Since 1990, the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) has supported two postdoctoral fellowship programs with the primary goal of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences and plans for research that will extend the reach of the ideals of community and belonging in their field of study. By preparing these candidates to achieve academic success in their field of study at UK and beyond, these programs support the stipend, plus benefits, for the fellows along with funds for their research career development. The postdoctoral fellowship is focused on research advancement and achievements in coordination with a faculty mentor(s), enhanced by their engagement in the
Postdoctoral Enrichment Program (PEP). Because a major goal of these fellowships is to prepare the fellows to be competitive for faculty positions, the OVPR provides a special enhancement program associated with these awards. Fellowship recipients will pursue an individualized research program under the mentorship of one or more UK professors and actively participate in departmental and professional research related activities through PEP. These activities include monthly research professional development opportunities, personal navigation, social and professional networking opportunities, connections to affinity groups and activities to communities of belonging, all designed to enhance the fellow’s competitiveness for a future faculty position.
The Lyman T. Johnson Postdoctoral Fellowship is named in honor of the first Black graduate student to enroll at the University of Kentucky in 1949, after a successful legal challenge. He embodied a courage in pursuit of scholarship and development that continues to inspire all who work and study at UK. Applicants must describe how their pursuit of postdoctoral training reflects the challenges and values of the fellowship’s namesake. You can find a more in-depth biography about Lyman T. Johnson and his legacy here:
https://oid.uky.edu/legacy-lyman-t-johnson.
Applicants must be eligible to compete for federally-funded postdoctoral grants. This includes the eligibility requirement that, by the time of award, the individual must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence. They also must have completed the doctoral degree within the past two years, or longer with justification, or will complete the doctoral degree before the date of appointment. Preference will be given to applicants who do not have a prior or present postdoctoral appointment at UK. Applicants who received their terminal degree at UK should be affiliated with a research group other than the one in which they did their prior research to expand their research experience.
The University has a commitment to responsible research in all disciplines. All UK faculty, staff, and students participating in research and scholarly activity, whether externally or internally funded are required to complete the mandated Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training on an annual basis. The Office of the Vice President for Research expects that recipients of this postdoctoral fellowship will complete this training and maintain annual compliance. More information about RCR training is available here:
https://www.research.uky.edu/responsible-conduct-research. If you have questions about this training requirement, please email
rcr@uky.edu.
Selection criteria include:
Additionally, the items below are required to be submitted. Please ask each of the following individuals to email their letters/materials to:
vprgrants@uky.edu with the applicant’s name in the subject line by the stated deadline.
