Be an RCSA Fellow
RCSA Fellows will access professional development programming and support through the cohort community, and receive a supportive, multi-year experience including preparation for a job search, including a mock interview experience; guidance throughout the job search process; and transition to a tenure-track faculty position with support to take on the many faculty responsibilities in addition to research. RCSA will provide funds to travel to the mock interview site; travel support to cover the costs of attending the annual cohort meeting; funds to support dependent care expenses during the mock interview and annual meeting; and additional professional development programming and one-on-one support.
It is expected that Fellows will access, engage, and fully participate in the programming and resources that RCSA will provide. The Fellows’ time commitment will be carefully considered so as not to impede their productivity and success in their current postdoctoral activities.
Eligibility
RCSA Fellow nominees are postdoctoral scholars with a Ph.D. in chemistry, physics, astronomy, or allied field, who do not hold a tenure-track faculty position.
Nomination and Application Process
The application process includes two steps with two different deadlines.
1. The RCSA Fellows Nomination form is prepared by a Cottrell Scholar, Holland Awardee, Scialog Fellow or Scialog Facilitator from the physical sciences, or Fellows Advisory Committee Member. The nomination form will open in PRISM in July 2026 and will be due in September. The form consists of:
- contact information for the nominee; and
- a confidential nomination letter
2. Nominees who conform to RCSA Fellows guidelines will be invited to submit in October 2026, an RCSA Fellows Initiative application form consisting of four documents:
- a 2-3 page cover letter (PDF) that describes your career objectives as an academic scientist, which may also address your background or lived experiences that have shaped your perspectives, academic and professional experiences, and career goals. In addition, given the multi-year cycle of this program where RCSA Fellows are expected to learn from and support each other through their journey from postdoc to faculty member, please address the specific ways you have contributed to or strengthened other communities to which you have belonged;
- a full-length curriculum vitae; and
- a 2-page research proposal and a 2-page statement of teaching plans that foreshadow the candidate’s faculty job application materials.
All nomination and application materials must be received through RCSA’s PRISM portal.
Selection Criteria
Review of application packages will consider the quality and significance of the nominee’s scientific achievements, proposed research, and teaching plans that grow talent for the physical sciences as a future faculty member.
RCSA Fellows will be announced by March 2026, and will convene for a conference June 3-5, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona.
Apply
Process opens in July 2026. Nomination materials from the nominator will be due in September 2026.
Application materials from the nominee will be due in October 2026.