Leonard and Marjorie Tappe Postdoctoral Fellowship in Global Public Health

The Office of Global Public Health (OGPH) offers funding support for one-year postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Michigan School of Public Health (UM-SPH) through a generous gift from the Leonard and Marjorie Tappe Global Health Fund. Awards are intended to support postdoctoral fellows who will complete research in global public health, especially projects with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. Postdoctoral candidates require nomination and mentoring by a University of Michigan faculty member whose primary appointment is through UM-SPH. Up to two application nominations may be submitted from each UM-SPH department chair. An Office of Global Public Health Tappe Fellowship Sub-committee will be responsible for making the selection of applicants to be awarded. Funding support is available for no more than two postdoctoral fellows each academic year. The complete guidance for the Leonard and Marjorie Tappe Postdoctoral Fellowship in Global Public Health can be found in the Application Guidance Document. 

Eligibility

UM-SPH Faculty Mentors: 

Postdoctoral candidates will need to be nominated and mentored by a faculty member whose primary appointment is through one of the six departments at UM-SPH. Faculty whose primary appointments are in other academic units of the University or who have a dry joint or adjunct appointment at the UM-SPH are not eligible to nominate a candidate for this fellowship. Faculty mentors should work with candidates to develop a scope of work in accordance with project needs and the candidate’s goals. Faculty mentors are expected to have the capacity to support the fellow as needed throughout their experience. Faculty mentors and their departments must be able to provide all other funding support required for the successful completion of the fellowship, aside from the salary provided through this fellowship fund. This may include funds for research-related travel, computer equipment, office space, software, training, etc. This position is not intended to prolong an existing postdoctoral fellowship or supplant existing funding for a current postdoctoral fellowship position. For candidates requiring a U.S. visa, it is recommended that the faculty mentor reach out to the UM International Center to understand visa timeframes and other visa travel stipulations before an application is submitted.

Postdoctoral Candidates:

The postdoctoral fellowship is open to qualified applicants who have already obtained a doctoral degree in a health-related (e.g. PhD, ScD) or professional (MD, JD, DDS) program, with preference given to those who also possess an MPH (or other relevant public health degree), have earned their degree within the past 12 months, and have not previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship. Applicants must have completed all degree requirements for their doctoral program by the start of the fellowship appointment. The applicant's CV, including prior research and publications, should demonstrate the capacity to successfully complete tasks as outlined in the work plan submitted with the proposed faculty mentor. It is expected that the fellow will be in residence near Ann Arbor/UM-SPH for the majority of the one-year fellowship. The fellowship is intended for projects with a global focus and impact, however, there is no prescribed duration or requirement for international travel. This funding award is open to all otherwise eligible candidates, regardless of citizenship. However, this fellowship does not offer funding to support expenses related to relocation or visa sponsorship. Candidates awarded this postdoctoral fellowship are required to be in Ann Arbor at the start of the fellowship.  

Compensation

This fellowship award is made possible through the Leonard and Marjorie Tappe Global Health Fund and administered through the UM-SPH Office of Global Public Health on a competitive, merit basis. Fellows will receive a one-year salary of $68,000 plus benefits. 

The fellow and/or mentor must provide details on the application that other supporting funds have been allocated or awarded for the research activities to be eligible to apply. Office space, computing services and other resources consistent with postdoctoral fellowships must also be provided by the hosting faculty’s Department or through other awards. This fellowship does not offer funding to support expenses related to relocation or visa sponsorship, if applicable.  

How to Apply

Department Chairs or their Designees may submit up to two applications for the Tappe Postdoctoral Fellowship in Global Public Health to OGPH. Application materials must be collected by Departments and submitted in their entirety to the Office of Global Public Health (sphglobalhealth@umich.edu) for review in PDF format. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Files may be separate as long as they are submitted in a folder in Dropbox, Google Drive or a Zip File. 

*Departments may set their own internal review process and timeline. For your convenience, a checklist is available to assist applicants in compiling the required materials.  

Resources for application:
Completed application should include:
  1. Application 1a: Completed by the nominating Faculty Mentor;
  2. The Faculty Mentor’s CV; 
  3. Application 1b: Completed by the Postdoctoral Fellowship Candidate; 
  4. Postdoctoral Fellowship Candidate’s CV;
  5. Three letters of reference for the Postdoctoral Fellowship Candidate (1 letter from the Nominating Faculty Mentor, 2 additional references); and  
  6. A brief Memo from the Department Chair or their Designee indicating their approval of the selected candidates for review by the Office of Global Public Health.

Application Deadline

Department Chairs or their Designees may submit up to two applications for the Tappe Postdoctoral Fellowship in Global Public Health to OGPH at sphglobalhealth@umich.edu by February 28, 2025 for consideration. Late applications or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Selected candidates and their faculty mentors, nominating department chair and department administrator will be informed of OGPH’s decision around March 24, 2025. The Postdoctoral Fellow must confirm acceptance of the Fellowship within three weeks of notification.  

Questions? Email us at: sphglobalhealth@umich.edu

This fellowship award is made possible through the Leonard and Marjorie Tappe Global Health Fund and administered through the UM-SPH Office of Global Public Health.