Postdoctoral Fellow in International Relations

Job Details

Postdoctoral Fellowship in International Affairs

Call for Applications | The Moynihan Center at The City College of New York

Summary

The Moynihan Center at The City College of New York (CCNY) invites applications for the Moynihan Postdoctoral Fellowship in International Affairs. Funded for two years, the fellowship offers early-career scholars the opportunity to advance their research agenda, gain meaningful teaching experience, and contribute to the intellectual life of both the Moynihan Center and the Master’s in International Affairs (MIA) program within the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership.

Moynihan Postdoctoral Fellows are employed by the Research Foundation of the City University of New York (RF CUNY) and receive an annual salary of $72,000, a research supplement of $3,000, and a comprehensive benefits package. The fellowship term commences in August 2026.

Applications are due by May 18, 2026.

Overview

The Moynihan Center works to revitalize civic life through the traditions of free inquiry, open debate, and public service. Its fellowship programs bring together early-career academics, mid-career public scholars, and undergraduate students in a shared intellectual community that bridges generational and professional divides. Moynihan Postdoctoral Fellows become integral members of this community, joining a society of fellows that spans disciplines, career stages, and perspectives.

The Colin Powell School is home to the Master’s in International Affairs (MIA) program, a rigorous graduate curriculum that prepares students for careers in diplomacy, global governance, international development, and public policy. The Moynihan Postdoctoral Fellow in International Affairs will serve as an integral member of the MIA program community, contributing to its intellectual life and helping to shape the next generation of global leaders, while also participating in the broader Moynihan Center fellowship community.

Areas of Interest

The Moynihan Center welcomes applications from scholars working across the full range of international affairs. We are particularly interested in candidates whose expertise addresses pressing contemporary challenges in global politics. Areas of especial interest include, but are not limited to:

• Artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and their implications for international security, governance, and digital diplomacy
• China’s foreign policy, US–China relations, and China’s role in the world
• African geopolitics, regional security, and Africa’s place in contemporary multilateral institutions
• Global energy infrastructures

Fellowship Award

Fellows receive the following:

• Annual salary of $72,000
• Comprehensive benefits package through the Research Foundation of the City University of New York (RF CUNY)
• Two-year appointment
• Office space on CCNY’s historic Harlem campus
• Research support of $3,000 per year

Responsibilities

Teaching

The fellow will teach two courses per academic year within the MIA program or at the advanced undergraduate level. Courses may be drawn from the fellow’s own areas of expertise and should complement the program’s existing curriculum in international relations, comparative politics, and global policy. The position also involves mentoring and advising students, including participation in thesis or capstone guidance as appropriate.

MIA Program Activities

In addition to teaching, the fellow will work in close collaboration with the Academic Director of the Master’s in International Affairs to support the ongoing intellectual and organizational activities of the program, including the planning of lectures, panels, workshops, and conferences, and the coordination of speaker series and other public programming.

Research

Fellows conduct rigorous academic research that engages a pressing challenge in international or public affairs and deepens our understanding of democratic institutions, global governance, or civic values.

Moynihan Center Intellectual Community

Fellows participate in the weekly Moynihan Public Scholars Seminar, contributing to a diverse intellectual community that spans disciplines, perspectives, and career stages. Fellows also participate in structured mentorship events with Moynihan Undergraduate Fellows and present their work to the broader fellowship community at least once per academic year.

Qualifications

Required

• Ph.D. in International Relations, Political Science, International Affairs, or a closely related field, conferred by the time of appointment
• A clear and compelling research agenda relevant to contemporary international politics
• Demonstrated ability or strong potential to teach effectively at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level

Preferred

• Expertise in one or more of the priority areas identified above (AI and technology, China, African geopolitics, global energy infrastructures)
• Evidence of peer-reviewed publication or forthcoming work
• Prior teaching experience at the university level
• Demonstrated commitment to public engagement, civic discourse, or communicating scholarly work to broad audiences
• Interest in and commitment to public higher education and diverse student communities

How to Apply

To be considered for the Moynihan Postdoctoral Fellowship in International Affairs, please submit your application through the portal linked on our website by May 18, 2026.

A complete application must include the following:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Personal Statement
  Please submit a personal statement of up to 750 words that addresses the following:
  
  • Your research agenda and how your scholarship engages a pressing challenge in international or public affairs
  • Your approach to teaching at the graduate and undergraduate levels, with attention to how your courses would complement the MIA curriculum
  • Your efforts, past and future, to connect academic scholarship to public audiences and promote civic and political engagement
  • Your vision for contributing to the intellectual life of the Moynihan Center and the MIA program
• Course Abstracts
  Please submit abstracts for two proposed courses—at least one at the graduate level—that draw on your expertise and would complement the MIA program curriculum (maximum 250 words each).
• Writing Sample
  Applicants may upload up to two writing samples, including published articles, book chapters, or dissertation chapters.
• References
  Applicants should provide contact information for two (min) or three (max) references.

Please address any inquiries to moynihancenter@ccny.cuny.edu with “MIA Postdoc 2026” in the subject line.