Postdoctoral Research Associate for Property and Poverty
We welcome applications for two different Postdoctoral Research Associate positions, one at the Davis Center, and the other a joint position with the Davis Center and the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), for the theme Property and Poverty. The deadline for both positions is January 11, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET.
Interested candidates may apply to both positions.
Property and Poverty Theme
The Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Historical Studies seeks applications from scholars researching the history of property and dispossession, wealth and poverty, and the practices of owning and disowning things, people, bodies, and ideas. Historians studying the intellectual, legal, religious, cultural, and economic histories of property and poverty, and from social historians who explore the world of the impoverished, the practices of poor relief, the causes of poverty, and the mechanisms of dispossession, are invited to apply. All approaches are welcome, including but not limited to: the history of intellectual property and copyright, the history of the commons, the lived experience of poverty, various forms of individual and collective ownership and resistance to them, the administrative and informational technologies enabling the development of property, and the religious and moral aspects of poverty and ownership. Intellectual, environmental, and economic historians, as well as historians of art, gender, race, and sexuality from antiquity to the modern period, whose work engages with these subjects, are encouraged to apply.
Applications are welcomed from a range of historical fields, with no restrictions on either chronological period or geographical region.
Details
The Postdoctoral Research Associate will be engaged in full-time work on the proposed historical project during the period of the appointment and will not have teaching or administrative responsibilities. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will also participate in all of the Davis Center's weekly activities (along with the Center's faculty-level fellows).
The initial expected term of appointment is July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027, with the expectation of renewal for a second year, contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued funding. The appointment will be made through the Department of History. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will receive a competitive salary along with University benefits and an annual research fund of $5,000.
Application and Deadline
Applicants should submit a letter of application, a CV, a writing sample of no more than 10,000 words, and the contact information for three referees who will be asked to provide letters of recommendation. Applicants who have not yet received the Ph.D. must also provide a letter from their dissertation advisor indicating that they are on track towards completing the doctorate by the start of the Postdoctoral Research Associate position.
Applications received by January 11, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET will receive full consideration. Referees will have until January 19 to submit their letters.
Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position is subject to the University's background check policy. The work location for this position is in-person on campus at Princeton University.
Expected Salary Range: $75,000.00
The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full-time position; salaries for part-time positions are pro-rated accordingly.
The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees.
Postdoctoral Research Associate – Davis Center
Requisition No: D-26-HIS-00002
Postdoctoral Research Associate – Davis Center and IAS
Requisition No: D-26-HIS-00003
Contact
For more information, please contact Svitlana Rogers by email at skrogers@princeton.edu or call 609-258-4997.
