Signature Programs

Future Faculty and Academic Careers offers a diverse range of both in-person and online workshops and networking opportunities for future faculty preparation. Programming is aimed at graduate students and postdocs across all fields, although faculty and staff are encouraged to join in some special events and learning community activities on important topics in teaching, research, and mentorship. See events calendar
Our programming is offered in partnership with the North American CIRTL Network, the Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) and other Graduate School offices such as the Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement (OISE), the Office of Postdoctoral Studies (OPS), the Office of Academic and Student Affairs (OASA), and Careers Beyond Academia (CBA).
Here are some of our signature initiatives and Cornell-based programs, listed by extent of time involved.
Short Events and Workshops (1-2 hours)
- Academic Job Search Series workshops and job search discussions – in partnership with OPS; summer, fall, spring
- My Voice, My Story: Understanding the Untold Lived Experiences of Graduate & Professional Students interactive theater program on graduate climate offered upon request – in partnership with OISE
- Research communication workshops – preparing graduate students who want to present their research effectively for the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) and other settings, with some workshops also available to interested postdoctoral scholars – in partnership with other Graduate School offices
- Visiting speakers and special events on graduate education
- Customized trainings available on Research Mentorship (Contact us)
See also: CIRTL Network Programs
Cohort-based Series (3-12 hours)
- Building Mentorship Skills for Academic Careers workshop series and certificate program – spring
- NextGen Professors Program – by application, in partnership with OISE (year-long)
- Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) discussion groups
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Program – by application (year-long)
See also: Courses
Day-Long or Multi-day Events
- CIRTL Network Summer Institutes – opportunities at other universities, some with partial travel support
- CIRTL Network Exchange Program – Apply for a funded trip to another CIRTL university to give a research and teaching talk and experience a mock campus interview visit experience (Contact us to learn more)
- Future Professors Institute – biennially, in partnership with the Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement
- Inclusive Teaching Institute for Graduate Students and Postdocs – spring, in partnership with CTI
- Pathways to Success Symposium – annually – in partnership with other Graduate School and professional development offices
See also: Conferences and Institutes
Since 2015, Future Faculty and Academic Careers also offers both short-term and high-engagement activities enabling graduate students and postdocs to attain CIRTL Network levels of accomplishment (Associate, Practitioner, and Scholar).