Postdoctoral Fellow in Democracy and Pluralism

Postdoctoral Fellow In Democracy And Pluralism

Rice University is pleased to invite applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Democracy and Pluralism. The fellowship is open to scholars of exceptional potential who have earned the PhD within the last five years and whose research expertise encompasses one or more of the following broad areas: democracy and civic engagement; religious freedom and pluralism; histories of American constitutional democracy; histories of movements for the expansion of civil rights;

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

This residential fellowship is for one year. In addition to focusing on the completion of a research project, the fellow will
1) team-teach an undergraduate course with a Rice faculty member on a topic related to their expertise;
2) with the support of personnel in the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence, propose and implement two events for the campus community that center on fostering constructive dialogue across both ideological and intellectual divides, including one event in collaboration with the Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Recent PhD graduates without current university affiliations would be appointed to a Postdoctoral position. Applicants with a current university affiliation, intending to take a leave of absence from their position, would be appointed as a Research Fellow.

The Postdoctoral Fellowship in Democracy and Pluralism program offers:

• a Research Fellow or postdoctoral position
• a mentored relationship with one or more Rice University faculty members committed to helping to advance the fellow's research project to completion
• structured collaborative relationships with the community of professionals and scholars in the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence committed to assisting fellows in developing their university leadership capacity
• membership in the Rice University Academy of Fellows (for postdoctoral positions as applicable)
• The standard program stipend is $75,000 with benefits. National standard stipends for postdoctoral appointments in a few research areas are above that level. Postdoctoral scholars appointed in such areas may receive augmentation from their department. Fellows on leave from their universities may bring additional fellowship or university support to meet their ordinary yearly salary.

The Final date to receive applications is 11:59pm on Monday, July 6th 2026, applications will not be accepted after the deadline has passed.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm with an hour meal break. Frequent evening and weekend work. During some weeks, employees will be required to work more hours to meet their job responsibilities.

On-campus position:
This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

$75,000

* This is an exempt (salaried) position under FLSA and not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Candidates should have completed PhD within the last five years or will soon complete a PhD in any discipline or interdisciplinary field.
• Skills:
• Proven ability to conduct original and collaborative research
• Demonstrated commitment to or strong promise for thoughtfully addressing inequities in their discipline, or inequities in the larger society through their discipline
• Enthusiasm for leadership, assisting team members and creating a collaborative working environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as oral presentation skills
• Strong understanding of manuscript and peer review process
• Organization and time management skills
• Knowledge of modern research methods, data collection and analyses
• Knowledge of the principles and techniques of the subject discipline
• Writes scholarly papers based on ongoing research and submits them to journals for publication
• Able to work in a collaborative environment
• Able to work independently and professionally with minimal supervision and direction

Essential Functions:

• Documents, analyzes, and maintains research data
• Assists with proposal development to obtain research funding
• Mentors, oversees, and/or trains junior research team members, such as PhD candidates
• Publishes and presents research findings at national and international conferences
• Supports project management and collaboration across institutions or disciplines
• Designs and implements research protocols; adapts new procedures, methods or instrumentation relative to research procedures
• Provide academic services (i.e. teaching classes) to the department as required
• Supports the programmatic activities of the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence
• Performs all other duties as assigned

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