Arizona State University’s Office of Applied Innovation is looking to hire up to four new fellows for its 2021-2022 Fellowship in University Innovation.
The fellowship is geared toward early and mid-career professions from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, including technologists, developers, engineers, communicators, writers, researchers, designers and more. Still, fellows will be decided based more on their fit for the position than their background or level of experience, according to Michelle Sullivan, the office’s Director of Strategy and Partnerships.
“I can’t emphasize enough that what makes a candidate successful isn’t their background, but it’s more about the ability to quickly come in and advance an idea,” says Sullivan. The strongest applicants will also show an “intrinsic motivation to make change and work hard to bring that about.”
The Office of Applied Innovation is a small team whose core mission is to provide a space to cultivate new ideas or apply existing ideas in new ways, Sullivan says. Part of the office’s main focus is finding opportunities to apply science and technology innovations to serve the public and encourage progress.
Sullivan emphasizes that the fellowship is right in line with the goal of the Office of Applied Innovation. The goal of the fellowship is to “identify and apply emerging scientific, technological, policy and design innovations to expand access to educational and economic opportunity.”
Sullivan was a fellow herself and says she experienced several benefits from her year in the position. She says fellows are expected to collaborate and communicate with groups across the university and community. In fact, Sullivan says the entire job is building partnerships inside and outside the community. Fellows learn to think outside the box and find ways to advance their projects in a complex institution with unique challenges.
For the past six years, ASU has been ranked the top university in innovation across the country by U.S. News and World Report. The application highlights that fellows will have an opportunity to make a difference on a large scale, as ASU has more than 120,000 students and 17,000 faculty and staff members. Not only that, but the university boasts a lot of connections and partnerships.
The 2021-2022 fellowship begins August 9, 2021. The 13-month fellowship offers a salary of between $55,000-$75,000, depending on experience, and comes with a benefits package that includes health insurance, vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, reduced tuition and more. During that time, fellows are expected to work with each other and on their own to propose news ways to improve the community and do the necessary work to make that happen.
The first deadline to apply is Friday, Feb. 26. The final deadline is Monday, Mar. 29. A rigorous interview process will follow and then offers will be made by early May.