University of Michigan Society of Fellows 2025 Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Omran Aburayya
- 21 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 14 hours ago
If you are a recent PhD graduate looking to begin your academic career with strong research, teaching, and professional development opportunities, the 2025 Postdoctoral Fellowship from the University of Michigan Society of Fellows might be your next step. Applications are now open for this prestigious three-year fellowship beginning August 31, 2026. This program supports early career scholars in the humanities, arts, sciences, and professional fields via an interdisciplinary intellectual community, mentorship, and access to University of Michigan’s rich academic environment. Read on for details.
🎓 Fellowship Summary
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA (University of Michigan)
Host Institution: University of Michigan, Society of Fellows, under Rackham Graduate School
Appointment Level: Postdoctoral Fellowship with a non-tenure-track Assistant Professor appointment in a sponsoring department.
Target Group: Recent PhD or equivalent professional/artistic degree recipients (or those expecting the degree by August 30, 2026) in humanities, arts, sciences, or professions; open to domestic and international candidates.
Fields of Focus: Broad across humanities & arts, biological & physical sciences, engineering & public health, social sciences & education. Interdisciplinary work encouraged.
Value & Coverage:
Annual stipend ≈ USD $63,000
Research/travel funds: up to USD $3,000/year
Health, dental, life insurance eligibility under University of Michigan’s programs.
Duration: Three-year appointment, from August 31, 2026 through August 30, 2029.
Application Deadline: Monday, September 15, 2025, by 11:59 PM EDT.
Start Date: August 31, 2026.
Eligible To: Candidates who have or will have (by August 30, 2026) a PhD or equivalent; those who got their terminal degree at U-Michigan in the field of application are not eligible; non-US citizens welcome. Previous applicants may reapply with new materials.
📚 Fellowship Overview
Structure & Appointment: Fellows are appointed for three years as non-tenure track Assistant Professors in a sponsoring department, and concurrently as Postdoctoral Scholars in the Society of Fellows. Teaching is required: the equivalent of one academic year (i.e. two terms) spread across the fellowship’s three-year span.
Interdisciplinary Community & Activities: The Society of Fellows offers a community of scholars from diverse disciplines. Fellows are expected to engage in monthly colloquia, scholarly dinners, and conversations with other fellows and Senior Fellows. They also partake in reviewing new applicants (application evaluation) and contribute to initiatives such as the Distinguished Dissertations Awards.
Research Support & Institutional Resources
Research/travel fund up to USD $3,000/year.
Department provides office, lab, or studio space and research infrastructure.
Fellows must reside in Ann Arbor during academic years (September–May), participating fully in Society activities. Off-campus research leave is rarely granted, only for brief periods and by advance request.
Reporting & Publications: Fellows are asked annually to submit written reports on accomplishments. They should cite their affiliation with the Society of Fellows in any publications from the Fellowship period and provide copies to the Society.
🎁 Benefits
Full annual stipend of USD $63,000.
Health, dental, life insurance eligibility under University of Michigan’s programs.
$$3,000/year research support for travel, research materials, etc.
Teaching experience (non-tenure track).
Access to multidisciplinary mentor networks and senior scholars.
Intellectual community: monthly colloquia, dinners etc.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
Must hold (or be about to receive by August 30, 2026) a PhD or equivalent professional/artistic degree.
Cannot have obtained terminal degree from University of Michigan in the discipline in which you are applying.
Previous applicants may reapply, but need new application materials.
Non-US citizens are eligible.
📝 Application Procedure
Application opens: August 1, 2025.
Deadline: September 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM EDT.
Notification of results: Final review by end of January; applicants will be informed in writing by March 31, 2026.
📂 Required Documents:
Completed online application form (available from August 1) – includes indicating department(s) with which you expect affiliation. Apply here
Curriculum vitae.
Writing or work sample (for unpublished work up to 40 double-spaced pages; for published work up to 20 single-spaced pages)
Research proposal (not more than 3 double-spaced pages) with methods, aims beyond your dissertation / most recent degree; should be accessible to non-specialists; interdisciplinary approaches encouraged; should comment how research/teaching/service/outreach will address social, environmental, or technical challenges.
Letters of recommendation: up to two confidential letters from recommenders, submitted as PDFs, on letterhead if possible.
💡 Extra & Useful Information
Discipline Exceptions: Some fields are explicitly not considered. The list of ineligible disciplines includes (but may not be limited to) American Culture, History of Art, Law, Middle East Studies.
Department List: The full list of eligible departments for the 2026-2029 term will be posted on August 1, 2025. Applicants should check this to ensure their field is included.
Residence Requirement: Fellows must reside in Ann Arbor during academic years and participate in Society life. Leaves off-campus are rare.
Contribution & Outreach: The Society cares about how your work connects to broader societal challenges: social, environmental, technical. In research proposal, they expect some discussion of that.
