Stanford
Office of Faculty Development, Diversity and Engagement

Application Details

2024-2025 IDEAL Provostial Fellowship Program Application Information

The application period for Fall 2024 is Friday, July 14 - Tuesday, October 31, 2023.  Please review the fellowship application at Academic Jobs Online. 

Eligibility 

  • The IDEAL Fellows program provides fellowships in any school of the university.
  • All candidates for the fellowship must be within three years of their terminal degree at the time of appointment. 
  • Selection criteria include the originality and quality of the research, as well as demonstrated potential for intellectual achievement. Candidates should have a demonstrated capacity for independent work.

Application Process

  • The application period is from August to November 1st each year. 
  • Applications are submitted via Academic Jobs Online by November 1st of each year  
  • The selection of IDEAL Fellows is made in consultation with collaborating schools and departments. Applications are vetted by the school or department where they will be in residence, selected by a committee of Stanford faculty, and appointed by the provost.
  • Applicants will be notified of the fellowship competition outcome in the spring.
  • If you accept another position or postdoctoral fellowship, please withdraw your application by emailing facultydevelopment@stanford.edu.

Application Content

  • An application should include the material that normally accompanies an application for an assistant professor position at the university. Specifically:
    • A cover letter (detailing the candidate’s interest in the position, how the interests would be advanced by the fellowship, needs for laboratory access or special equipment, etc.)
    • Curriculum vitae
    • A statement of research interests
    • A statement of teaching interests
    • Samples of written work
    • Three letters of recommendation 
  • All application material should be received by the posted deadline.

Fellowship Requirements

  • The term of a fellowship is three years.
  • Fellows are assigned to the schools and departments corresponding to the fields of their doctorate. Each fellow is given a faculty mentor selected from among Stanford’s Academic Council faculty. 
  • Fellows enjoy substantial time to pursue research, teach one course per year, and participate in the intellectual life of the program and the broader university community.
  • Fellows are involved in organizing a major Stanford conference that will bring together scholars who are at the forefront of the study of race and ethnicity.

Benefits and Resources

  • Fellows will receive competitive compensation, a full package of employee benefits, and a one-time research fund. Fellows are appointed as lecturers and as a member of the academic staff in their department. They are fully entitled to the benefits that accrue to academic staff.
  • Each fellow's home department arranges their teaching and office space.
  • The facilities of the university are fully available to the early career fellows. This includes instructional assistance such as that available from the Center for Teaching and Learning, research resources such as Stanford Libraries and affiliation with various institutes and centers. Fellows also have access to other amenities such as university gyms and recreational facilities.
  • Candidates whose research requires substantial laboratory space or extensive equipment should make these needs known in their application to ensure their availability. The Office of Faculty Development, Diversity and Engagement will facilitate these arrangements.

Inquiries about this program can be directed to facultydevelopment@stanford.edu. Please include “IDEAL Provostial Fellows” in the subject line.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What are the fields of study eligible for consideration?
  2. Are fellows expected to be on-campus?
  3. Is a scholar eligible for consideration if they will finish their PhD at some point after the application deadline?
  4. Is research on the study of race and ethnicity limited to the United States?
  5. Should applicants apply to departments/programs or apply with broad interests, and if selected, allow the committee to assign them to a specific department?
  6. What types of written samples are acceptable?
  7. Is there a page limit for the requested statements of teaching and research interests? 

1. What are the fields of study eligible for consideration?

Scholars interested in any field of study are accepted. Early career fellows should have received their terminal degree (PhD, JD, MFA, EdD, DSW, etc.) before the start of the fellowship.

2. Are fellows expected to be on-campus?

Fellows are required to live in the Bay Area for the duration of their appointments. Fellows are also expected to be active participants in the cohort of fellows including attending regular meetings and events, to engage in the intellectual life of their department, and to connect with other relevant centers, institutes, and programs throughout the Stanford community.

3. Is a scholar eligible for consideration if they will finish their PhD at some point after the application deadline?

Eligibility for the IDEAL Fellowship requires that you have completed your terminal degree when the fellowship begins and that you are within three years of having received your degree at the start of the fellowship.

4. Is research on the study of race and ethnicity limited to the United States?

We wish to engage a broad range of scholars studying race and ethnicity. This, of course, means that we are not limiting our interest to work only done in the US. We welcome scholars whose work is centered outside of the US. 

5. Should applicants apply to departments/programs or apply with broad interests, and if selected, allow the committee to assign them to a specific department?

Applicants should indicate an area of interest. The online application form does allow applicants to include multiple departments of interest.

6. What types of written samples are acceptable?

Please use the following guidelines for the written samples provided:

  • Authorship: Second or third co-author of an article, dissertation or book is acceptable for this process. First or sole-authored works are preferred.
  • Books and/or manuscripts: first and last chapters
  • Articles (published/unpublished): entirety

7. Is there a page limit for the requested statements of teaching and research interests? 

No, but you are welcome to allocate 3–5 pages for each statement.