Postdoctoral Fellow (EXPIRED)

Georgetown University in Washington D.C. has an opening for one new postdoctoral position for Ethics Lab, an initiative of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics that brings philosophy and design thinking together to help make progress on some of the most morally challenging issues of the day. The postdoc is a one year, 12-month appointment with a start date of August 20, 2018, with the possibility of a second year contingent on funding.  A PhD in philosophy is required by the time of appointment, with an AOS in ethics (normative or applied), science and values, political philosophy, or other topics involving a substantial intersection with normativity.

The postdoc will participate in the design of new Ethics Lab curricula and serve, after training, as lead on up to 2 courses per year; contribute to the development of new teaching tools for multiple audiences; and serve as a resource for student projects and selected direct impact projects alongside a team of ethicists, external content experts, and designers in a rich collaborative environment. The postdoc will also have 20% protected time for their own research, with opportunities available to pursue a lab-based project around their own existing or developing area of expertise.

No design experience is required or expected; robust onboarding to the team, its mission, and its methods will be provided. Candidates should be highly creative, philosophically rigorous, and interested in doing work that reaches beyond the university’s walls. Candidates should be comfortable working in a team environment; comfortable in a context of ambiguity and complexity while seeking rigor; have strong interpersonal skills; be able to work productively with colleagues and partners from outside of philosophy; and be able to effectively work on multiple projects.

The postdoc position is a 12-month appointment and carries a salary of $65,000. For benefit information, see link.  The Ethics Lab postdoc will be supervised by Prof. Margaret Little, Professor of Philosophy and Director of Ethics Lab.  This postdoctoral fellow will also have an affiliation in the Department of Philosophy. Candidates should email CV, a cover letter, teaching portfolio, and three letters of reference to [email protected]

About Ethics Lab: Ethics Lab is a hub for creative ethics learning at Georgetown and beyond.

The lab takes a practical approach to applied ethics, tackling complex contemporary moral problems using a mix of philosophical tools and design thinking.

We recognize that new tools, policies, and frameworks are needed to reckon with today’s moral challenges, and we aim to address those challenges through direct-impact work and a transformative ethics education. Our character-based ethics learning works to educate women and men for others, and our direct-impact work aims to make a difference in the world beyond Georgetown’s gates.

The Lab’s work includes flagship courses and outreach and consulting aimed at transforming ethics education across campus. Beyond the gates, we run professional development sessions for educators from middle school to continuing education programs and advise policymakers and industry partners on emerging, fast-moving crises like the Zika epidemic and rise of fake news.

Kennedy Institute of Ethics: Established in 1971 at Georgetown University with a founding interest in bioethics, the Kennedy Institute of Ethics is an academic ethics institute whose faculty includes founders of the field as well as next-generation leaders. With a top-ranked graduate program, the world's most comprehensive bioethics library, a highly praised intensive summer course for practitioners and professionals, and faculty expertise on issues such as health care reform, death and dying, clinical research ethics, data privacy, abortion, and environmental ethics, the Institute is a renowned resource for the University, the policy world, and the global bioethics community — and a proud leader of innovation and creativity in the field.

Georgetown University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer fully dedicated to achieving a diverse faculty and staff. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability or other categories protected by law.