GFSI Post-Doctoral Fellows Call for Proposals (Closed)
Global Food Systems Institute (GFSI) Helps You Get There! We support faculty, staff, students, and Extension professionals engage in international work, including teaching, research, and outreach to strengthen human capacity for effective food systems, primarily in the Global South. We assist with project development, identification of funding opportunities, developing multidisciplinary teams, and offer logistical support for international activities.
The objective of this call for proposals is to recruit postdoctoral researchers to work with multidisciplinary faculty teams to address challenges related to food systems. GFSI will provide 50% matching funds for salary and benefit to support the post-doctoral fellows and the remaining 50% will be provided by the applicants. The post-doctoral fellows will conduct research within the GFSI Thematic Areas: a) global food and nutrition security, b) food production and distribution, c) health, economics, equity, livelihoods and society, and d) food production and the environment.
Eligibility and Application Requirements
- The program is open to U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. Hiring departments are responsible for ensuring compliance and that U.S. visa requirements are met.
- All doctoral requirements must be fulfilled at the time of hire. The candidate’s Ph.D. must have been awarded within five years of the appointment. Gaps in employment or studies will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- A short research proposal that advances the vision and mission of GFSI and focuses on at least one of the GFSI thematic areas and one of GFSI’s five cross-cutting themes.
- The proposed research agenda for the post-doctoral fellow may be place-specific, but the overarching theme should be relevant on a global scale. Incorporation of an international component in the research will be an advantage. Candidates are encouraged to expand on existing GFSI programs or develop new projects that align with the vision of GFSI.
- The proposal should describe how the project will create a legacy through significant complementary external funds to further the research in collaboration with GFSI.
- Applicants should be from at least three departments within UF and should include a mix of senior and junior scholars, including at least one assistant professor.
- University of Florida is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.
- We are not able to award funding for travel to or research in countries of concern specified in the 2023 Florida bill SB46, including China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Venezuela.
Proposal Review
- All proposals will be reviewed by a faculty subcommittee within the GFSI Thematic Areas who are not applying to this RFA.
Evaluation criteria
- Capacity and expertise of the interdisciplinary faculty team to mentor the fellow.
- Importance, creativity, feasibility, and potential impact of the research on GFSI thematic areas.
- Legacy plans for extramural funding for the proposed research.
- If the post-doctoral fellow has been identified at the time of submission, include their qualifications including: a) research track record, b) ability to achieve deliverables, c) grantseeking skills, and d) writing ability.
Guidelines for Submission
Formatting
- Proposals should be submitted in 12-point font, double spaced, with 1.0 in margins.
- Figure legends and tables can be in 10-point font.
- Maximum length of 6 double-spaced pages.
- Cover Page, references, 2-page CVs, figures and tables are not included in the 6-page limit.
Cover page
- Project title.
- Names, affiliation, and contact information of the multidisciplinary team.
- Proposed cost and source (funding code) to provide 50% of salary and benefits. (GFSI will provide 50% matching funds).
Post-Doctoral Fellow Research Plan
- This section should explain the proposed research plan for the post-doctoral fellow in collaboration with faculty mentors, including plans for grant seeking and proposal development to fund additional research in collaboration with GFSI.
Plans for Future Funding
- The proposal should discuss how the experience gained from the project will be leveraged for future external funding. In particular, the proposal should identify potential funding sources and specify a timeline for submitting applications to named funding agencies.
Supporting materials
- Provide a brief description of each faculty member’s role and how the team plans to mentor and develop the post-doctoral fellow’s capacity (for example, explain what professional development and research opportunities will be provided to participating post-docs).
Additional Information
- Budget: GFSI will fund post-doctoral fellowships at 50% for salary and benefits only. Applicants should submit a budget and funding codes for the 50% salary and benefits match.
- Deadline: Feb. 1, 2023, 5:00 PM (EST)
- Milestones: Include a timeline indicating milestone targets.
- Start date and duration: The projected start date is August 2023 with a maximum duration of 12 months, renewable depending on performance and ability to secure additional funding.
- Reporting: Midterm and final reports are due nine and twelve months after the candidate is hired, respectively.
- Applications (and questions) should be submitted as one PDF file and sent to gfsi@ifas.ufl.edu attention: Post-Doctoral Funding