The Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study (NDIAS) is a university-wide research institute based in Notre Dame Research. The NDIAS promotes issue-engaged, inclusive, and interdisciplinary study of questions that engage complex ethical challenges of our time and affect our ability to lead valuable, meaningful lives. Each year, the NDIAS convenes a diverse group of faculty fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate scholars to participate in a residential research and teaching community, with topics organized by an annual theme. NDIAS also hosts artists and practitioners-in-residence, and serves as a campus convener to advance Notre Dame’s mission, particularly related to ethics-related research and scholarship through interdisciplinary efforts.
Recently, NDIAS was awarded a 3-year, $2.97 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation (JTF) to support the Institute in enhancing and expanding our current Teaching Fellowship program. The grant will provide support to 15 faculty members, both from Notre Dame and from outside institutions, as they build pedagogically innovative, large-scale courses that advance understanding of human flourishing and ethics.
This position is a 3-year limited term position with a strong possibility of long-term renewal beginning August 2026. The Assistant Director will be the primary leader responsible for designing and executing an enhanced teaching lab fellowship model as envisioned in the grant proposal. Additional responsibilities include grant administration; reporting; partnership building with campus and external stakeholders; recruitment and selection of faculty from fifteen universities; budget management; organizing and helping to lead conferences, seminars, and advisory board meetings; supporting development efforts and donor relations; developing and overseeing student internship program; and supervising the Teaching Fellowship Program Manager for Evaluation and Research, who will also be hired to help administer the grant.
Responsibilities for the position will include:
- Program Leadership and Development: The Assistant Director will oversee all aspects of the teaching fellowship program, working closely with the Institute’s Faculty Director, Managing Director, advisory board members, and the Program Manager for Evaluation and Research. This position will be a key advisor to the Faculty and Managing Directors on curriculum development that equips teaching lab fellows to incorporate innovative teaching methods and best practices for student engagement in ethics and human flourishing across multi-disciplines. Core responsibilities of this position include curricular design for the teaching lab fellowship, the establishment of formal relationships and MoUs with U.S. colleges and universities, recruitment and selection of faculty fellows, and program development. Additionally, the Assistant Director will create and lead a semester-based and residential month-long intensive program for 15 faculty from diverse colleges and universities, along with a residential undergraduate student internship program. The Assistant Director will work with deans, assistant deans, and departmental chairs from partner institutions to determine the terms of agreement related to the residential fellowship, including travel to partner institutions for course implementation and assessment. Finally, the Assistant Director will work closely with the advisory board, public engagement consultant, Institute director, and Program Manager for Evaluation and Research to design and lead a vision conference, course evaluation process, and a summative conference throughout the life of the grant.
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Management and Strategic Planning: The Assistant Director will supervise the Program Manager for Assessment and Engagement. In this capacity, the Assistant Director will oversee the creation and execution of external and internal communications involving the Teaching Fellowship program, including correspondence, internal and external reporting, advertising, recruitment efforts, story-telling, video and website development, and content. The Assistant Director will also supervise the development and implementation of all assessment and evaluation tools and processes of the program led by the Program Manager for Assessment and Engagement. Periodic travel to partner universities and other stakeholders is required. The Assistant Director will also assist the institute leadership team with strategic planning to ensure long-term sustainability of the Teaching Fellowship program.
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Grant Administration, Reporting, and Stewardship: The Assistant Director will manage the day-to-day aspects of grant administration and budget management, serving as a liaison to the Office of Research and to the Office of Foundation Relations. Along with the institute leadership team, this position will be the first point of contact with JTF and will ensure timely responses, reporting, and responsible stewardship of JTF funds. The Assistant Director will work with the institute leadership team to develop a strategy to pursue additional external funding, which may include writing grant proposals, working with development staff on proposals, and managing stewardship.
Notre Dame Research is committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity and ensures that members of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome, and included. We strive to achieve a culture of openness, autonomy, and belonging; making Notre Dame an exceptional place for our team, partners, and collaborators to flourish.
