Humanities postdocs 2007-2008

Back to Academic Job Search

The Old Wikihost Postdoc Listing has been consolidated here on wikia.

Note: These postdocs begin in 2008.

AAUW American Fellowships
(Deadline: 11/15/2007, information)

ACLS Mellon Early Career Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/14/2007, information)

American Academy of Arts and Sciences Visiting Scholars Program
(Deadline: 10/15/2007, information)

American Antiquarian Society Post-Dissertation Fellowship
(Deadline: 10/15/2007, information)


 * 11/28 additional material requested

Brown University Pembroke Center Postdoctoral Fellowship
(Deadline: 12/7/2007, information)


 * 12/19 Writing sample requested.

Columbia University Society of Fellows in the Humanities
(Deadline: 10/8/2007, information)

Commentary
 * Sooo... since Columbia charges a $30 "application fee," AND requires that you make and send them 5 copies of your application, what do you think they're doing with the money? Going out and drinking $24,000 worth of appletinis?
 * I LOOOOVE the fact that you did the math!
 * Anyone receive their postcard confirmation yet? For $30 you'd think they could drop it in the mail...
 * Last year recorded the interviews scheduled on 15 Dec. Maybe they'll keep the same schedule? Just as an aside, they still haven't charged my cc! Wonder if they'll do it after they reject me...
 * has anyone heard from Columbia? Here we are nearly in "mid-December."  I wonder when they'll start scheduling interviews.
 * Q. Want to echo the question on the Columbia Society of Fellows. I'm applying from overseas, and what with the seasonal rush on the international postage system, it may well only be here that I can find out anything . ..
 * I think all interviews are scheduled. THere are 14 finalists, to be interviewed near the end of January (first en masse, at a "mixer" (!) and then one-on-one the next day)
 * Congrats to the Columbia interviewee -- I hope it goes well for you!
 * Q. Does anyone know if Columbia read the applications and then bill your credit card?  I gave the wrong CC details so naturally didn't make the shortlist, but I do wonder if that's 'because I didn't pay the $30.

Log
 * 10/23 I looked at my checking account, and they have not yet cashed my $30 check (as of 10/23).
 * 10/29 Received postcard confirmation
 * 11/8 Check cashed
 * 11/8 Mine too, apparently it's martini time up in Morningside Heights
 * 12/2 Is there still no update on this one? Anyone heard anything? - nothing here!
 * 12/14 Interview Scheduled: 12/ 14, over phone
 * 12/19 The Philosophy Wiki shows an on-campus interview invitation. Drats.

Dartmouth Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities and Social Sciences
(Deadline: 11/15/2007, information)


 * OK, so has anyone heard anything about this one??
 * 12/27 no acknowledgment, nothing

Duke University Writing Program Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/2/2007, information)


 * 11/5 received ack. letter and AA form by snail mail (11/5)
 * 12/3 Rejection by snail mail 12/3, 12/4, 12/5, 12/10
 * 12/5 Rejection letter
 * 12/6 I haven't heard anything either. (12/6)
 * 12/6 I also haven't heard anything (12/6)
 * 12/7 I got the rejection letter 12/7 and don't live so far from Duke.
 * 12/10 Still haven't heard a word. Me too.
 * 12/17 I also haven't heard anything (12/17)
 * 12/18 Phone call on 12/18 scheduling interview in January.
 * 12/18 yes, phone call to schedule January campus visit
 * 12/18 Called to schedule on-campus interview for late January (12/18)

Grinnell College, Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Peace and Conflict Studies
(Deadline: 2/1/2008, information)

Harvard Expository Writing Program Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/9/2007, information)


 * 11/20 Request for additional material
 * 12/17 Scheduled MLA interview
 * Q: Anyone have a non-MLA interview scheduled?
 * A: My impression is that they do MLA interviews to see what they have, then they do non-MLA interviews if they need more people.
 * A: From Harvard's website: "about 25...are interviewed–some at the annual meetings of scholarly societies (AAA, MLA, AHA) and some in Cambridge in January and February–and five to ten hired."
 * A: my impression is that they schedule MLA interviews with people who are farther away geographically and they try to schedule on campus interviews for those who are closer to Cambridge.  I got called in mid December, several years ago, to arrange an on campus interview in early Jan.  I didn't get the impression that it was because I was a "second choice."  i.e. I'm pretty sure they called me when they were scheduling the MLA interviews, too.  How many people they ultimately hire (and who they hire) does depend, though, at least in part on how many people (and who) on their current staff leave for other jobs.  Good luck!

Harvard History and Literature Program Fellows
(Deadline 2/1/2008, information)


 * anyone have any more info (link to an advertisement?) on this? The form linked above doesn't say anything about eligibility etc.

Harvard Humanities Center
(Deadline: 1/15/2008, information)


 * now if the $30 (for Columbia) wasn't bad enough, Harvard has the chutzpah to charge $60 to apply to their postdoc!! The program is great... but I mean really.... $60 for the honor of being rejected by Harvard??!
 * I couldn't agree with you more. I think we should bring it up at the MLA delegate assembly that these fees (especially if you apply, say, four years in a row) become ridiculous.
 * I, for one, have given up applying just because of the ridiculous $60 fee.
 * Q. Was this discussed at the MLA delegate assembly as suggested?

Harvard International and Area Studies Fellowship
(Deadline: 10/12/2007, information)


 * 10/27 Received acknowledgment of complete application packet. The email said that shortlisted applicants will be interviewed Dec. 14 in Cambridge.
 * 11/14 Received email saying I was not selected for an interview. *sigh* I have to say though I appreciate the early rejection

Harvard Newcomen Postdoc
(Deadline: 10/1/2007, information)

Harvard Program in Ethics and Health
(Deadline: 12/10/2007, information)

Harvard Society of Fellows
Deadline: 9/7/2007 (Nomination), information)

Commentary
 * Q: Can you give us the deadline they gave you for submission?
 * A: Postmarked by October 4.
 * Q: Does anyone know how many apps they usually receive?
 * A: Last year was over 800
 * Q: Mine is October 1. I wonder why they have different deadlines?
 * Q: Mine is September 28...any ideas?
 * A: Maybe the deadline is a certain number of days after the nomination is received?
 * A: That makes sense. My letter was mailed at the last minute (Sept. 7th) and I got the October 4th deadline. I love a little mystery with my postdoc applications.
 * A: Don't you love it when procrastination pays off?

Log
 * 9/17 received snail-mail request for application materials
 * 10/10 received application receipt confirmation e-mail (sent app on 10/4)
 * 10/22 received application receipt confirmation postcard by snail mail
 * 10/26 Interviews occurring.
 * 10/26 specifics on "interviews occurring" please. When/ how did they contact? Any word on whether all applications have been processed, etc.
 * 10/30 The way it worked last year (and i assume it must be the same this year), they contacted candidates by email or phone. interviews were scheduled between mid oct. and mid dec., but i don't the window in which they were contacting candidates. they made their decisions by early january.
 * 11/13 The Philosophy Wiki notes someone claiming to have been short-listed on 11/5. Any news? Should those of us not contacted (since the request for materials) give up hope at this stage?
 * 12/2 Still no news for me, so I am assuming I should definitely lose hope. Anyone else heard something?
 * 12/7 as opposed to some other places, they do eventually send out official rejection slips. But yes, if you haven't heard by now, I'd say forget about them. They tend to choose early.
 * 12/9 Offer Made
 * Q: Congrats. May I ask what field?


 * 12/11 Rejection letter received in the mail. Actually it wasn't even the size of a letter. More like a rejection note, very small piece of paper. (The message was standard: too many outstanding applicants for a few spots). Congratulations to those who got it! For everyone else, yes, give up hope now. :)

Lawrence University, Fellow in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
(Deadline: 1/28/2008, information)

National Humanities Center
(Deadline: 10/15/2007, information)

National University of Singapore postdoctoral fellowships
(Deadline: 12/31/2007, information)


 * receipt of application email 12/27

Northwestern University, Science in Human Culture Program
(Deadline: 1/15/2008, information)

NYU, Center for Study of Gender and Sexuality
(Deadline: 4/1/2008, information)


 * CSGS does not seem to have an announcement on their site. My info sez deadline is 1/15 -- can anyone confirm 4/1 is the deadline?

Penn Humanities Forum Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship
(Deadline: 10/15/2007, information)


 * 11/26/07 Has anyone heard anything back yet?
 * 11/30/07 Nope. Still waiting and hoping.
 * 12/01/07 Last year the finalists were chosen in mid-December so hopefully we won't have to wait much longer...
 * 12/21/07 Rejection received by mail
 * 12/22/07 Rejection rec'd by mail
 * 12/24/07 Rejection rec'd by mail also
 * 12/19/07 Received offer by phone

Penn McNeil Center for Early American Studies Postdoctoral Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/1/2007, information)


 * 12/17/07 AHA Interview Request

Penn Mellon Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/2/2007, information)


 * Q: Did anybody receive acknowledgment?
 * A: Nope.


 * 12/20/07 - Was told by an administrative asst. that they are not meeting to discuss applications until early-mid January.

Princeton Anschutz Distinguished Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/15/2007, information)


 * 11/15 Email receipt of application

Princeton Society of Fellows
(Deadline: 10/9/2007, information)


 * 11/3 Received postcard acknowledgment of complete application packet. "Candidates selected for interview will be informed by the end of January."
 * 12/7 Heard that individual departments have been forwarded relevant applications.
 * Q: Was this "through the grapevine," or did you receive formal notification that your application had been selected?
 * A: It was strictly "through the grapevine" but from a reliable source (i.e. one of the reviewers!). NOTE: it was not that my app. had been selected, it was that the app. was being reviewed by the relevant department.


 * 12/21 - Sent an inquiry to a member of the board of fellows about status of my app. (I'd received an offer elsewhere and wanted to know if my app. was being considered), and learned I had been rejected. However, official notices have not yet been sent.

Rice University, Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in the Humanities
(Deadline: 12/10/2007, information)


 * Has anyone heard anything about this one? Is it too early, perhaps?

Rice University, Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality
(Deadline: 11/30/2007, information)

Rutgers Center for Historical Analysis (Vernacular Epistemologies)
(Deadline: 12/15/2007, information)

Schomburg Center for Research in Back Culture
http://www.nypl.org/research/sc/scholars/aboutscholar.html

Stanford Asia Pacific Research Center Postdoctoral Fellowship
(Deadline: various, information)

Stanford Humanities Fellows
(Deadline: 12/3/2007, information)

Stanford Program in Writing and Rhetoric
(Deadline: 11/16/2007, information)


 * 12/6 phone interview
 * Q: may I ask which position? lecturer or postdoc?

University of British Columbia, Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/1/2007, information)


 * 12/6 Rejection received
 * 12/22 Heard through the grapevine that individual departments have selected their candidates already. It's down to ~50 candidates

University of British Columbia, Department of History, Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/1/2007, information)

University of California Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/15/07, information)

University of Chicago Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Digital History
(Deadline: applications reviewed as received, information)

University of Chicago Society of Fellows in the Lib Arts
(Deadline: 10/15/2007, information)


 * 10/16 R'cvd email confirmation that one of my referee letters was received
 * 10/20 Received email confirmation that my application was complete
 * 12/7 Received e-mail request for writing samples (12/7) (4)
 * Q: Are the requests for Humanities or Social Sciences?
 * A: Humanities here...
 * A: Humanities for me as well.
 * Q: Is this it for the Humanities, or will there be more requests later?
 * A: If the people who get offered the postdoc turn it down, then they'll probably ask for more samples (i.e. go down the list to the next ranked candidates).

University of Miami Virtue Postdoc
(Deadline: 11/5/2007, [www.miami.edu/phi information])


 * I see that one APA interview has been scheduled. Any others?

University of Michigan CAAS Dubois Mandela Rodney Fellowship
(Deadline: ??/??/????, information)

University of Michigan Society of Fellows
(Deadline: 10/1/2007, information)


 * Heard from an insider that they had a large influx of funding and a jump in applications numbers this year.
 * Anyone heard anything?
 * 12/3 No confirmation, nothing...

University of Michigan Sweetland Writing Center
(Deadline: ??/??/????, information)


 * 12/10 Rejection

University of Minnesota Postdoctoral Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/1/2007, information)


 * has anyone heard anything yet?

University of Texas Austin Postdoctoral Fellowship (English)
(Deadline: 12/1/07, link no longer on dept. website or ade list)


 * 12/18 Email Acknowledgment & request for missing documents

University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Historical Studies, Postdoctoral Fellowship
(Deadline: 2/15/2008, information)

University of Toronto, Jackman Humanities Institute, Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship
(Deadline: 1/4/2008, information)

University of Virginia, Woodson Institute
(Deadline: ??/??/????, information)

University of Washington Writing Center
(Deadline: ??/??/????, information)

Valparaiso University 3 Lilly Fellowships in the Humanities and Arts
(Deadline: 12/18/2007, information)


 * 12/6, 12/18 application acknowledged

Washington Univ in St. Louis Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
(Deadline: 12/1/2007, information)

Commentary
 * Did they end up hiring any fellows last year?
 * Their website indicates they have two fellows hired for '06-'08.
 * I assumed they were hired last year (11/12)
 * I think those fellows were hired starting in 2006-2007; i.e. I noticed that they didn't add any new fellows to the page for 2007-2009.
 * I was wondering if they had hired any fellows for that two-year period (i.e. starting this year).
 * You're right. No one was hired in 2007. 11/16
 * I'm beginning to think that this postdoc isn't being offered this year. Anyone else hear/suspect the same?
 * It says submit materials by December 1, 2007, so it must be on... (11/17)
 * I never heard any word last year; not even a rejection. Hence, I didn't bother applying for it this year.
 * sent in all materials but haven't heard anything, no acknowledgment yet.
 * I received confirmation, via email, that my complete application had been received.

Log
 * 11/21 email from search chair's secretary confirming everything received
 * 12/12 email from admin saying materials received, except my app is still incomplete. one letter missing.  dammit.

Wesleyan University Center for the Humanities Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/1/2007, information)


 * 12/13 Phone interview scheduled
 * 12/20 Campus interview scheduled

Williams Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship
(Deadline: 11/1/2007, information)


 * 12/9 Campus interview

Debate/Comments
Q: Is there a pre-doc page for this year (2007-2008)?

'''***Thanks to whomever consolidated and cleaned up the post-doc pages. You're a superstar!***'''

Yes, thank you!!

Absolutely, thank you!!

Kudos

Postdoc Resources
UC Berkeley Postdoc Resource Page

Require subscriptions (usually available through university library):

IRIS (Illinois Research Information Service)

Community of Science (COS) Funding Opportunities

SPIN Search, InfoEd International

Others:

Link to Last Year's Postdoc Wikihost Page