Campus & Community

University Takes Steps to Strengthen Postdoctoral Training

Friday, October 15, 2021, By Ellen de Graffenreid

As part of Syracuse University’s ongoing efforts to boost scholarly research and increase faculty diversity, the Office of Research has announced recipients of the 2021 Postdoctoral Scholars Program awards.

“Postdoctoral scholars make significant contributions to the University’s research, creative, scholarship and teaching missions. They mentor undergraduate and graduate researchers, collaborate with faculty and develop their own independent scholarship,” says Provost Gretchen Ritter. “I am impressed with the depth and breadth of the projects that will be supported by these postdoctoral awards.”

For the 2021 awards, a committee of 10 peer reviewers evaluated 43 applications from 27 different units. Twenty positions were funded across the College of Arts and Sciences, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Newhouse School of Public Communications, School of Education and  School of Architecture. Two of the awards will fund positions co-sponsored by two schools and colleges.

“It is particularly exciting that so many of these awards are in areas where Syracuse University has exceptional strength or the opportunity for multidisciplinary collaboration,” says Ramesh Raina, interim vice president for research.

The goal of the Postdoctoral Scholars Program is to provide financial incentive for programs, departments, schools and colleges to increase the number of postdoctoral scholars across the University. It provides incentives for productive faculty to grow their research program, thereby increasing mentoring capacity for undergraduate and graduate research. Postdoctoral Scholars awards are funded through Invest Syracuse for a period of two years. The previous round of awards was made in 2019. Applications are open to research programs, departments, schools or colleges, but not to individual faculty. Each award must increase the total number of postdoctoral scholars in the unit.