University of Tennessee, Knoxville Looking for Post-Doctoral Research Associate – Theory & Practice In Teacher Education at Knoxville, TN Full Time

Description

The Center for Enhancing Education in Mathematics and Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is excited to announce a cluster hire of three on-site postdoctoral fellows for the Community Engaged Disciplinary and Educational Researchers in STEM (CEDERS) program (National Science Foundation Award #2329408). The position will start September 1, 2024. Each appointment is for up to two years, with renewal after the first year contingent on funding availability and scholar performance. Each scholar will have the opportunity to work on projects that aim to advance knowledge and practice related to teachers, children/youth, and/or families in STEM education through a community-engaged approach.

About community engaged scholarship (CES)

The targeted goal of CEDERS is to strengthen postdoctoral fellows’ capacity for CES among STEM disciplinary researchers, educational researchers, and community stakeholders. CES (1) involves collaboration among academic researchers and community members; (2) values the multiple sources of knowledge brought and produced by academic and community partners; and (3) includes goals for both knowledge production and social action or change towards the public good (Warren et al., 2018). We prioritize developing emerging scholars’ capacity for CES because of its potential to advance goals for equity in STEM education, transform the role of universities in society, and foster faculty’s community connections within and beyond the academy.

About CES in STEM education at the University of Tennessee

UT prides itself on embodying a modern land grant mission inspired by the “Volunteer Spirit” of service and leadership (https://www.utk.edu/vision). At the university level, the Office of Community Engagement and Outreach supports community-university partnerships; and within the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, Associate Dean for Community Engagement, Kristi Gordon, supports CES across education, health, and social work fields. In STEM education, the Center for Enhancing Education in Mathematics and Science (https://ceems.utk.edu/) through their partnership with the East Tennessee STEM Hub, provides resources and supports connections for university-school-community partnerships. CEEMS also serves as an organizational unit for projects related to STEM education in PreK-16, involving a number of disciplinary and education faculty across departments and colleges.

Each fellow will be assigned to work on an existing CES STEM education project that best fits their interests and goals. The three selected fellows and their assigned projects will focus on a different group of educational stakeholders as community partners, namely: teachers as community partners; children/youth as community partners; and families as community partners. Existing projects reflect the following emphases: (1) diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM education; 2) factors at the institutional, structural, organizational, societal, and systemic levels that affect STEM education and workforce development; and (3) classroom-based and informal STEM education. Possible projects include, but are not limited to: Citizen Science with Museums (Co-PI Drumheller-Horton); CRRAFT Partnership (co-PI Harper; https://crraft.org/); Cultivating Tomorrow’s Innovators through Exploring Planetary Images with Artificial Intelligence (PI Reeves; NSF Award #2314155); Easy as Play (co-PI Derryberry; formerly, Biology in a Box; https://biologyinabox.utk.edu/); PLANAR (co-PI Harper; https://francesharper.com/planar/).

Responsibilities and Activities

The CEDERS postdoctoral research positions are full-time appointments in which fellows undertake research with faculty mentors and participate in professional development activities to build their competencies for CES (Blanchard et al., 2009). Fellows will build this capacity in a mentored way during Year 1 by:

* Participating in seminars and workshops focused on CES research practices, research ethics, and commuting with multiple audiences

* Working with a mentor to analyze pre-existing data from a community engaged project focused on teachers, children/youth, or families in STEM education; funding is available for an hourly worker to support analysis

* Co-authoring a conference presentation and a manuscript based on this analysis; funding for travel and open access publishing is available

* Attending seminars and workshops designed to support effective collaboration, communication, and wellness in academic positions

Further development as a community engaged STEM education researcher in Year 2 will include:

* Conducting a self-directed CES research project

* Writing and managing a budget for the project (~$10,000 is available for each project)

* Leading at least one co-authored conference presentation and manuscript; funding for travel and open access publishing is available

* Attending seminars and workshops to support communication of a CES research agenda while on the academic job market

In addition to these responsibilities and activities, fellows will create an individualized development plan with a mentor that may include group or individual coaching and mentored teaching.

Qualifications

Application and Selection Process

CEDERS aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctoral graduates in STEM Education who are members of groups that have been systemically and structurally excluded in STEM, particularly those who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color (BIPOC). UT is committed to creating a more diverse academic community, knowing that inclusion, diversity and equity are values linked to educational excellence. Diverse scholars strengthen our ability to reach the individual and collective potential for our university community and the broader communities we serve.

In addition to the official application interested fellows should submit the following:

1. Cover letter (2-3 pages) addressed to the mentorship team (Reeves, Harper, Derryberry, Drumheller-Horton) that includes:
1. an explanation of why the CEDERS program is of interest;
2. the connections between community engaged work and their personal academic work and/or STEM education;
3. an indication of which community group or groups (i.e., teachers, children/youth, or families) they are most interested in working with during the fellowship and the connection to their research agenda; and
4. what they hope to gain from the experience.
2. Curriculum vitae
3. A writing sample (e.g., manuscript; chapter from the dissertation)
4. Contact information for three references

Required Education: A completed Doctorate Degree by August 2024.

Preference will be given to candidates who apply by February 26, 2024. Candidates who are ABD will be considered if they will have their degree by August 2024. An interview panel consisting of university team members and community stakeholders will provide different perspectives in examining the applications to ensure that considerations of diversity are always present and a point of discussion. Finalists will be selected to participate in Zoom interviews in March or April 2024 with the panel. From these finalists, three fellows will be selected based on academic merit, high potential for scholarship, commitment to CES, and diversity of interest in working with teachers, children/youth, and families.

Job
Research Professional

Primary Location
US-Tennessee-Knoxville

Organization
Theory & Practice In Teacher Education

Schedule
Full-time

Campus/Institute Knoxville