Postdoctoral Associate - Medical Humanities Research Institute

The Medical Humanities Research Institute at Rice University seeks to appoint one postdoctoral associate with a PhD in a humanities discipline for a two-year appointment in the research area of artificial intelligence for health for Fiscal Years 2026-28. The postdoc will join the vibrant, new collaborative Center for Humanities-based Health AI Innovation (CHHAIN), co-led by the Baylor College of Medicine Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy and funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. This position provides early-career scholars the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research at the intersection of medical humanities, ethics, and emerging AI technologies in healthcare.

The Medical Humanities Research Institute includes faculty from diverse fields in the humanities, social sciences, engineering, and the arts, and collaborates with numerous institutions in the Texas Medical Center and the broader Houston community.

Building on the strength of Rice University's faculty working in Medical Humanities, Science and Technology Studies, Engineering, and the Creative Arts, MHRI imagines new approaches to healthcare that place anti-racism, ethics, patient experiences, artistic expression, and historical and narrative analysis at the center of medical innovation. The postdoctoral associate would work within this dynamic environment at Rice to further MHRI's key initiative in Trustworthy Health AI.

Responsibilities:

The postdoc will contribute to CHHAIN's collaborative agenda by supporting and advancing humanities-based research. Key responsibilities include data collection (literature reviews and interviews), data analysis, dissemination of findings through conferences and peer-reviewed publications, project management, and scholarly communication across disciplines and with community partners. Specifically, the postdoc will be expected to

• Conduct interdisciplinary research on medical humanities, AI ethics, and health justice.
• Lead and contribute to dissemination activities, including publications, conference presentations, workshops, and community-facing scholarship.
• Coordinate and support project management across Rice and Baylor collaborations.
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students in medical humanities research projects.
• Teach one course per year for the Medical Humanities Program through the School of Humanities and Arts.
• Strengthen CHHAIN's ties with Houston-area community partners and healthcare organizations through outreach and engagement.

The postdoctoral associate will be selected based on the relevance of their work to CHHAIN objectives and focus area on trustworthy health technologies, potential for outreach with local health and community-based organizations, scholarly record of publications and presentations, and history of demonstrated interest in collaborative research.

This position is in the Rice University Medical Humanities Research Institute for the period from July 1, 2026-June 30, 2028. This is a full-time, residential postdoctoral position teaching 1 class during each academic year and is benefits eligible.

The ideal candidate has a PhD in a humanities discipline, conferred between June 29, 2022 and June 30, 2026. The ideal candidate should have evidence of strong humanities-based research skills and experience in collaborative research projects, preferably in the medical humanities field in the research area of artificial intelligence for health. Demonstrated ability to work in an organized, detailed, and collaborative manner is important.

Workplace Requirements:

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. The position is located in TMC Helix Park with teaching on the Rice campus. The postdoctoral associate is expected to work in the office 3 days per week. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

The postdoc will receive an annual salary of $70,000 plus benefits, a $2,500 annual stipend for research, and up to $3,000 for relocation to Houston. The position is renewable for a second year pending successful completion of the first year.

This position is funded by a grant, soft and/or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of funding.

Minimum Requirements:

• Ph.D. in a Humanities discipline, conferred between June 29, 2022, and June 30, 2026

Skills:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, as well as oral presentation skills
• Ability to work in a team environment, to participate actively, to collaborate and to motivate others
• Ability to work independently and professionally with minimal supervision and direction
• Excellent time management skills

Preferences:

• Research and/or teaching focused on medical humanities
• Research and/or teaching focused on artificial intelligence for health

Essential Functions:

• Publishes and/or presents their research in academic venues
• Participates in regular meetings and activities related to the Institute
• Participates in collaborative MHRI research on artificial intelligence for health and communicates research findings through presentations and publications/reports
• Mentors, oversees, and/or trains junior research team members (such as post-baccalaureate and undergraduate students)
• Teaches one course/year in the Medical Humanities Program

Additional Functions:

• Some research-related travel, as well as event attendance and engagement with the Institute and Medical Humanities Program
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Required Application Materials:

• Cover letter articulating relevance of applicant's work to trustworthy health AI
• Curriculum Vitae
• Single-authored writing sample (approximately 25 pages)
• Two-page course proposal for a 14-week undergraduate course on a topic related to health AI

Please combine all materials into one PDF and upload them in the Cover Letter section of the online application. If all the materials cannot be combined into a single file, additional files may be sent to mhri@rice.edu. Please reference Postdoctoral Associate - Medical Humanities Research Institute (Job Requisition 91201-12370) in your email.

Letters of Recommendation:

Three letters of recommendation are also required for the application. Please ask your recommenders to email letters by the application deadline to Tiffany Morgan at mhri@rice.edu, and use the subject line "Rice CHHAIN Postdoc LOR."

Open until filled, but priority review will begin on April 20, 2026.