Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Center for Academic Pluralism

Start Date: September 3, 2024—negotiation possible.

End Date: No later than May 31, 2025.

Heterodox Academy (HxA) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that advances the principles of open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement to improve higher education and academic research. With a growing membership of over 6,000 professors, administrators, and graduate students, HxA helps colleges and universities live up to their highest ideals — and resist the destructive temptations of groupthink and tribalism. Working for change in higher education, HxA communicates and engages with faculty, students, administrators, philanthropists, journalists, and the general public; develops research, tools, trainings, and events; and facilitates online and on-campus communities.

Thanks to the generous support of the Templeton Religion Trust and other donors, in 2023 HxA launched the Center for Academic Pluralism (CAP), an arm of HxA whose mission is to explore the theoretical and empirical foundations for pluralism in higher institutions of research and education, and share our findings with scholars, opinion leaders, and lay public around the world.

The scope of questions to address concerning pluralism in academia is vast.  At the center of CAP’s activities is the work of its Faculty and Postdoctoral Fellows. We are excited to recruit a new cohort of Fellows for the 2024-2025 academic year. Fellows will be expected to:

• Conduct original research on pluralism in academia
• Participate in CAP’s weekly discussion and research seminar in its Manhattan office
• Write and present for public audiences about their research in HxA outlets and at HxA-sponsored events
• Become a member of Heterodox Academy (there is no cost to join)
• Give advice and feedback, where appropriate, on HxA’s internal research projects
• Contribute to a collaborative annotated bibliography of scholarly and popular resources on pluralism in academia
• Be available to engage with HxA’s Campus Community Network and present as a member of HxA’s Speakers Bureau.

Postdoctoral Fellowship privileges

Fellows appointed for a full-time nine-month Postdoctoral Fellowship will receive a $75,000 salary, along with a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurances;
• A significant health insurance contribution for employees and their families;
• Additional tax-deferred savings opportunities, such as pre-tax deductions and FSAs.
• Fellows will also receive office space in CAP’s office in Manhattan for their use and a budget for the purchase of research materials.

Applying for a Postdoctoral Fellowship

In order to apply for a CAP Postdoctoral Fellowship, applicants must have a doctoral degree obtained within the last five years from an accredited institution of higher education.

Exceptional pre-doctoral candidates may also be considered, provided they are at the ABD stage and they have permission from their doctoral advisor(s).

To apply, applicants should assemble the following:

• An up-to-date CV.
• A transcript for the applicant’s doctoral degree.
• A cover letter outlining the applicant’s general interest in CAP’s mission, how a term at CAP would fit into the applicant’s academic goals, and the names of three references HxA may solicit letters of reference from.
• A research proposal not to exceed 2,000 words. Proposals should identify specific questions to investigate, briefly contextualize those questions in relation to existing research and CAP’s mission, explain how the applicant’s own plan might yield progress on those questions, and enumerate specific deliverables and outputs of the research plan.
• A writing sample by the applicant, preferably from a peer-reviewed publication.

Please submit these materials using the online form.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning December 1, 2023, with fellowship offers anticipated no later than March 31, 2024.

If you have any questions about the Postdoctoral Fellowship, please write fellowships@heterodoxacademy.org.