"Assistant Professor of African Diaspora Studies Two-Year Postdoctoral Fellowship (Start Fall 2026)"

GRINNELL COLLEGE. The Department African Diaspora Studies invites applications for a two-year Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship beginning Fall 2026. Eligible candidates must have received their terminal degree no earlier in 2023 or later. We seek interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary scholars whose work centers the experiences, histories, ideas, and creativity of people of African descent across the globe. Candidates must hold a terminal degree with significant coursework in Critical Black Studies/Africana Studies. Applicants should demonstrate significant promise in teaching, research, and contributions to community, as well as a strong commitment to theorizing from and/or centering Africana, Black, and African-descended perspectives.

The Mellon Fellow will teach one course of their own design per semester: a 100-level Introduction to African Diaspora Studies course in the fall (informed by Grinnell’s vision for African Diaspora Studies (outlined on our website) and a 200-level elective in the spring, aligned with their areas of expertise. The fellowship provides support for scholarship, including funding for a book manuscript workshop, research and conference travel, and an undergraduate research assistant. Fellows will join a vibrant new department advancing interdisciplinary approaches to the study of African diasporas and should advance the College’s strategic plan, “Knowledge into Action,” in ways that engage its diverse academic and co-curricular communities.

Grinnell College is a highly selective undergraduate liberal arts college with a strong tradition of social responsibility. In letters of application, candidates should discuss their potential to contribute to a college community that maintains a diversity of people and perspectives as one of its core values. To be assured of full consideration, all application materials should be received by February 1, 2026. Please visit our application website at https://apply.interfolio.com/11893/positions to find more details about the job and submit applications online.

To apply, candidates will need to upload the following materials:

• A letter of application
• Curriculum vitae
• Graduate transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable)
• Names and email contact information for three professional references 1–2-page research statement Two sample syllabi: one for an Introduction to African Diaspora Studies course that engages Grinnell College’s vision for African Diaspora Studies (outlined on our website), and one for a 200-level elective course in the candidate’s area of specialization

Questions about this search should be directed to the search chair, Professor John Thabiti Willis, ADSsearches@grinnell.edu or 641-269-4803.