Postdoctoral Fellow in Democracy and Pluralism

Special Instructions to Applicants

All interested applicants must attach one document and attach it under the document section of the application materials. The one document should be in a PDF format and labeled by last name, and first name. Please note that the applicant tracking system does not convert attachments in Word format successfully.

• Cover letter (maximum two pages)
• Current CV
• Research proposal for the period of the fellowship (maximum four single‑spaced pages)
• A statement briefly outlining how the applicant’s teaching and/or research interests address issues related to civil discourse, free expression, pluralism, or other values fundamental to democratic society, including a description of a proposed undergraduate course on a relevant topic
• Writing sample (maximum 30 double‑spaced pages)
• The names of two professional references with their email addresses (the selection committee will request references from finalists)
• The name of at least one Rice University faculty member who could serve in a mentoring role for the fellowship period (applicants are strongly encouraged to contact potential faculty mentors and to secure their permission to list them as potential mentors)

Located in an urban environment on a 300‑acre tree‑lined campus, Rice University is a private, comprehensive research university situated in the heart of the dynamic Museum District in Houston, TX, the most diverse city in the country and home to vibrant Latinx, Asian‑American, Black, LGBTQ+, and international communities. Houston is the fourth‑largest city in the United States, and the metro area is characterized by a robust civil society with top elected positions in the region held by a diverse group of officials—left, right, and center—and including Asian‑American, Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ leaders.

Rice offers undergraduate and graduate degrees across eight schools and has a student body of approximately 4,500 undergraduate and 3,900 graduate students. The university’s undergraduate population has no racial majority. Rice consistently ranks among the top 20 national universities and the top 10 in undergraduate teaching (U.S. News & World Report); its endowment ranks among the top 20 of U.S. universities.

Rice welcomes the fullness of diversity. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. In addition, the university strives to attract greater representation of women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and others who have historically been underrepresented within the leadership ranks of higher education.

We aim to attract applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, accelerate progress in building a diverse staff, and maintain an environment that fosters interaction and understanding within our community.

Rice University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Democracy and Pluralism. This residential fellowship is for one year. Candidates should be Ph.D. holders within the last five years and have research expertise in one or more of the following areas: democracy and civic engagement; religious freedom and pluralism; histories of American constitutional democracy; histories of movements for the expansion of civil rights;

history of political thought; and philosophies of human flourishing and its relation to civil society.

The fellow will:
1) team‑teach an undergraduate course with a Rice faculty member on a topic related to their expertise;
2) propose and implement two events for the campus community that center on fostering constructive dialogue across ideological and intellectual divides, including one event in collaboration with the Baker Institute for Public Policy.

The anticipated start date is September 1, 2026. Recent Ph.D. graduates without current university affiliations will be appointed to a Postdoctoral position. Applicants with a current university affiliation, intending to take a leave of absence from their position, will be appointed as a Research Fellow.