About the program
The Michigan Institute for Data and AI in Society (MIDAS) invites applications for the MIDAS Postdoctoral Affiliates Program. This program will accept up to 10 postdoctoral researchers in 2025 from across the University of Michigan to support their career development and their development and use of AI and data science methodologies in domain research. Current and incoming postdoctoral researchers at U-M may apply.
Science Scope: the Postdoc Affiliates’ research must either advance a research domain through novel application of data science or AI methodologies, or develop novel AI or data science methodologies.
With more than 580 U-M faculty affiliates and nearly 30 postdoctoral fellows housed in MIDAS whose research spans a wide range of disciplines, MIDAS has a strong track record of catalyzing innovation across research domains with AI and data science methodologies. The new MIDAS Postdoctoral Affiliates Program will allow postdoctoral researchers across U-M to engage in our thriving interdisciplinary research community, to access MIDAS resources, and to participate in cutting-edge research training and career development activities.
MIDAS will provide a one-time $5,000 funding to support the selected Postdoctoral Affiliates, in the form of discretionary funds to be managed by the faculty mentor of each MIDAS Postdoctoral Affiliate. These funds are meant to support the research of the Postdoc Affiliate in any way that the mentor and postdoc decide (e.g. research funding, computer or computational cost, conference travel, etc.).
Note: a faculty mentor can have at most one Postdoctoral Affiliate in the program at any given time.
Timeline
- Application Deadline : 11:59pm ET, June 2, 2025
- Notifications of acceptance : July 7, 2025
- Program start date (negotiable) : August 25, 2025
Activities for Postdoctoral Affiliates
MIDAS Postdoctoral Affiliates will participate in 2-4 hours of MIDAS activities weekly, including any of the following:
The MIDAS postdoc program team and our collaborators provide a robust offering of professional development workshops and activities. Workshop topics include increasing research success and productivity, navigating job searches in academia and other sectors, preparing job-application materials (CV/resume, cover letter, etc.), professional skill development (e.g. networking and presentation skills), lab management, grantsmanship, and beyond
MIDAS Postdoctoral Affiliates are welcome to attend Postdoctoral Weekly Research Meetings, where MIDAS postdocs, affiliate faculty, and other MIDAS partners discuss their current research initiatives; MIDAS also offers networking lunches after these meetings every two weeks, which Postdoc Affiliates can also attend.
Postdoc Affiliates are eligible for no-cost registration to all MIDAS training events such as the Summer Academies and our annual Postdoctoral Training Bootcamp.
As members of the MIDAS community, Postdoctoral Affiliates will have ample formal and informal points of contact with the MIDAS affiliate faculty community across an extremely diverse range of disciplines, along with other postdocs and students. These networking opportunities open doors to new collaboration and career options.
MIDAS postdoctoral fellows organize small, informal, interdisciplinary research working groups, called AI Carpentries, based on shared interests in AI methodologies. Postdoctoral Affiliates will be welcome to join one or more of the AI Carpentries for hands-on AI skill-building and collaborative research projects. Current Carpentry topics include :
- The Application of Natural Language Processing
- Biodata
- Physics Informed Machine Learning
- Reinforcement Learning
- Uncertainty Quantification
To aid MIDAS in improving its programs, accepted applicants will be expected to complete a program evaluation form every 6 months while they hold affiliate status. They will also be required to submit their updated CV annually until five years after they leave the program.
Additional Benefits
Coworking and conferencing space
MIDAS postdocs work in our postdoctoral program space (3520 Green Ct., Ann Arbor), with coworking space and multiple conference rooms. Postdoctoral Affiliates are invited to work in these spaces and reserve rooms for events/meetings/workshops.
Letter of support
During applicants’ future job search, MIDAS will provide a letter of support outlining their involvement with the program. They can also formally list their Affiliate status in their CV or other job materials.
Who Can Apply
Eligible candidates are current or incoming postdoctoral research fellows (or equivalent) at the University of Michigan. If accepted to the program, the start date as a Postdoctoral Affiliate is negotiable, but for most applicants will begin at the start of the fall term (for this year, August 25, 2025) and last for the duration of the applicant’s postdoctoral appointment at U-M.
Applicants must have some degree of familiarity with AI and/or data science, but extensive experience is not required.
Application Process
Applicants should prepare the following documents for their application:
An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV).
A personal statement (up to two pages, single spaced, 12-point font) that includes the following:
- The applicant’s overall research goals, written in a way that’s understandable for researchers outside of the applicant’s core discipline.
- The applicant’s career goals.
- What types of enrichment the applicant is seeking, including professional development training, collaboration opportunities, technical training, and/or community resources/support.
- How the applicant envisions contributing to the postdoc community centered at MIDAS.
Note: Applicants may find it helpful to review the contents of an Individual Development Plan (IDP) for identifying and articulating key growth areas.
The applicant’s faculty mentor must submit a letter of support, indicating their support for the postdoctoral applicant to participate fully in the MIDAS Postdoctoral Affiliate program (including the time commitment of 2-4 hours weekly). In addition, faculty mentors are required to have MIDAS faculty affiliate status (see here for information about becoming a faculty affiliate).
Selection Criteria
Fit of the applicant’s research with the types of research that MIDAS supports.
Fit of the applicant’s career and professional development goals with MIDAS resources/community
Potential to contribute to the MIDAS postdoctoral community
Potential to benefit from engagement with the program
Potential of becoming a strong researcher
Questions should be directed to MIDAS’s postdoctoral program manager, Tim Cavnar ([email protected]).
Applications and letters of support must be submitted to this Google form by 11:59pm on Monday, June 2, 2025.