Postdoctoral Researcher

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 an international membership of over 7,000 professors and other academic insiders, 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 Mike and Sofia Segal Foundation, the Templeton Religion Trust and other donors, HxA is pleased to announce a call for a residential postdoctoral research fellowship at the Segal Center for Academic Pluralism.

The Segal Center hosts researchers to explore and disseminate research insights concerning the philosophy, law, history and science (broadly construed) of open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement in higher institutions of research and education. For further details on what precise areas we are interested in, please visit the fellowship advertisement at our website at https://heterodoxacademy.org/jobs/segal-center-postdoctoral-research-fellowship-call-for-applications/

The Postdoctoral Fellow will receive a $75,000 salary for a nine-month appointment, 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.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will also receive office space in the Segal Center’s office in Manhattan for their use and a generous budget for research costs.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will be expected to:

• Conduct original research in accordance with the research proposal submitted

• Participate in the Segal Center’s weekly discussion and research seminar in its Manhattan office

• Participate in a special workshop in New York in May 2025 to present their research project proposals and meet the 2024-2025 Fellows

• Write and present for public audiences 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.

In order to apply for the Segal Center 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). Applicants must also either be members of HxA or have applied for membership before submitting their application. Membership in HxA is free, so please apply today.

To apply for the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 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 the Segal Center’s mission, how a term at the Segal Center 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 the specific questions of focus, briefly contextualize those questions in relation to existing research and the Segal Center’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 dissertation abstract.

• A writing sample by the applicant, preferably from a peer-reviewed publication.