"College of Arts and Letters Provost's Postdoctoral Fellowships, 2026-2028"

College of Arts and Letters Provost's Postdoctoral Fellowships, 2026-2028

Location: Notre Dame, Indiana

Open Date: Aug 25, 2025

Deadline: Oct 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

In the spring of 2025, the University of Notre Dame announced the creation of the Provost's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, a university-wide initiative to support outstanding early-career scholars in science, engineering, and the liberal arts who seek to make a difference in the world.

The College of Arts and Letters will appoint and host a cohort of six postdoctoral fellows for the 2026-2028 academic years. Each of the following units will host one fellow each: Department of Anthropology, Department of Music, Department of Philosophy, Department of Political Science, Department of Theology, and the Institute for Latino Studies. For more information about each unit and potential areas of study within them, see the Program's webpage.

These prestigious fellowships target exceptional early-career scholars interested in advancing their careers in an academic environment that is both committed to disciplinary expertise and vibrant in interdisciplinary exchange. The College will appoint the fellows for a two-year term. They will receive an annual salary of $75,000 and an additional $15,000 to cover expenses related to research endeavors and further training. Hosting units will provide fellows with office space and work together with the director of postdoctoral studies in the College to identify primary faculty mentors for the fellows' proposed research projects. Co-mentors with appointments at the University can be named at the discretion of the director and hosting units. Every six months, the director and hosting units will review the fellows' progress in their research and discuss future plans.

Monetary support and faculty mentoring will be coupled with professional development and networking opportunities in and outside of the hosting unit. The Provost's fellows will be a part of a university-wide cohort of distinguished researchers who participate regularly in lectures, colloquia, and panel discussions designed to advance their research and career aspirations.

Notre Dame has recently launched eight strategic initiatives intended to identify research areas where the University can make a significant impact. These initiatives will support dramatically expanded research efforts in the arts; data, AI, and computing; democracy; ethics; health and well-being; sustainability; poverty; and, global Catholicism. The University also sustains premier research programs in traditional disciplines as well as having more than 30 university-wide interdisciplinary centers and institutes. Candidates for the Provost's Postdoctoral Fellowship are encouraged to explore these opportunities, as well as the areas of excellence and growth identified by hosting units, and to select a field of study in which they can excel.

Qualifications: Applicants must have successfully completed (or plan to complete) a doctoral degree between June 2023 and June 2026. Earlier dates may be accepted if maternity or paternity leave, or Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave occurred within the past two years. Scholars of all nationalities may apply. We welcome candidates with or without permanent full-time research or teaching positions. Doctoral candidates and graduates of the University of Notre Dame, as well as current postdoctoral scholars at the University, are not eligible.

Application Instructions: Applicants should submit the following via the Interfolio website:

1. A cover letter including: the motivation for your application, how this fellowship will further your career goals, and your research interests at Notre Dame. Your cover letter should not exceed 4 pages in length, double-spaced, with font size 12 and 1-inch margins. Please also clearly specify your preferred primary host department or institute in your cover letter: Department of Anthropology, Department of Music, Department of Philosophy, Department of Political Science, Department of Theology, or Institute for Latino Studies.
2. Your curriculum vitae.
3. A statement describing your previous research accomplishments and your proposed research project(s) for the fellowship period. Your research statement should not exceed 5 pages in length, double-spaced, with font size 12 and 1-inch margins. This statement may include the names of faculty from whom you would like to receive mentorship if you should be selected as a fellow, and why you think you would benefit from their expertise and experience. Please do not, however, reach out to faculty in the hosting department or institute to arrange a primary mentor or co-mentor prior to submitting your application.
4. A writing sample representative of your own work (no more than 10,000 words in length).
5. Arrange for at least three letters of recommendation to be submitted via Interfolio.

Timeline: The application deadline is October 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm EST. Decision by March 2, 2026.

For further questions or concerns about the application process, please email alprovostpostdocs@nd.edu.

To apply, visit: https://apply.interfolio.com/171503