the chair of the hosting department or institute, you may have additional mentors whose responsibilities are clearly defined for your fellowship. Co-mentors do not need to have an appointment in one of the departments listed in the advertised position, but they must have a regular faculty appointment at the University.

We will interview the finalists as time enables us to do so.

You do not need to live in the South Bend/Mishawaka area; however, you should live close enough to campus to attend meetings and events for fellows in person.

While we cannot comment on your particular circumstances until an offer is made, the University plans to support visas for fellows.

If you are on campus within the three days of the start date, come by the NDHR office located at 101 Grace Hall to complete your I-9. There is a Virtual I-9 option if coming in person is not feasible. See: KB0021123 : Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9)