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.

Candidates must submit one PDF in this order:

• 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 applicants 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).

About Rice:

Located in an urban environmenton 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 officialsleft 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 4500 undergraduate and 3900 graduate students. The universitys undergraduate population has no racial majority. Rice consistently ranks among the top 20 national universities and the top 10 in undergraduate teaching (US News & World Report); its endowment ranks among the top 20 of US universities.

Wewelcome the fullness of diversity to 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. Additionally in our candidate pools we strive to attractgreater representation ofwomenpeople of color individuals with disabilitiesveterans and others whohave historically beenunderrepresented within the leadership ranks of higher education. We aim to attract applicants from a wide range of backgrounds; to accelerateprogress in buildinga staff varied in thought and experience;and to maintain an environment that fosters interaction and understanding withinourcommunity.

Position Summary:

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 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.

The anticipated start date is September 1st 2026. 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 fellows 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 $75000 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 application deadline is 11:59pm on Monday July 6th 2026 applications will not be accepted after the deadline has passed.

Workplace Requirements:

• 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.
  

Workplace Location:

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

Salary: $75000

* 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

Rice University HR Benefits: Mission and Values: Mission and Values Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race color religion age sex sexual orientation gender identity national or ethnic origin genetic information disability or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process please get in touch with Rice Universitys Human Resources Office via email at for support.

If you have any additional questions please email us at . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.