Nuffield College Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellowships in Politics

Nuffield College and the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford intend to appoint jointly, with effect from 1 September 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter, up to three Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellows (PPRFs) in Politics, broadly construed to include political science, political behaviour, comparative politics, political economy, electoral studies, political theory, international relations, and political history. Applications are particularly welcomed from candidates who work in the fields of contemporary political theory, comparative government, or international relations, but this is not a requirement.

The key responsibilities of the Research Fellows are to engage in advanced study and independent scholarly research in politics broadly construed (as above); to disseminate research findings through publication and participation in conferences and workshops; to take part in the intellectual life of the College and the Department by organising workshops, seminars or conferences; and to undertake teaching not expected to exceed 48 stint units per year (the equivalent to teaching an eight-week 2-hour seminar series per year), and to assist in examining for the Department.

To be eligible, candidates should have completed, or be close to completing, a PhD/DPhil in a relevant field. Candidates must be within three years of the defence date (viva voce examination date) of their doctorate at the time of application. Allowances will be made for career breaks (for example, family-related leave) and candidates are asked to provide relevant information. Preference will be given to candidates who have not previously held a research fellowship similar to that advertised for more than one year at the time of taking up the fellowship. Prospective candidates should also have experience of carrying out independent research, and a track record of excellent quality papers appropriate for their career level. They should have the ability to provide excellent teaching to high-achieving students; the willingness to contribute to the intellectual life of the College and the Department; and excellent oral and written communication skills.

The Fellowships are full-time, fixed-term posts and are to be taken up on 1 September 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. The post end date will normally be 31 August 2028. Candidates who have not yet completed their doctorate at the time of application should note that to take up the Fellowship in September 2025, it may be necessary for them to have submitted their doctoral dissertation for examination by the end of May 2025. The posts will be based at Nuffield College and at the Department of Politics and International Relations. The salary offered is £40,528 per annum. Subject to availability, Research Fellows may apply to rent single accommodation in College. Benefits include a research allowance and free lunch and dinner in College.

Further particulars, including information on how to apply, are available here: https://www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/media/mqrhazf3/polpprf_jd2025.pdf

How to apply

To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply' link below. This will take you to the Interfolio Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register for an account (if you have not done so previously) and log in before completing an online application.

For the online application you will be asked to complete an application form and a recruitment monitoring form, and to upload the following documents:

• A covering letter explaining how you meet the selection criteria for the Fellowship;
• A Curriculum Vitae including a full list of publications/working papers;
• A one-page description of your current research;
• A one-page description of the research you would plan to undertake as a Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellow; and
• One sample of your written work (for example, a research paper or thesis chapter), including an abstract up to one page in length.

On the application form you will be asked to provide the names, postal addresses, and email addresses of at least two academic referees to whom we may write at a later stage in the selection process to request references in support of your application. Please ensure that your nominated referees would be available to provide references in January-February 2025.

APPLY

If you have any technical difficulties submitting your online application, please contact Interfolio at help@interfolio.com. For other queries, please contact the Nuffield College Registrar at pprf@nuffield.ox.ac.uk.

If, for your convenience, you wish to submit a hard-copy application, please contact the Nuffield College Registrar at pprf@nuffield.ox.ac.uk. Interfolio is a US-based service which processes data on servers based outside the EEA. The Interfolio privacy policy can be viewed here: www.interfolio.com/privacy-policy/. Information submitted via hard-copy is not processed through Interfolio.

The deadline for receipt of applications is Thursday 5 December 2024.

Nuffield College values diversity in its Fellowship and particularly welcomes applications from women, from disabled people, and from black and minority ethnic people, who are currently underrepresented in senior academic posts at the University of Oxford.