The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 428 research/teaching positions and 65 teaching positions.
Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.
On December 5, 2023, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 472 research/teaching positions and 49 teaching positions.
Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? This will be the second open thread. This is the link to the first open thread.
Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread.
Are you having problems accessing the Google Sheet because of a Google Documents error? Email me at chemjobber@gmail.com and I will send you an Excel download of the latest sheet.
Ah that new thread smell!
ReplyDeleteAny word from Rice or UTenn's materials posting? Those are both >6 weeks from deadline now.
ReplyDeleteHowdy folks, Tori Barber here! I am still the owner of the tracker google sheet but am not monitoring it at all any more (too busy assistant professoring- thanks CJ!). If anyone is interested in getting admin privileges on the tracker and taking over moderation please contact me- vbarber@chem.ucla.edu
ReplyDeleteThis week was oddly slow. We had less stuff pop on the tracker this whole week than we did in the three days leading up to Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeletewhat is going on with MIT? it's been 2 months nobody has reported anything on the sheet, i;m guessing interview requests went out and nobody reported? any insight?
ReplyDeleteSome chatter from spreadsheet before it's deleted: MIT went straight to onsites and they're currently under way. Duke intends to go straight to onsites and they'll invite those in mid Jan
ReplyDeleteThanks! Any word on UCIrvine?
DeleteNothing there, discussion has turned towards Cornell's searches now.
DeleteDoes anyone have any info on the Mount Sinai Pharmacological Sciences search in chem bio/med chem? It's been ~12 weeks from the deadline... I did try emailing for an update but didn't get a reply.
ReplyDeleteAnyone have a good list of which universities post their faculty candidates online? So far I've seen that Indiana University, University of Illinois U-C, and Texas A&M all post their faculty candidate seminars on their public calendars.
ReplyDeleteDuke, Harvard, mit, Stanford, Chicago, ut Austin, Cornell are some I’ve seen
DeletePretty sure I saw Vandy do it in the past. If you really want to know, look at their seminar list online. Sometimes they won't publish a nice list but will have several postdocs (or no title at all) scheduled for the semester.
DeleteYale does, too, for their phys chem, orgo and theo chem candidates
ReplyDeleteThough Yale has invited onsites, the search targets seniors
DeleteHow do you know that?
DeleteAs someone who has spoken to one of division profs. At least for one search they are not targeting senior hire. First the committee will vote on assist prof candidates and only if it fails will they move to seniors.
DeleteFor those having experience with proposal talk during campus interview from Chemistry, what are the common questions asked? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMine varied quite a bit from university to university. Some asked me about what classes I'd want to teach, teaching experience etc. Others wanted me to specify how the work I'm planning is differentiated from my grad/postdoc PI's work. Others were curious about what pieces of capital equipment were most important to execute on my research vision. People whose research is closer to yours may have questions about particular nuts-and-bolts kinds of things (potential side reactions in my case, for example).
DeleteExcellent examples, I can add that I was asked which project exactly I would start with and why (high-risk high-reward vs routine expts, long-term vs short-term readout, comp vs expt, etc)
DeleteSame as the above. I was also asked to outline my first grant - aims, what preliminary data I would need, etc. The structure/composition of my lab (who would get certain things done, how undergrads could play a role).
DeleteIn addition to the aforementioned questions, they may ask what major instruments are NOT available on campus and how you can carry out those experiments. What funding agency?
DeleteThank you for the helpful answers! Sounds like most of the time will be focused on higher level questions related to your research. Would they typically go into details and test your e.g. textbook knowledge?
DeleteI didn't get anything that felt like they were quizzing me qualifying exam style, but if they smell blood (sense a weakness) they could ask I suppose. Never heard of it happening, though.
DeleteI have seen that when I was in the audience as a graduate student. A candidate proposed a mechanism in their research talk and some professors did ask fundamental questions related to their model.
DeleteWant to share some information about Utah State inorganic position. Liu left the department mainly because he wanted to start his business career while for sure he was not happy about the department management. The department leadership did a poor job not to keep this very productive faulty. The department had a very notorious record in its inorganic division. All three previous inorganic faculty left for different unhappy reasons. Another inorganic faculty, Yujie Sun (now at UConn) left because he was unfairly treated by a senior inorganic colleague. Please be cautious if you are applying the inorganic opening at Utah State University. I also heard that the department head declined to offer the p-chem position for a top candidate that was selected by the p-chem search committee. The department atmosphere is really bad now. USU should consider changing the department head.
ReplyDeleteI got the information from a senior faculty in the department when I asked for the hiring information about the inorganic opening late last year. I was very curious why successful inorganic chemists left one after one……Plus the P-Chem hire mess, there got to be something wrong in the department. Btw, it seems the professor is not active on LinkedIn.
DeleteThanks for sharing!!! I I had the onsite interview for the p-chem candidates last year at USU and felt very confused by the interview process. I couldn’t receive any updates for my interview from the department for months. Eventually, I was told by a search committee member that the position was canceled……the search committee was also very frustrated!!! It sounds a lot of conflicts in the department.
ReplyDeleteI applied position too. I heard there were department debates about the ranking of the candidates. I also heard the department head overrode the decision of the search committee. The committee was pissed off. No wonder why there is no opening for the p-chem position this run.
DeleteWhich is weird because they wanted to hire 2 since they had one retirement and another death. Way behind schedule on that now.
DeleteI think the department management has some ongoing problems. As someone said above, P-Chem faculty were very disappointed with the department head. The dispute within the department seems still going on. Plus, the inorganic division has more serious problems now. I don’t think any inorganic chemist would join this department at the time. I guess some faculty consider to leave too.
DeleteThanks for your reply. Now it makes more sense to me for the failed hire last year.
DeleteI am a chemist from a neighboring university (not in Utah) and knew a
ReplyDeletea few colleagues from this department. Serval excellent, productive synthetic professors left! I collaborated with one a few years back and he left because of sort of discrimination and unfair practices. Hmm, the department definitely needs some changes to recruit and retain good people.
I guess it is Sun. Sun was quite productive when he was at USU. He is doing great now. Sun has complained a lot about the USU chemistry department even after he left. Rumor has it that the culprit was a senior inorganic professor for the leave of all previous inorganic professors. Lots of drama.....
DeleteFor anyone headed for onsite interviews looking for advice on getting the offer: the CV doesn't matter once you walk in the door. Focus on showing respect and deep thought to each question asked of you during seminars and meetings, because two or three bad vibes from people outside your field can easily tank your chances.
ReplyDeleteVery true! Be well prepared for both research and proposal talks. Have backup slides to answer specific questions about your research and proposed research. A candidate should be humble and keep proactive when interacting with faculty.
ReplyDeleteHow long does it typically take to hear back (at least informally) about an offer after an on-site interview?
ReplyDeleteEarliest will be like a week after the last candidate visits, if you're the top choice.
DeleteSame as the above (if you know when the last visiting is).
DeleteI heard that if everyone agrees with each other then can be within a week, but if they need to fight for a few rounds then it could take longer. You may feel free to ask them if you feel comfortable to do so (in ~2 weeks or so)
DeleteThis can vary a lot and depends when the faculty have their meeting scheduled for a vote/discussion. I've had it vary from as little to a day after, to a month after, to never heard from again!
DeleteWhen I interviewed I asked what the decision timeline was and they gave me an estimate. They know you're curious/anxious and will do their best to let you know (as long as you're not being pushy).
DeleteI feel that we have reached the limit of productive discussions about Utah State. Further discussion will be deleted.
ReplyDeleteAlright more advice for those going to onsites: please put references in your proposal slides. Don’t overdo it, but just 1 or 2 in the whole presentation is a bad look. You might even have those references in your written proposals, just move them over for the relevant slides!
ReplyDeleteThis is about humanities job search, but I think all the chemistry candidates will appreciate it as well: A common app would be great! https://www.chronicle.com/article/were-demanding-way-too-much-paperwork-from-job-candidates
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty wild to me that CU Boulder is looking to hire 2 faculty for their organic posting but thus far have only set up 4 onsites
ReplyDeleteAnyone have laser pointer/slide advancer recommendations for research talks?
ReplyDeleteMy advice is to bring two. That way when one craps out mid presentation, you can swap to the other one. Ask me how I know! I just bought the first green one that popped up on the most common internet vendor!
DeleteI can't remember where this came up (previous search threads or maybe the spreadsheet?) but there was once upon a time a "budget report card" (e.g. university's overall financial health) for several universities that I'm having a hard time finding it.
ReplyDeleteThis? https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2023/04/26/forbes-2023-college-financial-grades-the-strongest-and-weakest-colleges/ They have a 2024 one, but that seems to be paywalled.
DeleteYes, thank you!
DeleteI've just been told to drop the DEI/broadening participation talk from an on-site. Deeply frustrating as a first gen queer academic. Anyone else?
ReplyDeleteTold by whom?
DeleteThe chair, no explanation offered.
Delete12:24AM OP: I feel that you've given sufficient information to identify yourself. Email me at chemjobber@gmail.com or reply here if you would like this thread deleted, and you can start over.
DeleteOut of curiosity, anyone aware of major disruptions to hiring processes in light of the growing uncertainty around federal funding?
ReplyDeleteMy institution has been telling us to carry on as usual, and our on-site interviews are still happening. No word since the indirect rate cut how things might change. I suspect faculty hires will be less affected since they're not supported by indirects.
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