Position Description: At the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, we believe diversity is integral to the Harvard experience and our mission of improving public health education, research and policy. Diversity of cultural backgrounds, identities, lived experiences, perspectives, and ways of understanding the world enriches our community and enables us to best meet the public health needs of the United States and the world. Ongoing learning and development related to diversity allows for both individual and institutional growth and is necessary to foster and sustain a culture of inclusion. To achieve this, we are committed to ensuring equitable access to opportunities for learning, living, and working at the Harvard Chan School. We maintain an unwavering dedication to diversity, inclusion, and belonging as core to our institutional values and to actively address racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, gender bias, and all forms of discrimination.
Named for Dr. Alonzo Smythe Yerby, an African American pioneer in public health, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Yerby Fellowship Program draws on the rich research environment and intellectual resources of one of the world's premier public health training institutions to expand access to and the diversity of those entering the academic public health field.
The program creates a bridge between academic training in public health-related fields and entry-level faculty positions at institutions throughout the United States by advancing the intellectual and professional development of each Yerby Fellow as they develop research agendas, receive grant support, and actively pursue publication in peer-reviewed journals. Fellows work under the guidance of senior Harvard Chan School faculty members with compatible interests and can have opportunities to gain teaching experience and participate in a variety of professional development activities.
Fellowship training is available across the broad range of the School's activities: laboratory sciences, population sciences, and social and policy sciences. Fellows may be recruited into any of the following ranks, as commensurate with experience: postdoctoral fellow, research associate, or visiting lecturer. Each fellow will be based within one of the School's nine academic departments:
Biostatistics
Environmental Health
Epidemiology
Global Health and Population
Health Policy and Management
Immunology and Infectious Diseases
Molecular Metabolism
Nutrition
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Yerby Fellows receive a competitive salary with benefits for one year, renewable for a second year upon completion of a successful review of the first year.
Basic Qualifications:
Applicants for postdoctoral fellowships must have earned a doctorate in a public health-related discipline, preferably at the time of application, but in some exceptional circumstances before the fellowship begins. Candidates for research associate should have at least two years of postdoctoral training completed, visiting lecturers should have five years postdoctoral experience. For more information regarding Harvard Chan School appointment titles, descriptions of titles can be found here.
Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, permanent residents, or have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival ( DACA ) status by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the time of application submission. This position is unable to provide visa sponsorship.
Applicants from underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Underrepresented, as defined by the NIH , includes American Indian or Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Individuals from other backgrounds who would contribute to academic diversity, including individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and those with disabilities, are also encouraged to apply.
Applicants must submit a completed application through the online application portal that includes the following: curriculum vitae, publication sample(s), official graduate school transcript, 2 letters of recommendation, and responses to all supplement questions.
Making preliminary connections with Harvard Chan School faculty whose work is of particular interest and who may be suitable intellectual mentors for the applicant is encouraged. Please mention any such outreach or correspondence in relevant application sections.
All candidates are encouraged to address the dimension of diversity and/or health equity they believe their fellowship would contribute to the School and the profession in their applications.
Additional Qualifications: Ideal applicants will show a demonstrated interest in and experience with independent research, advanced scientific publication, and grant writing, even if in the context of team science or scholarly collaborations.
The Fellowship seeks candidates whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to a stronger, more diverse public health community. The program is particularly interested in scholars with the potential to bring to their research and teaching a critical understanding of the experiences of historically underrepresented groups in higher education.
Special Instructions: The deadline has been extended to October 31, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EDT . All applications must be submitted through this online application portal.
Recommendation letters are due by November 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EDT . The link to submit recommendation letters will be sent to your references only AFTER you submit your completed application.
Contact Information: Mollie-Anne Maxfield Faculty Affairs Program Manager mmaxfiel@hsph.harvard.edu
Jennifer Ivers Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs ivers@hsph.harvard.edu
Contact Email:
mmaxfiel@hsph.harvard.edu
Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.
Minimum Number of References Required: 2
Maximum Number of References Allowed: 2
Supplemental Questions: Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
* Goals: Briefly describe the specific research goals to be completed during the fellowship, preferably including identified department(s) and/or mentor(s) at the School (750 words). (Open Ended Question)
* Background: A personal statement discussing the origin of current and past research accomplishments, interests, and/or goals (250 words). (Open Ended Question)
* Please explain the relevance of your background to the program's goal of increasing the diversity of academic public health (150 words or fewer). (Open Ended Question)
Current Harvard-affiliated fellows ONLY: How would the Yerby Fellowship expand your growth and development opportunities that are otherwise unavailable in your current fellowship? (Open Ended Question)
