The Department of Communication welcomes two self-funded faculty and postdoctoral fellows from across the US and around the world on a rotating basis. Visits can begin at any time that space is available and are typically between 1-12 months in duration. Visiting faculty and postdocs are expected to have completed a PhD prior to their arrival in the Department. International applicants should take note of the information provided by the UW’s International Scholars Operations as well as the departmental information below.

Support and Opportunities for Faculty and Postdoctoral Visitors

The Department provides faculty and postdoctoral visitors with a letter of invitation, basic visa support, basic technical and office support, assistance in obtaining access to the UW library system and digital resources including a UWNetID, and a shared office in which to work. To support these services, the Department requests from each visitor a one-time administrative fee of $250 USD upon their arrival at UW. Visitors are responsible for the UW visa processing fee and any other fees associated with their visit. The visa processing fee must be received via wire transfer prior to applying for a U.S. J-1 “exchange visitor” visa; payment instructions will be provided in the Department’s letter of invitation.

Once at UW, visiting scholars are welcome at all departmental colloquia and department events, and they may audit courses with the permission of the instructor. They are expected to:

– give a colloquium lecture during their stay;
– interact regularly with departmental faculty and graduate students; and
– involve departmental graduate students in their research if appropriate.

Visiting scholars are also encouraged to enrich the departmental community in other ways, such as by participating in graduate seminars, initiating topical reading groups for faculty and students, collaborating on research projects and symposia, and inviting members of the departmental community to their home institutions. Guest lectures by visiting scholars in classes happen occasionally at the invitation of department faculty, but opportunities to teach a course in the Communication Department as an adjunct instructor while a visiting scholar are extremely rare.

Application and Selection Process

The Communication Department receives a significant number of inquiries from prospective visitors each year. Applications are reviewed by the Department’s Associate Chair and approved by the Department Chair. The primary criteria employed for selection of visiting faculty and postdoctoral visitors are a good fit between the research interests of the prospective visitor and at least 2-3 of the faculty and/or graduate students in the Department, and the strength of the applicant’s rationale for visiting the Department.

Prospective visitors need to secure at least one primary faculty “sponsor,” that is, a faculty member in the department whose research interests align with theirs and who agrees to supports their application to visit the department. In addition to a primary sponsor, prospective visitors must find one or two other departmental faculty or graduate students with whom they share interests, and who are willing to liaison with them during their visit.

Applications for faculty and postdoctoral visits to the department may be sent to the Department Associate Chair, Dr. Matt McGarrity (mcgarrit@uw.edu). Applications should include the following:

-your ideal (approximate) arrival and departure dates/months
-a brief description of your general research interests and of the specific research to be conducted while visiting the Department,
-an explanation regarding why this department would be a good environment in which to conduct the proposed research;
-the name of the faculty member in the department who has agreed to serve as the primary sponsor for your visit, and the
-names of 1-2 other faculty or graduate students who have agreed to liaison with you during your visit;
-the names, titles, and contact info for two references, including their email addresses and phone numbers;
-a curriculum vita