EEB Presidential Postdoc FAQs

Can EEB faculty sponsor more than one application?

Yes! There is no limit on the number of applicants per lab - we encourage multiple applications from PIs. Applicants sponsored by the same EEB faculty will each be evaluated independently and not pitted against one another.

Is my lab eligible to sponsor a candidate?

There must be at least two EEB core faculty sponsoring each candidate. A current list of EEB core faculty can be found here. Non-core members can be co-sponsors, but they must be in addition to the two core members. Sponsors of the previous year's successful candidate(s) cannot sponsor new applicants. Current members of the search committee can sponsor applicants. 

What are the expectations for sponsors?

Similar to the expectations of a sponsor of any research postdoc fellowship (e.g., NSF PRFB or USDA NIFA), sponsors are expected to help applicants develop their proposals and to ensure that successful applicants have the resources they need to execute their proposed research. Sponsors are also expected to take the initiative in any steps normally taken before someone joins their lab (e.g., meet with that person, have that person meet with current members of the lab, etc.). Finally, to ensure continuity of the postdoc fellowship program, we request that at least one of the sponsors of a successful applicant put their name forward to serve on the EEB Postdoc Search Committee the following year. Current members of the search committee cannot sponsor applicants (committee members are listed below).

How does the sponsorship team figure into the evaluation of an application?

The purpose of this fellowship is to spur novel collaborations and synergistic research connections across MSU’s EEB community. All else being equal, sponsorship teams that span larger intellectual or institutional divides will be evaluated higher. Likewise, novel collaborations between labs will be scored higher than existing collaborations. If the sponsors are currently collaborating, but the proposed research represents a novel axis of collaboration, sponsors are encouraged to speak to the novelty in the sponsor support form. Finally, all else being equal, sponsorship teams that have demonstrated a stronger involvement in/commitment to the MSU EEB community will be scored higher.

What do sponsors need to do for the application?

Each sponsor must fill out a Google form with a few short questions.  You can preview the form here.

Can international candidates apply?

Yes.

What are the next steps of the search?

Once the application deadline has past, the committee will narrow down the applicants to a set of 3-4 finalists. These finalists will interview and give seminars in early January. Interviews will be remote. Members of the EEB community will have the opportunity to provide feedback on interviewing candidates. Seminars will be recorded and made available before the community is asked for feedback.

Additional questions?

Email the chair of the search committee Emily Josephs (josep993@msu.edu) or other committee members: Phoebe Zarnetske (plz@msu.edu), Kevin Liu (kjl@msu.edu), Lars Bruvig (brudvig@msu.edu), Ashwini Ramesh (rameshas@msu.edu), Cynthia Fiser (fidercyn@msu.edu), and Fred Janzen (janzenf1@msu.edu).