Kinder Postdoctoral Fellowship in American Political History & Political Thought

The Kinder Institute is currently accepting applications for two 2018-19 Postdoctoral Fellows, one each in American Political History and American Political Thought & Constitutionalism, with the possibility of renewal for the 2019-20 academic year. The fellowships come with a competitive salary, university benefits, professional funds, and office space in Jesse Hall, and appointees are required to teach one undergraduate course per semester, maintain an active research agenda and a regular schedule of meetings with faculty mentors, and participate in intellectual life at the Kinder Institute.

More details about the positions are included in the links below, but we are especially interested in candidates whose research focuses on the political or intellectual history of 18th or 19th-century America as well as candidates who work on American political or constitutional development and/or American political thought.

Kinder Postdoctoral Fellow in Political History

The Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri is currently accepting applications for a 2018-19 Postdoctoral Fellow in Political History, with the possibility of renewal for the 2019-20 academic year. Founded in 2014, the Kinder Institute is an interdisciplinary signature academic center at MU dedicated to excellence in research, teaching, and community engagement on the subject of American political thought, history, and institutions, with a particular emphasis on the ideas and events of the American Founding and their continued global impact and relevance today.

A Ph.D. in History or American Studies is required by the time the fellowship begins in August 2018. Candidates’ work should align broadly with the Kinder Institute’s scholarly mission, and we are especially interested in applicants whose research focuses on the political or intellectual history of 18th or 19th-century America and would be enriched by working with a faculty mentor or faculty mentors at the Kinder Institute and the MU Department of History. A detailed outline of the expectations and requirements of the Kinder Postdoctoral Fellowship, as well as salary and benefits associated with the appointment, can be found below.

Kinder Postdoctoral Fellow in American Political Thought & Constitutionalism

The Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri is currently accepting applications for a 2018-19 Postdoctoral Fellow in American Political Thought and Constitutionalism, with the possibility of renewal for the 2019-20 academic year. Founded in 2014, the Kinder Institute is an interdisciplinary signature academic center at MU dedicated to excellence in research, teaching, and community engagement on the subject of American political thought, history, and institutions, with a particular emphasis on the ideas and events of the American Founding and their continued global impact and relevance today.

A Ph.D. in Political Science or Government is required by the time the fellowship begins in August 2018. Candidates’ work should align broadly with the Kinder Institute’s scholarly mission, and we are especially interested in individuals whose research focuses on American constitutional and political development and/or American political thought and would be enriched by working with a faculty mentor or faculty mentors at the Kinder Institute. A detailed outline of the expectations and requirements of the Kinder Postdoctoral Fellowship, as well as salary and benefits associated with the appointment, can be found below.

Application

To apply, please submit the following materials: a letter of interest, research proposal of no more than 10 pages, curriculum vitae, two emblematic examples of written scholarship, and sample syllabi for two courses that you would be interested in teaching or developing. In addition, applicants should supply three letters of reference, sealed or under separate cover, or emailed directly by the referee. All materials should be sent to Kinder Institute Communications Associate Thomas Kane, electronically at KaneTC@missouri.edu, using “Kinder Postdoctoral Fellowship” in the subject line, or by post to: Thomas Kane, Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, 409A Jesse Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211.

Review of applications will begin on February 1, 2018, and continue until the position is filled.

Kinder Postdoctoral Fellowship Responsibilities & Expectations

The Kinder Institute’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program is designed to provide appointees with an opportunity to further their scholarly and professional development by working closely with faculty mentors at the Institute. Specific responsibilities and expectations a ssociated with the position include:

• Maintaining an active research agenda as well as a regular meeting schedule with faculty mentors at the Kinder Institute and in the MU History Department to discuss progress made on scholarly projects;
• Teaching one three-hour undergraduate course per semester and working in close consultation with faculty mentors during the first year of the fellowship on the development of an upper-level undergraduate seminar in the appointee’s area of specialty, to be taught in the third or fourth semester of the appointment;
• Presenting research to colleagues a minimum of two times over the course of the fellowship: a public talk in the fellowship’s first semester that provides an overview of the appointee’s research agenda; at least one workshop of a completed chapter or article draft to be led by an outside commentator invited by the Institute;
• Active participation in intellectual life at the Kinder Institute, including attendance of and contribution to quarterly meetings of the Missouri Regional Seminar on Early American History and the regular events associated with the Institute’s History Colloquium Series and other lectures and workshops

All Kinder Postdoctoral Fellows are expected to be in residence at the University of Missouri for the academic year. We encourage applicants to consult the faculty profiles on the Kinder Institute website, democracy.missouri.edu, for more information about faculty research interests and to contact potential mentors and/or collaborators individually during the application process.

Kinder Postdoctoral Fellowship Appointment Terms

The following terms and conditions apply to all Postdoctoral Fellowships offered by the Kinder Institute.

• Title: Postdoctoral Fellow
• Salary: $ 50,000 annually (to be paid monthly during the appointment period)
• Professional Development/Travel Funds: The Institute will provide all Postdoctoral Fellows with $5,000 in E&E funds at the beginning of the appointment that may be applied to conference travel, costs associated with research, and/or other approved professional expenses
• FTE: 100%, full-time, 9-month appointment
• Appointment Period: August 15, 2018–May 31, 2019
• Teaching Responsibilities: One three-hour undergraduate course per semester
• Tenure Status: Not eligible for tenure
• Renewal Status: Renewable once, for the 2019-20 academic year