Promoting Recruitment, Opportunity, Diversity, Inclusion and Growth (PRODiG+)
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is one of SUNY’s four priority pillars and integral to all that we do.
As part of this commitment, SUNY is working to increase the number of excellent diverse faculty
committed to advancing the ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion who are selected for and excel
in tenure-track positions. PRODiG+ will create a pipeline for over 400 postdoctoral fellows to enter
tenure-track faculty positions at State-operated campuses over the next 10 years.
The new model is based on national best practices including the Carolina Postdoctoral Program
for Faculty Diversity at University of North Carolina, the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship
Program at the University of Michigan, the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at the
University of California, and SUNY’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access (IDEA)
Fellowship at Stony Brook University.
SUNY PRODiG Fellowship
PRODiG+ will focus on two goals: (1) increasing the number and share of excellent diverse faculty committed to advancing the ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and (2) strengthening the pipeline for retention and support of these candidates.
The PRODiG+ Fellowship will hire approximately 40 Fellows annually for a two-year Fellowship.
Under this new model, PRODiG+ will:
- Pay 80% of the Fellow salary ($80,000 at University Centers and Other Doctorals;
$65,000 at Comprehensive and Technical Colleges) during the two-year Fellowship. - Provide Fellows with additional funding for professional development.
- Pay an additional $50,000 toward the first-year salary of PRODiG+ alumni if the campus
hires the Fellow into a tenure-track position in the year immediately following successful
completion of the Fellowship.
In addition, SUNY will support campuses in the identification and recruitment of excellent candidates and help ensure that campuses are well-positioned to support and retain Fellows through the two years of the Fellowship, and beyond.
SUNY will also partner with community colleges to develop a program specifically tailored to their campus needs.
To participate in PRODiG+, State-operated campuses must project and certify they will have an open tenure-track position in the discipline where Fellows are to be placed. Discipline areas must also represent critical areas of strength and/or strategic growth for the campus.
Campuses will also be required to demonstrate they can provide adequate support for Fellows to thrive and become well-rounded scholars and that they will sustain an inclusive climate in the academic department and on campus. Plans to support Fellows must include, but are not limited to, identifying senior faculty mentors. Additional optional ways to support Fellows include:
- Providing startup funds and other investments (e.g., lab space, equipment, research
assistants, reduced teaching load, etc.) to support the Fellow’s research; - Providing relocation assistance;
- Providing a partner accommodation; and
- Connecting faculty to affinity groups and other resources on and off campus.
Campuses with existing postdoctoral Fellowship programs that meet all PRODiG+ criteria are
encouraged to expand these programs using PRODiG+ funds beyond their current baseline.
To participate in PRODiG+, candidates will be required to:
- Be eligible to work in the United States without a visa sponsorship;
- Have a PhD or relevant terminal degree from an accredited institution completed prior to
start date; and - Demonstrate an academic/scholarly track record incorporating diversity, equity, and
inclusion or have experience furthering DEI-related initiatives and programs and a
commitment to continuing those efforts in the campus community.
Fellows are welcome to focus on a wide range of scholarly topics and disciplinary areas with an emphasis on promoting and impacting diversity, equity, and inclusion through scholarship, teaching, and service to the campus community.
Preference will be given to candidates who are:
- Current SUNY students, alumni, and/or Fellows.
- From a low-income background (e.g., Pell-eligible as undergraduates), were first generation
college students (students whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s
degree), have overcome adversity, are AmeriCorps alumni, or are veterans, consistent with
the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in SUNY Admissions resolution by the SUNY Board of
Trustees in September 2023.