IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship Application

The IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship program advances interdisciplinary, partner-engaged, and impact-focused research. Fellows engage in a collaborative cohort model, build strong networks, and gain leadership and team science experience.

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Applications for Cohort 4 (2026-28) are now closed. Sign up to notified for the Cohort 5 fellowship.

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About the Fellowship

The IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship program has an annual cohort of up to 15 fellows. Fellowships are two year awards. IonE Postdoctoral Fellows will lead one to two projects during their tenure that are connected to IonE’s existing research portfolio.

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Eligibility (2026-2028)

Ph.D. in any disciplinary field, including interdisciplinary studies. Must have either expertise or expressed interest in developing expertise in a particular aspect of sustainability.
Ph.D. anticipated in spring/summer 2026 or completed after December 31, 2020. If graduating in 2026, degree must be conferred by July 31, 2026.
Relevant skills for at least one of the available projects listed in the application process.
Willingness to relocate to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Ability to participate in Fall Orientation (September 14–16, 2026).
U.S. citizenship is not a consideration in decisions. Candidates must be U.S. work eligible. Non-U.S. scholars must have or be able to obtain a visa.

Important Dates in 2026

January 26: Applications open
February 10: Informational webinar
March 4: Q&A webinar: Meet the Postdocs! (1 of 2)
April 1: Q&A webinar: Meet the Postdocs! (2 of 2)
April 29: Applications close
May 18: Candidates advancing to the semi-finalist round will be notified
May 20-27: Semi-finalist candidates record 1-way Spark Hire interview
June 15: Candidates will be notified of their status for finalist interviews
June 29-30: Finalist interviews
September 14-16: Start of 2026-2028 IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship and Orientation

Application Review Process

We review initial applicants for eligibility requirements. Your application will then be reviewed by at least three people, including the project principal investigators (PIs) and members of the IonE team. Reviewers look at the strength of your application across all required fields, as well as your fit with our projects and your potential to thrive in IonE’s interdisciplinary impact-focused research environment.
If you move forward, we will notify you in May.
Semi-finalists are invited to complete a one-way recorded interview using Spark Hire. You will receive the interview questions ahead of time and will need to respond to three to five questions. You will be given three minutes to answer each one and you are allowed to re-record your responses as many times as you need before submitting. Candidates who are chosen to move on to the finalist Zoom interview will be notified in June.
All finalist Zoom interviews will take place before the end of June. Interviews are 45 minutes long. We recommend you hold the interview dates in your calendar.
All applicants will be notified of their status in August.

Apply for Cohort 4 (2026-2028)

An IonE postdoc fellow gives a presentation.

Applications closed April 29, 2026. Sign up to be notified for the Cohort 5 fellowship.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Applying

Have more questions? Browse detailed FAQs for answers to commonly asked questions on eligibility, the application, interview process and more.

How do I create a strong application?

First and foremost, follow the instructions in the application form.

Secondly, we look for written questions to be focused on concrete examples.

If you would like to reference a “Tips & Tricks for Applying“ webinar we recorded a couple of cycles ago, we recommend starting midway. This particular recording speaks to the questions asked in last year’s application, but some of the broader questions about IonE are still relevant. We also recommend you listen to the webinar recordings with the PIs from last year, and strongly suggest that you register to attend or listen to the replay of the February 10, 2026, Informational Webinar before submitting your application.

Last updated 3/4/26

I am graduating in 2026; can I apply?

Can I be considered if I do not have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency?

Maybe. Successful applicants must present documents demonstrating that they are legally authorized to work in the United States. If you make it to the final round, before we invite you to Zoom interview, we will work with our UMN International Student and Scholar Services office – ISSS – to understand the current guidance for our University at that moment in time so that we can be very clear about what is and is not possible in terms of sponsorship. We will not invite people for Zoom interviews unless, through working with the candidate and ISSS, we believe there is a possibility or pathway for us to be able to sponsor a visa extension or change that would enable you to take a job. Also we want to be clear, we are not considering your visa status in our application reviews, but U.S. work eligibility is a requirement for employment. Visa sponsorship and work authorization may be possible for successful applicants through a process which would be managed by you and the International Student and Scholar Services Office – ISSS – with the support of the faculty mentor and department. Our ability to sponsor visas is dependent on current U.S. policy and restrictions.

Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. To hear more about visas and sponsorship, please refer to minute 12:43 of the 2026 Informational Webinar.

Last updated 1/29/26