The Harvard Medical School Curriculum Fellows Program (HMS CFP) welcomes applications for a Curriculum Fellow (CF) in Neurobiology. The CFP is a postdoctoral service and training program intended for early-career scientist-educators, focused on curriculum development, teaching, and educational programming in the biological and biomedical sciences.
Curriculum Fellows are part of a larger cohort and work closely with members of the Harvard faculty and administration to develop, deploy, and evaluate evidence-based graduate training. Fellows also receive mentorship and career advising to support their development as educators and help them succeed in a variety of education-focused careers. CFs are typically appointed as Research Fellow and are expected to advance to Lecturer during their appointment. CFs are also encouraged to pursue additional activities that align with their professional goals, such as publishing research, participating in academic conferences, or teaching at local universities. More details can be found on our website (https://curriculumfellows.hms.harvard.edu/).
The CF in Neurobiology will develop and support courses and programming that will enhance the education of the next generation of neuroscientists through an interdisciplinary curriculum spanning biophysics, cellular and molecular biology, and systems/computational neuroscience. As a member of the Department of Neurobiology, the CF will play a key role in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience (PiN) and in the affiliated PiNBAC program, which prepares post-baccalaureate students for further graduate education in neuroscience. The ideal start date for the Curriculum Fellow in Neuroscience is on or before July 1, 2023 at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. The CF appointment is renewable annually for a maximum of three years and is non-tenure-track.
The Neurobiology Curriculum Fellow will work independently and in collaboration with PiN faculty to:
Strengthen the PiN curriculum by working with course and program directors to define and implement broad curricular goals and learning objectives and to implement pedagogical practices in the classroom that lead to improved educational outcomes.
Assist the Course Directors of Neurobiology 215, the primary neuroscience survey course, with course organization and management. The CF will help to plan the syllabus, develop learning resources such as student handouts and exams, oversee the recruitment and training of graduate teaching fellows for the course, and help faculty to employ effective teaching practices that also create an inclusive and equitable learning environment for incoming graduate students from all backgrounds.
Work with PiN leadership and faculty to develop new course electives on advanced topics in neuroscience that employ effective teaching practices and meet the current needs of the students.
Identify and pursue opportunities to teach quantitative skills to PiN and PiNBAC students by integrating activities into current courses, helping to establish new courses and workshops, and supporting the PiN Certificate in Computational Neuroscience.
Partner with PiNBAC leadership to expand and implement a new curriculum aimed towards preparing talented post-baccalaureate students for PhD programs.
Lecture in courses and/or lead recitation sessions related to PiN or PiNBAC.
Collaborate with PiN administration to organize orientation and other events for PiN faculty and students.
Contribute to Departmental and PiN efforts to promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB) in neuroscience.
Create and share additional education resources of general use to departmental graduate students and postdoctoral trainees.
The Neurobiology Curriculum Fellow will also have specific responsibilities to the CFP:
Participate in weekly CFP group meetings and pedagogical journal clubs.
Present at university-wide workshops on curricular and pedagogical topics.
Developing the curriculum for the NIH-mandated Responsible Conduct of Science (RCOS) course.
The names and contact information of three professional references.
If you have any questions specific to the program or fellowship, please email: cfp@hms.harvard.edu.
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We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.
General Fellowship Information:
Harvard Medical School (HMS) invites motivated early-career scientists interested in careers in education to apply for a three-year fellowship within the HMS Curriculum Fellows Program. Curriculum Fellows (CFs) have diverse academic roles and professional identities, but our work is united by the core beliefs that effective teaching is evidence-based and all students deserve equal opportunities to learn. CFs work closely with members of the HMS faculty and administration to develop, deploy, support, and evaluate evidence-based graduate biomedical education and training. Fellows have gone on to careers as teaching faculty, directors of education, leaders within centers for teaching and learning, discipline-based educational researchers, and higher education administrators.
As a fellow, the majority of your time is spent serving the curricular and programmatic goals of the specific academic department or graduate training program that hires you (see below for links to current openings). This includes opportunities to create curriculum and para-curricular programming for biomedical graduate students across the HMS Program in Graduate Education and t...o apply and evaluate evidence-based teaching practices. A variety of highly individualized professional development opportunities will help you identify your desired career path and develop the skills and experiences you will need to achieve it. All fellows contribute to the HMS community by attending and presenting in workshops, an education journal club, and pedagogy-focused seminars.
The CFP values a diversity of academic experiences and welcomes applicants from all graduate and postdoctoral institutions. The fellowship is intended for early-career scientist-educators. Applicants should be recent graduates or postdocs with a PhD in a scientific field that prepares you to develop graduate-level curricula specific to the hiring program or department. If you are a current graduate student and expect to receive your degree prior to the start of the fellowship term, you are welcome to apply. A strong interest in scientific teaching and training will be essential for your success, but significant independent teaching experience is not required. We provide a competitive salary, benefits, and relocation funds.
