Postdoctoral Associate, Program on Freedom and Free Societies

The Program on Freedom and Free Societies at Cornell University (https://freedomandfreesocieties.cornell.edu/) invites applications for a two-year Postdoctoral Associate appointment running from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028. Per university policy Postdoctoral Associates must be appointed in one-year intervals.  Therefore, the appointment for Year One will run from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027. The Program supports research, teaching, and public engagement on the institutions, ideas, and practices that sustain free societies. Applications are welcome from scholars in relevant fields in the humanities and social sciences.

The successful candidate will pursue an independent research agenda; teach one undergraduate course in each year of the appointment; participate actively in Program seminars, lectures, and other events; mentor students; present work in progress annually; deliver a public lecture; and develop or lead an initiative that advances the Program's mission.

Applicants must have completed the Ph.D. by January 1, 2027. Selection will be based on the quality and promise of the applicant's research, record and promise as a teacher, strength of the proposed undergraduate course, substantive engagement with the Program's mission, and potential to contribute energetically to its intellectual life.

Applicants should submit through Academic Jobs Online: a cover letter; curriculum vitae; a research statement of no more than 1,000 words; a mission-fit statement of no more than 500 words; a description of a proposed undergraduate course; a writing sample of no more than 30-40 pages; and contact information for three references. Letters will be requested only for candidates who advance to the semifinalist stage. Review of applications will begin October 16, 2026, and continue until the position is filled.

The annual salary is $70,000, plus benefits.