"Humanities Scholars Program Postdoctoral Associates"

Humanities Scholars Program Postdoctoral Associates

Call for Applications: Humanities Scholars Program Postdoctoral Associates Open to Cornell PhD Candidates and Recent Cornell PhDs

Eligible applicants for this search are current Cornell University PhD candidates and recent Cornell PhDs.

The Humanities Scholars Program, an undergraduate research initiative in Cornell University's College of Arts & Sciences, invites applications from scholars holding PhDs from Cornell and Cornell PhD candidates for one-year Postdoctoral Associate positions beginning August 1, 2026. Each position offers a salary of $67,000/year and a $2,000 research fund for the year. Two Postdoctoral Associates will be appointed.

The Humanities Scholars Program seeks Cornell University scholars who have completed a PhD in any discipline, including the humanities, interpretive social sciences, and the creative arts; we also welcome scholars who conduct interdisciplinary research that transcends traditional disciplines. All successful candidates will be able to demonstrate experience performing scholarly research. The HSP Postdoctoral Associates are fully integrated into the Society for the Humanities' annual cohort of Fellows, including the Wednesday seminars; preference is given to candidates intending to pursue an academic career.

The Postdoctoral Associates will be selected based on their research's promise for cultivating interdisciplinary exchange, nurturing collaboration across academic disciplines, and building upon existing disciplinary contributions to the humanities, broadly conceived. We seek candidates who are eager to develop their skills in undergraduate pedagogy, focusing in particular on guiding and mentoring undergraduates through the process of developing and researching humanistic questions.

We anticipate that the Postdoctoral Associates will teach one seminar per year, which is one section of SHUM 2750 Introduction to the Humanities in the spring term. As well, we expect each to supervise the one-credit course SHUM 4750 for guiding seniors through the senior thesis in the fall and spring terms. They will organize and support a regular schedule of events such as peer-to-peer workshopping of work-in-progress, workshops in oral presentation skills, careers in humanities, and other professional training, and regular coffee hours, lunches, and informal gatherings with faculty and graduate students. The successful candidate will work closely with the director and program manager to develop a schedule of events to integrate the Humanities Scholars Program students with events occurring across campus in the humanities.

Applicants eligible for the Humanities Scholars Program Postdoctoral Associate positions for the 2026-27 academic year include scholars holding PhDs from Cornell and Cornell PhD candidates who complete the PhD degree between January 1, 2024 and August 1, 2026. Applicants who do not have the PhD in hand at the time of application must include a letter from the committee chair stating that all degree requirements for the PhD, including the B exam, will be completed by August 1, 2026. Candidates with a doctorate or equivalent in any field are eligible.

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

Application Procedures

1. Cover page (generated via your AJO account):
   • Full name and netID
   • Date (or expected date) of PhD
   • Department or field
   • Referees' names and emails
2. Cover letter that details the candidate's interest in the Humanities Scholars Program and why their experience makes them an appropriate candidate [2000 words max]
3. Curriculum vitae
4. Teaching statement that emphasizes different ways of teaching in the humanities [1000 words max]
5. We ask applicants for all faculty positions to share their approach to fostering learning, research, service, and outreach in a diverse community. Applicants may choose to submit a stand-alone statement or embed the information in other parts of their application materials. [1000 words max]
6. One writing sample [30 pages max]
7. Syllabi from courses taught
8. Letter of degree conferral if PhD not yet completed
9. Sent separately: Two letters of recommendation. Please ask referees to upload their letters directly through the link provided by Academic Jobs Online.

Letters must be received on or before February 3, 2026.

Decisions are generally made by Mid-March.

Pay Range: $62,232.00 - $88,745.00