MindCORE Fellowship Program

MindCORE seeks to recruit outstanding postdoctoral researchers for our Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Scholars. Housed within the School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania, MindCORE is an interdisciplinary effort to understand human intelligence and behavior.

Designed for individuals who have recently obtained a PhD degree in neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, philosophy, computer science or other cognitive science discipline, the MindCORE Fellowship is a springboard for early researchers as they establish their own research program. Fellows are expected to pursue collaborative relationships with faculty working across disciplines at Penn. These collaborations may take different forms from engaging in research projects with multiple faculty independently, to generating new collaborative research that brings multiple faculty together, to contributing to interdisciplinary discussion and reading groups. Find a list of current and former MindCORE Fellows here.

 

Benefits

Fellows receive a competitive salary, relocation allowance, health insurance, plus a modest research budget of $20,000. Fellows also benefit from access to the greater community of academics including visiting scholars plus leading research facilities equipped with cutting-edge instrumentation all on an urban campus in a vibrant city. Fellows are invited to join regular working group meetings within their field plus career development workshops aimed at young researchers, and will be provided with a mentoring committee. Funding is provided in one-year terms renewable for up to three years. This is a campus-based (not remote) position.

 

Eligibility & Application

Applicants must have formally completed all requirements of the PhD degree and provide a copy of their diploma at the time of appointment (typically July 1, 2025 – Jan 15, 2026). Penn has a five-year term limit for postdocs, so candidates ideally have 0-2 years of previous postdoc time. Candidates must submit a research statement that identifies at least three MindCORE faculty at Penn with whom the applicant would be interested in collaborating, along with a CV, contact information for two referees, and a cover letter addressing the applicant’s strengths with respect to the selection criteria below. Note that to evaluate potential to lead within a diverse community at Penn, we consider past experiences, activities, and future plans to support diversity, equity, and inclusion. Applicants should be mindful of the interdisciplinary backgrounds of the reviewers and make the proposals clear to readers.

Submitted documents should be saved with candidate’s Lastname_Firstname.PDF in one PDF file in this order: cover letter, research statement, CV, referees (name, affiliation, email address). Complete applications should be submitted, along with some basic information, using our online application form.

We are no longer accepting applications for the 2025 fellowship cycle. 

 

Selection

All eligible and complete applications will be evaluated by the Selection Committee. Applications are judged on the following criteria:

    • Scientific excellence
    • Potential to contribute to or lead within diverse community
    • Scientific match and interdisciplinarity
    • Career potential

 

Click here for our Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

MindCORE seeks to award ~2 postdoctoral Fellowships per year. Positions may start as early as July 1, 2025.

Questions? Contact pennmindcore@sas.upenn.edu.

 

Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class. Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.