Food Shocks

Fellowship application deadline: January 16, 2026

Join the Food Resiliency Fellowship Program, an initiative designed to develop leaders in sustainable agriculture committed to making a significant impact. The program aims to enhance the fellows’ preparedness for leading integrated research, extension, and education projects in the future. Enroll today to advance your professional journey in sustainable agricultural practices.

Program

The Food Resiliency Fellowship Program is a prestigious initiative designed to nurture and develop outstanding junior and middle-career professionals, PhD students, postdocs, and assistant/associate professors into leaders of projects encompassing research, education, and extension.

Fellows will gain invaluable experience through the USDA-NIFA-funded multi-institution project “Building Resilience to Shocks and Disruptions: Creating Sustainable and Equitable Local and Regional Food Systems in the US Midwest Region and Beyond.”

Opportunities

• Interaction with leading team members from multiple institutions in a pioneering project.
• Financial support to attend project meetings.
• Training in vital skills such as leadership, team science, proposal writing, and project implementation.

FAQs

Q: What is the expected time commitment for fellows in the program?
A: At a minimum, fellows will be expected to attend two All Hands Meetings (one in-person, one virtual) throughout the year. Other commitments will vary depending on the fellow’s interests, potential project contributions, and mentor interest and availability, among other factors.

Q: How long does the fellowship last? What is the duration of the commitment?
A: The fellowship is designed for a duration of one year, during which funding is available as outlined on the website. However, we hope the program will be a great driver in the fellow’s career success, so ongoing, unfunded association is encouraged.

Q: What deliverables are expected of the program fellows?
A: The Food Resiliency Fellows Program does not require any specific deliverals from fellows. The goal of the program is to facilitate and assist fellows in achieving their even greater success in their careers. Different fellows will have different goals and measures of success. We encourage fellows to write a short summary (1-2 paragraphs) of their experience in the program and to report specific outcomes of their fellowship experience.

Q: Is a recommendation letter required for the fellowship application? Can the recommendation come from someone other than the direct supervisor or dissertation advisor?
A: The fellowship application does not require a recommendation letter from your supervisor. Rather, we ask that applicants state that their supervisors (e.g. dissertation advisor) are aware that the applicant is applying to the program and endorses their participation if selected. We will CC supervisors when the selected applicants are notified of the awards.

Q: When is the start date for the fellowship?
A: Fellowships will start each year at the annual All-Hands Meeting (in-person). This year, the All-Hands Meeting is in East Lansing, MI. The meeting date is under review. All meetings will take place after April 1, 2026

Q: Is the fellowship open to non-U.S. citizens?
A: The fellowship is open to all U.S. citizens. U.S. permanent residents and holders of non-immigrant U.S. visas are encouraged to apply.

Q: Are Ph.D. candidates eligible for the fellowship program?
A: Yes, Ph.D. candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. The program is geared towards both graduate students and early career academics/professionals.

Q: How many fellows will be selected?
A: Up to 10 fellows will be selected each year of the project.

Application

Application Requirements:

• Cover letter or statement of interest: The submission should detail why you want to be a Food Resilience Fellow, potential contributions to the project, preparation for this role, and what you hope to gain from working with the project investigators.
• Resume/CV: Showcase academic and professional achievements.
• Supporting documents: Include relevant writing samples (such as thesis or articles) or descriptions of pertinent projects.
• Who should apply: Applications are welcome from dedicated individuals across the United States eager to make a difference in agricultural research and education. Candidates will be selected based on backgrounds, professional goals, interests, and qualifications.

Application deadline: January 16, 2026

Apply now: Submit application materials through the application portal (button below).