Description:

Northwestern University will nominate seven doctoral students/alumni for the Schmidt Science Fellows Program conducted in partnership with The Rhodes Trust. The program allows students with extraordinary records of leadership in STEM to spend one year conducting research tangentially related yet pertinent to their doctoral work in a world-class laboratory and participate in a series of global seminars. Fellows will receive a stipend of US$110,000 per year for up to two years of postdoctoral study in a different area from their PhD, at any approved location worldwide.

Doctoral students and alumni with a demonstrable record of leadership who have defended or will defend a Northwestern PhD between May 15, 2025 and June 30, 2026 are eligible to apply.

CAMPUS APPLICATION MATERIALS

Assemble as a single PDF in the listed order and email to e-pardoe@northwestern.edu by 8 AM on Thursday, 1 May 2025:

Provide a complete Curriculum Vitae (no page limit)
Provide a brief description of your PhD research (in up to 500 words)
Provide a brief description of any outputs you wish to highlight during your PhD (in up to 350 words)
Pivot - Primary Research Discipline (i.e., Biology)
Pivot - Secondary Research Discipline (i.e., Physics)
Title for the Fellowship Research Proposal
Provide an outline of your Fellowship Research Proposal (in up to 1000 words); this does not have to be linked to a specific lab at this stage․
Describe the new tools and skills you will need to develop to achieve the goals of your pivot (in up to 200 words)
Describe how your proposed Fellowship research represents a disciplinary pivot from your PhD (in up to 200 words)
Describe the potential for short- and long-term impact of your research (in up to 150 words)
General goals for postdoctoral Placement (Max 200 words)
Three possible placements.  Include for each:PI and /or Group
Institution
Reason for consideration (max 150 words)
Describe your approach to collaboration (in up to 200 words)
Describe your personal motivations and interests (in up to 500 words)
Describe how the Schmidt Science Fellows program would benefit you (in up to 500 words)
Provide a lay summary of your PhD Research (in up to 100 words)
Provide a lay summary of research proposed during your Fellowship (in up to 100 words)
Provide 1-2 short sentences to describe how you hope your research can make a positive impact on the world (in up to 25 words); please begin your statement with "I plan to․․․”
Provide the names and emails of three to five references (maximum highly recommended) who will email their confidential letters to e-pardoe@northwestern.edu by 8 am on Thursday, 1 May 2025.