Job Details

Wolf Humanities Center Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships, 2027-2028

Location: Philadelphia, PA
Open Date: Jun 22, 2026
Deadline: Nov 01, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

The Wolf Humanities Center awards five (5) one-year Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships each academic year to scholars in the humanities who are no more than five years out of their doctorate. Preference will be given to candidates not yet in tenure track positions whose proposals are interdisciplinary and would particularly benefit from and contribute to Penn's intellectual life.

The programs of the Wolf Humanities Center are conceived through yearly topics that invite broad interdisciplinary collaboration. For the 2027-2028 academic year, our topic will be Empire.

The Wolf Humanities Center's 2027-2028 Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship appointment is twelve months (July 1, 2027-June 30, 2028) and carries a minimum stipend of $67,000, a $3000 research fund, and discounted single-coverage health insurance.

During their appointment, Wolf Humanities Center's Postdoctoral Fellows teach one course rostered in one or more of the humanities departments or programs in Penn's College of Arts & Sciences and participate in the Center's weekly Mellon Research Seminar (Tuesdays, 12:00-2:00). Fellows also collaborate on the planning of a public symposium on the Center's annual topic, participate in professional development workshops, and are appointed a faculty mentor.

Qualifications

• Scholars who received or will receive their PhD (or DPhil) between May 2022 and December 2026 are eligible to apply. No exceptions will be made.
• The PhD (and its international equivalent, such as the DPhil) is the only eligible terminal degree. The degree must be in the humanities or in allied fields, such as anthropology or history of science. Ineligible categories include an MFA or any other doctorate, such as EdD; social scientists; scholars in educational curriculum building; and performing artists (note: scholars of performance are eligible).
• Scholars who received or will receive their PhD from the University of Pennsylvania during our noted window of eligibility are welcome to apply.
• The fellowship is open to all scholars, national and international, who meet eligibility requirements. International scholars outside of North America are appointed under a J-1 visa (Research Scholar status). The Wolf Humanities Center reserves the right to revoke the offer if the recipient is unable to meet this condition.
• Fellows are required to be in residence for the term of the fellowship.

Application Instructions

All forms, documents, and letters must be submitted in Interfolio by end of day on November 1, 2026.