The University of Chicago: Stevanovich Institute on the Formation of Knowledge

Location

Chicago, IL

Deadline

Oct 15, 2020 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Description

The Stevanovich Institute on the Formation of Knowledge at the University of Chicago invites applications for two-year Postdoctoral Researchers at the Rank of Instructor, to begin on July 1, 2021. Postdocs will join a community of leading scholars from across the University to study the process of knowledge formation and transmittal from antiquity to the present day and to explore how histories and cultures shape our modern world.

We are particularly interested in applicants working at the intersection of areas such as, but not limited to, technology, public policy, and ethics. We also invite applicants working on the formation of knowledge around race, equity, and identity, and on the Institute’s next two-year research theme of artificial intelligence (AI). Postdocs will conduct individual research and may collaborate on topics including the AI research theme.

The position is non-renewable and brings with it two years of salary at $65,000 per year, benefits, office space, pedagogical training, reimbursement of up to $2,500 for moving expenses, and a research allowance of $3,000 per year.

Stevanovich Institute postdocs are expected, at the minimum, to:

• conduct their own research towards a book or other project;
• teach no more than three 10-week courses per year (UChicago is on the quarter system) designed to appeal to a wide group of students; depending on teaching needs these courses may be graduate, undergraduate, team-taught, or in the Core;
• advise research and theses for MA students, and potentially undergraduates;
• hone and document their teaching skills through engagement with the Chicago Center for Teaching (CCT);
• hone interview and job skills with UChicagoGRAD, an on-campus resource focused on guiding postdocs and graduate students toward professional satisfaction in academia;
• participate in the Institute's year-long Cultures and Knowledge Workshop Series and present their work in one of the workshop sessions;
• participate in the Institute research cluster;
• submit an article based on research conducted during their Institute fellowship to KNOW:  A Journal on the Formation of Knowledge; and
• Write a one-page post for the Institute blog connecting their research to current affairs.

The Institute will arrange for a faculty mentor and opportunities to forge personal and academic relationships across the University. Successful candidates will be appointed at the Institute in addition to being affiliated with a relevant academic department(s). An office space will be provided and there is an expectation that postdocs will participate in the life of the Institute.

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate current research interests that are related to the formation of knowledge and straddle multiple fields. We will evaluate applicants on the quality and quantity of publications, strength of writing sample, teaching, recommendations, a demonstrated ability to work beyond disciplinary constraints and a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion. The successful candidate must have a PhD before the start of the appointment, and must have received the PhD in the last 6 years.

Application Instructions

Please submit the following application materials online via the Interfolio link:

(1) a one-page cover letter explaining how your research relates to the formation of knowledge and transcends individual disciplines, and listing three examples of undergraduate and M.A./Ph.D. courses that you would be most interested to teach, 

(2) an up-to-date c.v.,

(3) a writing sample consisting of a chapter, essay, or article, and

(4) the names and contact information of three references, at least one of whom should be able to attest to the quality of your teaching.

Recommendation letters will be requested from the references of short-listed candidates. Letters of reference will be solicited by the Institute after the search committee has reviewed the initial applications.

The reference list and application materials must be submitted by midnight CDT on October 15, 2020. Candidates who make the shortlist will be interviewed via Zoom, and candidates can expect to receive notice of the decision in February.