Hutch Teacher Fellowship
The Hutch Fellowship for Excellence in STEM Teaching is a two-year program for secondary science educators seeking an in-depth, biomedical research experience at Fred Hutch. The fellowship provides support for two paid summers of research experience in a host lab and curriculum design activities, with additional school year follow-up. While this program is designed for secondary life science teachers, it is open to other STEM teachers as well. Check out our Hutch Teacher Fellowship Blog!
Hutch Fellowship Application
The application for the 2024 Hutch Teacher Fellowship will open early January 2024.
Applications close March 15, 2024 11:59pm PST. Please note that the Principal Commitment of Support form must be submitted by the person who you indicate on your application by March 31, 2024, 11:59pm PST.
Before you apply, we recommend that you review the application PDF (below) which has a summary of the application questions. Please note that the PDF is for reference only. To be considered for the fellowship, you must complete the online application and have the Principal Commitment of Support form completed and submitted by the deadlines published above.
Hutch Teacher Fellowship Requirements
1. Complete the application (the application will open early January 2024 and closes on March 15, 2024).
2. Obtain administrator or supervisor recommendation. After finishing the application, an automatic email will be sent to your listed principal/school representative with a link to a Principal Commitment of Support Form. Your principal/ school representative must submit this form by March 31, 2024, 11:59 pm PST. Please communicate with your recommender to advise them that the recommendation form is only sent after you submit your application.
Eligibility
Fellowship applicants must be:
- A middle or high school science teacher
- Currently employed and teaching science
- Available for the entire duration of the program
- Interested in learning more about cancer research and related careers
- Willing to collaborate to develop cancer-related curriculum in conjunction with Fred Hutch scientists/education staff and other fellowship teachers
- Committed to piloting lessons with students and developing lesson revisions
In addition, please note that a social security number (SSN) or tax identification number (TIN) is required on intake forms.
We especially encourage applications from:
- Past SEP participants
- Teachers from backgrounds systemically excluded from careers in biomedical science. This includes individuals from underrepresented races/ethnicities, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds
- Teachers who work largely with students from such backgrounds
Unless teachers and researchers make prior arrangements together, the lab mentor will have the primary responsibility for selecting a teacher to work with. We will review initial applications and make recommendations to the mentors.
Program Commitment
Teachers will negotiate the exact times and dates of their fellowship with their mentor, with most teachers spending 8 weeks in the lab each summer. The expectation is the equivalent of 12 weeks/year, inclusive of time spent working on curriculum and piloting lessons in classrooms. Pilot lessons are created by participants, but teachers may also pilot existing SEP curriculum and provide feedback to curriculum designers.
First year Fellows are expected to:
- Work on a research project with their mentor
- Write an article about their lab experience to be published on the Hutch Teacher Fellowship Blog
- Develop a research poster to share with SEP teachers at a summer meeting
- Develop and pilot draft curriculum materials with their students during the school year
- Attend weekly check-in meetings in the summer and quarterly check-in meetings during the school year
Second year Fellows are expected to:
- Work on a research project with their mentor
- Develop and present a research poster and talk to share with SEP teachers at a fall meeting
- Pilot draft curriculum materials with their students during the school year
- Revise and publish curriculum materials on the SEP website
- Attend weekly check-in meetings in the summer and quarterly check-in meetings during the school year
Compensation
The total funds available for the two-year fellowship is approximately $20,000. To offset lost work opportunities, teachers receive an $8,000 award after completing each summer research session of the program. An additional $2,000 is available at the end of each school year, based on completion of school year activities. In addition, the program also covers up to $600 per year for public transportation and/or parking costs specifically related to participation in program activities on the Fred Hutch campus by providing an ORCA card and/or parking pass in a Fred Hutch parking garage (please inquire for more details on public transportation and parking costs). Unfortunately, we are not able to cover the costs of meals, lodging, or mileage.
The Hutch Fellowship for Excellence in STEM Teaching is a part of the Pathways to Cancer Research program funded by a Youth Enjoy Science (YES) grant from the National Cancer Institute (grant number R25CA221770). Pathways to Cancer Research materials are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NCI or NIH.
