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Graduate Research Fellowship

aerial view of desk with two people working together on laptopsThe Northwestern Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences (DevSci) offers fellowship support for a graduate student engaged in collaborative research in the developmental sciences. The fellowship is designed to provide exceptional candidates with the opportunity and protected research time to build scientific bridges across their home laboratory to another developmentally-focused laboratory as a means of bringing new methods/approaches to bear on critical questions. A goal for the fellowship year is for students to develop an in-depth understanding of the developmental emergence and course of the mechanisms and processes related to their field, through investigation, training and/or coursework (include approach in Training Plan).

Successful candidates will have outstanding scientific and leadership promise, have a strong collaborative orientation, and have enthusiasm for working at the intersection of multiple disciplines. This one-year fellowship funded by TGS is awarded competitively, based on the candidates’ qualifications and quality of proposed research. 

Applicants must be a DevSci Cluster member in good standing. This includes attendance to at least two DevSci sponsored events per year. If you have questions about your cluster status, please contact devsci@northwestern.edu

Application Information

Applications are due June 7, 2024

Application Requirements

An application consists of:

  1. A proposal of a maximum of 3 pages in length (not including references), outlining the project and its relation to developmental science

    • Proposals must (a) incorporate interdisciplinary methods and concepts central to developmental sciences, (b) bridge two disciplines (or sub-disciplines; i.e., sponsors within the same department are permitted if their areas of research are sufficiently distinct), programs, or schools; (c) provide rationale for the significance and innovation of the proposed work; and (d) explain alignment with DevSci’s Healthier, Earlier mission (https://devsci.northwestern.edu/about-us/).
    • The fellowship may be used to support masters, dissertation, or intervening research projects- the only stipulations relate to criteria above.
    • The expectation is that Fellows will be excused from normal TA duties for the year.
    • The fellow is expected to present their ongoing project at a planned DevSci event. They will also give a presentation describing their project and progress at the end of the Fellowship period.
    • It is expected that the fellowship will results in publishable work and a conference presentation (in which travel to this conference is reimbursable up to $500).

  2. Letter from a primary faculty sponsor

    Strong applications will build in developmental research techniques and related questions and ideally incorporate two sponsors from different disciplines or sub-areas within a discipline and/or programs/schools.

    In the letter of support, the primary sponsor should discuss the students’ qualifications, endorse the project, and include a brief description of the student’s progress to date in graduate school and the student’s unique capabilities for engendering and leading interdisciplinary work in the developmental sciences. They must also affirm willingness to support the student’s time commitment to this fellowship. These fellowships have a dual purpose: (a) to encourage research by graduate students that incorporates methods and conceptual questions central to developmental sciences, and (b) to encourage the type of interdisciplinary collaboration that will facilitate building novel skills and new perspectives- important attributes for a career in transdisciplinary developmental research. Please consider these points when crafting the support letter. Co-signing/input from co-sponsor are encouraged.

  3. A mentorship/training plan endorsed by the mentor and co-sponsor (signature or email endorsement attached are acceptable)

    The mentorship/training plan should outline a plan for how the student plans to interact with the mentor team throughout the fellowship period (e.g., weekly meetings, lab-meeting attendance) and what novel training experiences the student will engage in with their mentoring team (e.g., exposure to new methods). This plan should be 1 page maximum, completed by the applicant, and signed by both sponsors.

    Priority will be given to applicants that:

    • Have a well-developed plan to interact regularly with both sponsors;
    • Clearly would not have the time or opportunity to learn a new skill or conduct the project without the fellowship support (e.g., the fellowship is intended to release the student from TA responsibilities with the intention of providing more dedicated training/project time);
    • Articulates how this fellowship will strengthen the applicant’s understanding of developmental science mechanisms through experiential and didactic training and investigation.

  4. Grad student’s curriculum vita.

How to Submit Application

Proposals, CV, supporting letter(s) and training plan should be sent to the fellowship committee c/o DevSci Program Lead for Training & Education, Dr. Jessica Horowitz. Please send your application for the fellowship as one pdf file. Faculty sponsors can send their letter directly via email if they prefer. Please feel free to contact Jessica with any questions or for more information about the fellowship or application:

Jessica Horowitz, PhD
DevSci Program Lead for Training & Education 
625 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 2400
Chicago, Il. 60611
jessica.horowitz@northwestern.edu