In December 2017, it was announced that beginning in fall 2018, there will be one review each year to select four fellows to the Named Fellowship Program. The review process will include engagement with the candidates and appointments will follow the fiscal year cycle. This spring, a labwide working group recommended further refinements to the review process and goals for the program, both of which have been incorporated for the fall 2018 review cycle.
Important process changes include:
- The Named Fellowship will bear the name of Maria Goeppert Mayer and will be offered annually in the fall.
- The application packages require the same materials as before; however, more specific guidance for the sponsor’s nomination memo and the research proposal will be provided in the form of templates to ensure that each application package has the necessary information for review. Further information will be provided in the sponsor and applicant instructions that accompany the call for applications.
- Following the initial review and scoring of all application packages, Skype interviews will be conducted by the review committee with the top 12 candidates.
- Following candidate interviews, the sponsors of the top six to eight candidates will meet with the committee. The focus of these meetings will be support and future plans for the candidate. Sponsors will be encouraged to invite the appropriate divisional leader to accompany them to these meetings.
Maria Goepper Mayer Fellows will be hired as Argonne Scholars and receive up to three years of support through the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. The third year of support is provided at 50 percent from the LDRD program and 50 percent from other sources, to further facilitate the transition of the Named Fellows into Argonne programs and increase retention. Sponsors of fellowship candidates are required to address plans for third-year funding and alignment of fellowship proposals with the lab’s strategic areas, at the time of nomination. Upon commencement of the fellowship appointment, sponsors are expected to work with their fellows and divisional leadership to solidify funding for the third year.
The goal for the Maria Goeppert Mayer Fellowship is to bring new research ideas and capabilities to the lab through the recruitment of top science and engineering talent. By further refining the selection process and providing opportunities for fellows to integrate into existing programs, we will help these future leaders and innovators to thrive. In turn, they will be better able to help Argonne fulfill its scientific mission.
Argonne’s Named Fellowship Program is a crucial part of the lab’s strategic research portfolio and talent pipeline. The selection of fellows and acceptance of offers are important decisions for both the candidates and the lab, as the candidate experience is a critical component of recruiting top talent who can envision Argonne as the perfect place to launch their careers.
For more information on the Named Fellowship Program, please contact Tina Henne at ext. 2-2907 or Vivian Sullivan at ext. 2-1890.