Professor Ted Betley (left) and Professor Emily Balskus (right) standing with 2023 CFL Symposium presenter Seyed Amirhossein Nasseri. 

The Harvard Chemistry Future Leaders Program seeks to identify promising senior graduate students, including those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, working in the chemical sciences and to support their postdoctoral scholarship at Harvard CCB. The program consists of three parts:

1. The Symposium: CCB holds an annual symposium in the fall which brings promising senior graduate students to Harvard and matches them with potential faculty mentors, while celebrating their scientific accomplishments to date. The symposium consists of presentations from both invitees and current fellows as well as networking opportunities with potential faculty mentors and the broader CCB community.

2. The Fellowship: To support exceptional postdoctoral scholars, CCB provides selected fellows with up to 24 months of salary and benefits support. (If funding is not secured for beyond 24months, the PI/Fellow may apply for one additional year of support from the CFL. This funding is not guaranteed but rather application/merit based). This support is contingent on the fellow seeking other forms of financial support (NSF, NIH, Beckman etc.). Fellows will be provided with research proposal support from their mentor(s) as well as sponsored research professionals in CCB. If external funding is received, CCB support will be reduced to make those funds available for additional fellowship positions. CCB will also provide a monthly stipend of $2000 for supplies and materials to conduct research within the lab. Prior participation in the Symposium is strongly encouraged but not required for eligibility. Support from current CCB faculty is required for eligibility.

3. The Curriculum: CCB organizes a series of professional development events throughout the year designed to prepare postdoctoral scholars for their future roles as leaders in academia and industry. Events include: Lab management workshops, Peer-review training, Preparation for academic job applications, formal and informal networking events. Many events will be open to all postdocs in CCB. Fellows may also take full advantage of opportunities through our FAS Postdoctoral Affairs Office and the Harvard Bok Center.

Highlights

The Harvard Chemistry Future Leaders Fellowship (CFLF) seeks to identify clear pathways for postdoctoral pursuits, especially for those populations underrepresented in STEM. The CFLF will improve accessibility and inclusive excellence in our community by providing selected fellows with up to 24 months of salary and benefits support. The program will identify selected candidates through this call for applications with anticipated postdoctoral start date of July 1, 2024. Applicants may petition to begin their fellowship earlier on June 1, 2024, with approval from PI. The Chemistry department will work with the Harvard International Office (HIO) to sponsor VISA materials for selected applicants as needed.

How to Apply: Harvard Chemistry Future Leader Fellowship Application Details

We welcome applications from individuals who are currently senior graduate students pursuing studies in the chemical sciences or adjacent fields, broadly defined, and who plan to earn their Ph.D. degrees by July 2024. We encourage applications from students historically underrepresented in chemistry. Applicants should send their application package by 11:59 pm (ET) on Friday, December 1st 2023 via this link (link to Aries application portal).

The application packages should include: (1) Curriculum Vitae, (2*) Two letters of recommendation from a research mentor or current graduate advisor, (3) Research Narrative: Applicants should describe their scientific contributions to date and place their work in the broader context of their field. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their unpublished work. 2 pg. maximum. (4) Career Goals: Applicants should discuss their goals for their long-term career plans and scientific interests. 2 pg. maximum, (5) Formal writing sample: Applicants should submit a sample of their writing, such as a published or unpublished manuscript, grant application, research proposal, thesis chapter or equivalent. (6) Equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging statement (1 page): Describe how your experiences, background, and/or identity have shaped your commitment toward advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in academia. (7*) A letter of support from current CCB faculty member. The letter should address the following: (a) Your support of this submission and what makes this a compelling candidate/application. (b) How will you support the candidate’s research goals? (c) What is your plan for seeking additional funding to support the candidate? (d) How long do you expect this candidate to be in your group and your plans to support them when the fellowship support expires? (e) What EDIB activities have you engaged with and how do they influence your mentoring plan for this candidate? If you have applied for the Chemistry Future Leaders Symposium you may reuse your application materials for this solicitation.

*ARIES application portal will send an email link directly to the PI(s) we are requesting letters of support from in materials #2 and #7. You will be responsible for supplying the contact information for your recommenders.

Please send any questions about the program to chemistryfutureleadersprogram@fas.harvard.edu

Selected fellows will be notified by Friday, December 15, 2023.