Buffett Institute Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Study of Global, Comparative or International Affairs
The Buffett Institute invites applications for two-year postdoctoral fellowships in the study of global, comparative, or international affairs. Up to three fellows will be selected. Applications are welcome from scholars from any range of social science or interdisciplinary perspectives whose research addresses global, international, or transnational social processes, problems, governance, or conflicts.
Each fellow will be affiliated with the Buffett Institute and an appropriate department in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (political science, history, sociology, anthropology, etc.), the School of Communication (performance studies, radio/television/film, communication studies, and theater), or the School of Education and Social Policy.
Applicants should not contact the department or any faculty at this time.
Fellowship details
Fellows will pursue a program of independent scholarship and teach one quarter-long undergraduate class each academic year. They will work with their affiliate departments to determine course subject matter and scheduling over the two years of the fellowship.
Fellows will deliver one public lecture at Buffett, and they will help organize and run select Buffett Institute programming. In general, they are expected to be active participants in the intellectual activities of both the Buffett Institute and their affiliated disciplinary departments.
Fellows will also work with an assigned faculty mentor. Intended to serve as professional advisers, faculty mentors will help fellows integrate into the Buffett intellectual community.
The salary is $55,000. In addition, fellows are eligible for $5,000 per year to fund research and conference travel and up to $2,000 in reimbursement for allowable relocation expenses in the first year.
This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position.
Eligibility
Applicants must have received their PhD between December 14, 2015, and August 31, 2018. We do not grant exceptions.
Application details
The application is open from October 15 to December 15, 2017.
Required materials:
- Cover Letter: Briefly situate your work in relation to your discipline(s), and explain why the Buffett Institute is a particularly good place to pursue your research. Be sure to identify your proposed departmental affiliation.
- Faculty affiliate mentor preferences: Identify one to three Buffett Institute faculty affiliates who could serve as your mentor during the Buffett Postdoctoral Fellowship.
- Curriculum Vitae
- Research Statement: A two-page summary of your dissertation.
- Research Proposal: A two-page research plan for the fellowship period. This may include, but should extend beyond, revisions to the dissertation.
- Teaching Materials: One-page teaching statement and the titles, short descriptions, and full syllabi for two undergraduate courses that you could teach under the auspices of your proposed departmental affiliation.
- Writing Sample: Equivalent to a single journal article, book chapter, or dissertation chapter; it may be published or unpublished. Only one sample may be submitted. It must be in English. The maximum length is 50 pages.
- Graduate Transcript. A transcript from your doctoral degree–granting institution. An unofficial transcript is acceptable. If your doctoral program did not include formal graded classes, submit a statement to that effect instead.
- Three Letters of Recommendation: The online application system will ask you to provide contact information for three recommenders. Once you submit your application, your references will automatically be emailed instructions for uploading a letter of recommendation. It is helpful if at least one letter comments specifically on your teaching experience and abilities. If you have not yet defended and submitted your dissertation, please advise your chair that their letter must specifically discuss what work remains to be completed and when you will complete all the requirements to receive your degree. Please convey these specific instructions to your references, as the instructions they will receive by email are generic.
