Postdoctoral Scholar

Position Overview

The IU Indianapolis Arts and Humanities Institute invites applications for an IAHI Scholar-in-Residence in Insect-Human Relations. This 12‑month position will support the INSECt initiative ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) and will focus on the development of integrative literature reviews analyzing insect‑human relations across the disciplines.

The scholar will work at 100% effort for 12 calendar months beginning in fall 2026, before November
1. Working with Jason M. Kelly, the scholar will synthesize literature across fields ranging from insect bioeconomy research to the environmental humanities.

Basic responsibilities include producing high‑impact publications, organizing workshops, and engaging interdisciplinary audiences.

• Work with the INSECt team to develop research papers synthesizing interdisciplinary literature on insect‑human relations.
• Lead integrative interdisciplinary literature reviews focused on insects, environmental change, bioeconomy research, environmental humanities, and the Anthropocene.
• Trace transdisciplinary, convergent, and interdisciplinary potentials across the literature.
• Conduct extensive research across multiple scholarly domains, including entomology, ecology, environmental science, environmental history, geography, anthropology, sociology, political ecology, science and technology studies, bioeconomy research, and related fields.
• Assist in developing conceptual and analytical frameworks that bridge scientific, humanistic, and social scientific approaches.
• Participate in regular meetings with the INSECt team.
• Contribute to the preparation of journal articles, reports, conference presentations, grant materials, workshop materials, and related outputs.
• Present research findings through written, verbal, and collaborative formats.
• Assist in identifying emerging interdisciplinary research areas related to insects, biodiversity, climate change, urbanization, agriculture, infrastructure, bioeconomy systems, governance, and human‑environment systems.

• Ph.D. in a relevant field completed by the start date.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct advanced interdisciplinary research.
• Evidence of strong analytical and synthetic writing skills.
• Ability to read and engage scholarship across multiple disciplines, including STEM, social science, and humanities fields.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and collaborative skills.
• Demonstrated capacity to manage large and complex bodies of scholarly literature.
• Ability to work with interdisciplinary teams and contribute to collaborative research outputs.

• Research experience related to insects, environmental change, ecology, biodiversity, climate change, agriculture, infrastructure, urban systems, bioeconomy research, environmental humanities, or Anthropocene studies.
• Familiarity with scientific, social scientific and/or humanistic literature and methods related to ecology, entomology, environmental science, STS, environmental humanities, or related disciplines.
• Experience working in interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary research teams.
• Record of publication or collaborative scholarly production.
• Experience synthesizing scholarship across disciplinary traditions and methodological approaches.
• Experience translating complex interdisciplinary research for multiple audiences.

Jason Kelly: jaskelly