What Are Diversity Predoctoral Teaching Fellowships?
Community of Scholars Program (COSP) Doctoral Scholars can apply for pre-doctoral faculty positions while writing their dissertations (i.e., at the All But Dissertation (ABD) stage). Predoctoral Fellows get the full experience of faculty life while teaching one course per semester for one academic year at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMN Duluth) or University of Minnesota Morris (UMN Morris). This experience supports those who are interested in seeking faculty careers while helping to diversify the UMN Duluth and UMN Morris faculty and course offerings.
COSP Scholars are encouraged to apply for the fellowship at all of the fellowship institutions they are eligible for, as long as the institution has courses in the student’s field of study.
Those who are interested in this fellowship are encouraged to attend the annual virtual Diversity Predoctoral Teaching Fellowship Information Session in late-Fall semester.
WHAT IS THE APPLICATION WINDOW?
- The 2025-26 application window opens Mid-Fall semester.
- The deadline to apply for Augustana College is TBD.
- The deadline to apply for UMN Duluth & UMN Morris is Friday, January 31, 2025, 5:00 p.m. CST.
HOW MUCH IS THE AWARD?
- $25,000 stipend
- $1,200 housing stipend at UM- Duluth, campus housing provided at UM - Morris
- $1,000 Research/conference travel funding
- Tuition for thesis/dissertation credits (does not include course credits)
- Graduate assistant health insurance plan
- Housing at host campus location
- Research/conference travel funding
- A faculty mentor
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
- U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and those here legally on a non-temporary basis
- COSP-eligible students who are enrolled in a University of Minnesota Ph.D. program
- For UMN Duluth Fellowship: must be enrolled in courses offered on the Twin Cities campus
- For UMN Morris Fellowship: must be enrolled in courses offered on the Twin Cities or Duluth campuses
- Doctoral students who will be at the ABD status at the start of the fellowship - passed all written and oral preliminary exams and completed all course work. Students who have already completed their dissertation are not eligible.
- Registered for thesis credits or are at the advanced doctoral status (8444), in order to focus on teaching and writing the dissertation. Fellows should be within two years of completing the dissertation.
- Able to move temporarily to the town of the fellowship institution (housing or housing stipend is provided), and may bring spouse and/or dependents.
WHAT ARE THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS?
- Personal Statement including:
- Teaching philosophy
- Prior teaching or mentoring experience
- How participation in this Predoctoral Fellowship Program will contribute to your academic and career goals
- Identify an existing UMN Duluth/UMN Morris course you are interested in teaching and a course you are interested in developing, based on your research interests
- Curriculum Vitae
- Writing sample
- Names and contact information of three references
University of Minnesota Duluth
2025-2026 DIVERSITY PRE-DOCTORAL TEACHING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Application deadline, January 31, 2025
Program Description
The University of Minnesota Duluth and the UMN Graduate School Diversity Office (GSDO) are pleased to announce the Diversity Pre-Doctoral Teaching Fellowship Program which provides U of MN doctoral candidates the opportunity to teach, write their dissertation, and be mentored by senior faculty. University of Minnesota Duluth is committed to diversity and inclusivity, and to expanding diversity in instruction, pedagogies, outreach, and research, as well as among faculty role models. The goal of this program is to support and mentor pre-doctoral students, particularly those who are underrepresented within the ranks of faculty. This program seeks talented, dedicated doctoral students committed to excellence in undergraduate education to serve as fellows for the 2025-2026 academic year: Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 at University of Minnesota Duluth. One fellowship will be awarded.
Fellows will teach one course per semester, continue working on their dissertation research and writing, and participate actively in faculty activities including department and collegiate meetings, campus events, etc. Fellows would typically teach an existing University of Minnesota Duluth lower division course (commonly taught at many institutions) for the first semester, and one at the upper division level (often related to their dissertation or research interests) for the second semester. For a list of University of Minnesota Duluth courses, please go to: classinfo.umn.edu. Please make sure to select Duluth as the institution.
Fellows will be mentored by a faculty member in the Fellow’s department. This mentoring will provide useful guidance, advice, and counsel on teaching and learning, creating an inclusive classroom environment, dealing with challenging students, etc. Fellows will also meet periodically with Dr. Maija Brown, the Fellowship coordinator, to discuss dissertation progress and overall professional development.
We welcome applications from candidates who are interested in teaching in a comprehensive university. Candidates in all fields are welcome to apply. Opportunities to co-mentor an undergraduate research student and/or become involved in service learning also exist.
About University of Minnesota Duluth
University of Minnesota Duluth is a primarily undergraduate public university serving approximately 9,000 undergraduate and over 1,000 graduate and professional students. As one of five campuses of the University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota Duluth is located 160 miles northeast of Minneapolis at the western tip of Lake Superior. The population base of greater Duluth approaches 200,000. The Fellow will join over 500 faculty members engaged in teaching, research, outreach and service activities.
Application Process
To apply, please complete this application form.
Submit an electronic copy of your application & materials by 5:00 p.m. Friday, January 31, 2025
Submit to:
Dr. Erik Brown, Associate Vice Chancellor for Graduate Education and Research | University of Minnesota Duluth | e-mail: [email protected] | Tel: 218-726-8891
Finalists will be notified by early February 28, 2025.
Questions?
Please contact Dr. Erik Brown, or Dr. Maija Brown at [email protected].
University of Minnesota Morris
2025-2026 DIVERSITY PRE-DOCTORAL TEACHING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Application deadline, January 31, 2025
Program Description
The University of Minnesota Morris and the UMN Graduate School Diversity Office (GSDO) are pleased to announce the Diversity Pre-Doctoral Teaching Fellowship Program which provides U of MN doctoral candidates the opportunity to teach, write their dissertation, and be mentored by senior faculty. The goal of this program is to support and mentor pre-doctoral students, particularly those who are under-represented within the ranks of faculty. This program seeks talented, dedicated doctoral students committed to excellence in undergraduate education to serve as fellows for the 2025-2026 academic year: Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 on the University of Minnesota Morris campus.
Fellows will teach one course per semester, continue working on their dissertation research and writing, and participate actively in faculty activities including discipline meetings, division meetings, campus events, etc. Fellows would typically teach an existing UMN Morris lower division course (commonly taught at many institutions) for the first semester, and one at the upper division level (often related to their dissertation or research interests) for the second semester. For a list of existing UMN Morris courses, please go to: https://umm.catalog.prod.coursedog.com/. Click on "Explore Courses."
Fellows will be mentored by one of the Morris campus’ outstanding undergraduate instructors. This mentoring will provide useful guidance, advice, and counsel on classroom teaching, syllabus construction, dealing with challenging students, etc. Fellows will also meet periodically with Dr. Dr. Maija Brown, the Fellowship coordinator, to discuss dissertation progress and overall professional development.
We are interested in candidates who could teach in any of our four academic divisions: the Division of Education which includes elementary education, secondary education licensure, and sport management; the Division of the Humanities which includes undergraduate majors in art history; communication, media, and rhetoric; English; French; music; philosophy; Spanish; studio arts; and theatre arts; the Division of Science and Mathematics which houses biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, geology, mathematics, physics, and statistics; the Division of the Social Sciences which includes anthropology; economics; gender, women, and sexuality studies; history; human services; business management; political science; psychology; and sociology. The divisions participate actively in interdisciplinary majors or minors in African and Black American studies; environmental studies; Latin American area studies; ancient and medieval studies; and Native American and Indigenous studies.
About umn morris’ Talented, Diverse and Engaged Student Body
A distinctive undergraduate campus within the University of Minnesota system, Morris combines the benefits of an intimate, student-centered residential liberal arts education with access to the resources and opportunities of one of the nation's largest universities. The student body numbers around 1,100 with a student/faculty ratio of 10:1. UMN Morris serves one of the most diverse student bodies in Minnesota. More than forty percent of UMN Morris students are Native American, persons of color, or of international origin. UMN Morris is the only federally recognized Native American-Serving Non Tribal Institution in the Upper Midwest.
Application Process
To apply, please complete the application form online. Submit the application and additional documents requested to be received no later than January 31, 2025. The application form and additional attachments must be submitted to complete the application process.
Submit application by 5:00 p.m. Friday, January 31, 2025
Submit to:
Dr. Jordan Cofer, Acting Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean | University of Minnesota Morris
c/o Robyn VanEps | Email: [email protected] | Phone: (320) 589-6015
Finalists will be notified by February 28, 2025.
Questions?
Please contact Dr. Jordan Cofer at [email protected] or Dr. Maija Brown at [email protected].
Augustana College (Rock Island, IL)
Additional Predoctoral Teaching Opportunity! All eligibility and requirements are unique to this fellowship. This is a completely separate fellowship from the ones described above for UMN Duluth and UMN Morris.
The Augustana College fellowship provides support for a Ph.D. candidate or recent Ph.D. graduate from an underrepresented group (African-American, American Indian, Asian-American, and Chicano/Latino) to experience teaching and research in a liberal arts college environment.
For the 2024-2025 application window, the deadline to apply for Augustana College is January 15, 2024.
Please contact Greg Domski, Associate Dean of Academic Strategic Priorities, with questions.