Bridge to the Faculty
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Bridge to the Faculty (B2F) is a recruitment program designed to attract underrepresented postdoctoral scholars with the goal of a direct transition to a tenure-track junior faculty position after two years. This recruitment initiative aims to attract and retain promising scholars to UIC as well as diversify our faculty, with particular emphasis on departments with low or no presence of faculty who are underrepresented in their field. B2F uses a cohort model, where postdoctoral scholars participate together in meetings and tailored workshops to prepare them to teach, establish a research program and support their ability to pursue grants, and create productive mentor relationships.
Departments interested in hosting a B2F Scholar must complete an application detailing the rationale for their interest in participating in the program and must provide a plan for mentoring and supporting an incoming B2F Scholar, expectations for evaluating Scholar progress through the two-year postdoctoral period, and a plan for transitioning the Scholar into a faculty position after the postdoctoral period. Departments selected to participate in the program conduct competitive searches to select and hire B2F Scholars. Resources for the postdoctoral positions and the faculty hires that result are provided by UIC’s central administration.
B2F is funded by the Chancellor’s Office and administered through the Office of the Provost. For more information please contact Angela Walden (walden1@uic.edu), Director of Inclusion Initiatives, in the Office of the Vice Provost for Diversity.