About PERT

Postdoctoral Excellence in Research and Teaching (PERT) offers up to three years of support to outstanding candidates seeking advanced research training in insect science and preparation for the additional demands of an academic career. Trainees may receive up to three years of support. Each trainee will participate in several PERT program components designed to prepare trainees to be successful in tenure track academic positions. Because the demands of an academic career include research productivity, teaching, and service, the following activities will be required of all trainees:

• RESEARCH training is available under the supervision of one or more participating CIS faculty members in a wide range of academic units. (For detailed descriptions of CIS faculty research select Faculty from the menu.) Collaborative, interdisciplinary research is encouraged. Applicants are encouraged to contact prospective research mentors as early as possible in the application process. Starting salary for program participants with less than one year of postdoctoral experience will be $36,996 with an annual allowance for research supplies and travel. The Center for Insect Science provides a rich environment for research training through regular seminars, data blitzes, Visiting Distinguished Scientist series and Hexapodium events.

• TEACHING skills will be developed through participation in a two semester science pedagogy program simultaneously with trainee research. Flexibility exists with respect to which two semesters will be the pedagogy semesters for each trainee. During one semester, each trainee will attend a three credit hour course in science pedagogy at the University of Arizona or participate in a pedagogy workshop. The pedagogy course involves the development of a single original undergraduate laboratory exercise using insects and feedback on teaching proficiency. In a subsequent semester, the trainee will teach one undergraduate course and laboratory section at Pima Community College (PCC), near the University of Arizona, under the direction of a PCC teaching mentor.

• MENTORING skills will be developed through the supervision of a research project by a minority undergraduate student from PCC. Undergraduate research projects may be subcomponents of the trainee's own research.

• SERVICE to the CIS community will involve the PERT seminar series in which trainees select, invite and host a distinguished insect scientist to deliver a special seminar each semester at the University of Arizona.

• SURVIVAL SKILLS will be shared with trainees through special workshops dealing with grant writing, the job application process, promotion and tenure strategies and the integration of research, teaching, and service in an academic career. Workshops will utilize the strengths of the CIS faculty, including members of the National Academy of Sciences, MacArthur Fellows, Regents' Professors and other distinguished scientists.