As part of our continued commitment to building an exceptional intellectual community and advancing scholars from diverse disciplines and lived experiences in higher education, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) manages the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity (CPPFD) for the University. The purpose of CPPFD is to prepare scholars from diverse disciplines for possible tenure track appointments at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and other research universities through exceptional training, mentorship, and professional development opportunities, as well as dedicated time to build their research portfolios. 

The CPPFD is one of the oldest and prestigious postdoctoral programs in the nation focused on advancing scholars from diverse disciplines and lived experiences and receives strong support and recognition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and peer institutions. Program support is offered to our postdocs by top level administrators, departments, centers and institutes across our university.  For the purpose of this program, diversity is defined as the ways in which individuals vary, including, but not limited to, academic expertise, backgrounds, personal characteristics, ideas, beliefs, cultures, and traditions that distinguish one individual or group from another, which may include, but are not limited to, Federal, State, University, and constituent institution protected classes.    

The CPPFD has grown to a continuing class of ten outstanding scholars who serve a two-year appointment. Recruiting is carried out on a national basis attracting exceptional scholars from across disciplines. More than 200 scholars have participated in the program since its first scholar in 1983.