Humanities and Social Sciences Postdocs 2010-11

This page is for post-doctoral positions that start in 2011

FORMATTING:

To keep this page consistent and easy to read, please adhere to the following guidelines (taken from last year's page):
 * 1) Please place new fellowship entries in alphabetical order. Note that "University of X" should be alphabetized by U as first sort, and X as second sort within the U listings.
 * 2) Please mark the title of the fellowship using the H2 header.
 * 3) Please include the deadline and a web link to the ad/website; PLEASE follow the format of other entries.
 * 4) For logging comments or updates, please begin your entry with a bullet point. Each entry should have a separate line.
 * 5) For substantive comments or updates about status, interaction, etc., please include the date at the beginning of your entry so that users can scan the info quickly for new entries.

For more information and answers to some questions about timing, materials requests, application numbers and fields, offers, etc. see last year's postdoc wiki at: http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/Humanities_and_Social_Science_Postdocs_2009-2010

A helpful blog for finding post-doc fellowship opportunities: http://lucian.uchicago.edu/blogs/studentgrantsfellowships/

UC Berkeley has a useful listing of Postdoctoral Fellowships here: http://www.spo.berkeley.edu/Fund/hpostdoc.html

Another good and current listing from Univ. of Maryland College of Arts & Humanities: http://www.arhu.umd.edu/graduate/fellowships/database/upcoming?field_eligibility_value_many_to_one

A bootstrap from Harvard never hurt: http://gsasgrants.fas.harvard.edu/pdg.cgi

American Academy of Arts and Sciences Visiting Scholars Program

 * Postdoctoral visiting scholar program
 * Deadline 10/15/2010
 * The purpose of the Visiting Scholars Program is to support the work of younger public policy analysts, humanists, and social scientists who show promise of becoming leaders in their field, especially those who work on multidisciplinary topics. The Program offers opportunities for them to carry out their individual research as well as to collaborate with Academy Fellows on shared scholarly or policy-related interests. It also helps to create a national network for scholars in the early stages of their career, assisting them in their research and professional development.

American Association of University Women
dissertation. The fellowship must be used for the final year of writing the dissertation. Applicants must have completed all coursework, passed all preliminary exams, and had the dissertation research proposal or plan approved by November 15, 2010. The doctoral degree must be completed no earlier than April 1, 2012, and no later than June 30, 2012. Degree conferral must be between April 1 and September 15, 2012. Dissertation Fellows are not required to study in the U.S. Funds may not be used for extended field research." So I think yes, they do have something for ABDs.
 * Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowships
 * One year support.
 * Postdoctoral fellowships are available in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
 * Deadline: Nov. 15th, 2010
 * It seems that as per their website, you must have your PhD in hand to apply -- no ABDs... ?
 * Yep. That's the way they've always been.
 * Actually, I don't think that's true--it looks that way on the site, but once you open the PDFs with application information, there are 2 fellowships: a postdoc and a dissertation fellowship; on the latter, the following: "The program provides fellowships for women writing their dissertations and those pursuing postdoctoral research....The purpose of the Dissertation Fellowship is to offset a scholar’s living expenses while she completes her
 * Yes, there are two separate American fellowships, one for dissertation writing and one for postdoctoral research leave; however, the postdoc has always been for those who have their PhD in hand.

ACLS African Humanities Program Fellowships

 * One year writing post-doc, with possible residential award.
 * Applicant must be a national of a sub-Saharan African country, and must reside and have an affiliation with an institution in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda. PhD must have been received in the last five years.
 * Deadline: 1 Dec 2010 (electronic submission)
 * This program funded 39 fellows last year, looks like it should be the same number, possibly more, this cycle.

ACLS/ Mellon New Faculty Fellows

 * Two year post-doc
 * Online application due October 28, 2010
 * Is anyone invited to apply? Could we have some tips on how to write a 3 page cover letter? Since the cover letter is not addressed to specific jobs (teaching requirements and specialties), I am not sure how to go about writing the letter. I presume that it is like any other cover letter in that we need to state research and teaching statements. But how specific and general, especially the teaching part, should be? Reading from last year's wiki, duties and requirements of fellowship entirely depend on an institution that is looking to select an applicant.
 * No, you have to be nominated by your Ph.D. institution. The ACLS then sends you a link to the application, which I suspect will contain more detailed instructions about what the letter should contain.
 * Do I understand this fellowship correctly, you are nominated by your granting institution and then ACLS/The University Consortium matches you to a school you'll be sent to for two years? Is that how this one works?
 * Yes, this fellowship is invitation only. Your department nominate people to your institution, which then it sends final nominations to ACLS. According to the last year's wiki, I think participating schools select their own picks. The selection/negotiation processes sounded extremely crazy last year.
 * I don't believe the consortium matches you to a school. They choose 50 (or maybe the number has changed?); the member institutions then review the files of those 50 and make offers.
 * There are 65 fellowships available this year (as per the official ACLS annoucement). As per last years wiki, there were 800 nominations (an "official" figure) for 50 fellowships, but the availability of more fellowships this year may mean that participating schools have been invited to nominate more people than last year as well.
 * This year it's 1000 nominations.  Never mind -- now I can't find evidence for that.
 * Q: I just found out that I've been nominated by my university and wondered if any of you (perhaps those who did this last year) have tips on reference letters at this point. Specifically, my diss advisor is encouraging me to ask an old TA advisor to write a letter addressing my teaching (neither of my two main letter writers know my teaching). I have a great teaching reference from my current adjunct position, but my diss advisor suggests that it is better to present a unified front from the nominating institution despite the fact that I haven't taught there in five years. The TA advisor would be good, but not at all current. Any suggestions?
 * I have been nominated by the university but have not been invited to apply yet. Have others who have been nominated by their universities heard from ACLS directly yet?
 * I haven't heard anything from ACLS: my school said ACLS will send those nominated emails with access to the online application site by Oct 14. Since we don't have any information directly from ACLS, I am wondering if all these 65 positions will be teaching postdocs only. Is anyone informed about that from his/her own institution?
 * I don't think there's any reason to believe these will be teaching postdocs only. No word from ACLS yet.
 * The teaching load is three semester-length courses per year. Yes, that's more teaching than many other postdocs but these positions pay well and the teaching load is still less than many TT jobs.
 * E-mail from ACLS with link to application (10/13, 11:30 eastern time). FAQs say they expect about 800 applications for 65 spots.
 * I'm fairly certain they will be teaching postdocs only--if it's like last year, any fellows who aren't made offers by schools will be given a 1-year non-teaching stipend--the amount of the stipend is less than the pay for the teaching gigs (I think it was like $35K last year). I don't know whether anyone ended up in this situation last year--there's no indication of it on the (long!) conversation on last year's wiki.
 * I am not clear on how this process works. Will 65 people be selected by ACLS and their info sent along, or will all 800 nominated peopel get their infos passed along to participating programs?
 * ACLS selects 65 people. Then the participating programs have their info passed along to participating programs, who then choose whom to take.
 * 25 pages is such a weird length for a writing sample! Most of my article-length writing is nearly twice that and my presentations (20 minutes=10 pages) are less than half of that. I might have an old seminar paper, but that's not my current scholarship! My question is, if I submit a presentation, will its brevity ~ 15 pages ~ count against me, or will those wonderful folks who will be judging the applications appreciate brevity? How are you folks dealing with this??
 * hmmm...a bit of a perplexing question, since in my experience 25 pages is totally common. there are certainly other odd things abt the requirements--double spaced job letter? 11 pt font? a 2 pg CV?--but the writing sample actually seemed reasonable and conventional, at least to me: it's the typical post-doc length *and* the typical length that schools want w/ job apps, when they ask for them up-front. if it's possible in the week or so we have before the deadline, i think you should try to shorten a longer piece, personally--they say "either an article or a polished dissertation chapter" and while the latter category doesn't make much sense (25 pgs is certainly short for a chapter), i think they're looking for something a bit more substantial than a conference presentation.
 * The instructions say that footnotes or endnote are not necessary, so eliminating those might get you closer to the 25 page limit.
 * One of my letter writers was shocked by the length/formatting requirements (submitting a word version of a published paper rather than the PDF of the published version??), so I find it hard to believe it is that normal... maybe it's field specific? In any case, I am in the same position as one of the above folks, as all of my published works are longer than 25 pages (double spaced, size 11 font), and my conference papers are much shorter. My husband suggested that if footnotes/endnotes are not necessary, perhaps I can just cut out the reference list from one pub and just leave the parenthetical citations as sufficient, meaning one pub may just squeak under the requirements, but I am nervous about doing that.... I was also wondering if a conference presentation would be seen as too informal, since the text of these generally never include references, etc.?
 * I hope I am not shooting myself in the foot here, but I think I am going to try to enhance a presentation. A "talk or panel presentation" is one of the options, so they must be aware that it is a 20-30 minute piece or reading/writing. Shortening an article by half, without using footnotes, is going to make the article significantly less substantial anyway. At least by expanding a presentation I will have a completely stated argument that is fully referenced (instead of a paper with holes and no footnotes to fill them). What are other people doing?
 * I have work forthcoming in a major journal, so I'm using a shortened version of that article for the writing sample. This is just my opinion, but I think readers may have a very different relationship to conference papers than to peer-reviewed and published (or forthcoming) work. In the latter case, the work has already gained the approval of scholars in the field. Readers can comfortably assume that the essay makes a significant contribution to the field and judge the argument and prose style with that assumption in mind. This becomes particularly important, it seems to me, when the importance of the work is less immediately apparent to those outside of the writer's field or subfield. Good luck.
 * i agree that the published essay is ordinarily ideal for exactly those reasons, however i wonder whether that patina-of-publication rule holds when it's in a word doc just like all the rest...this is why it's such a pain in the ass that they won't accept PDFs! (not to mention, at least in my case my published essays are much different from the original word docs they emerged out of, since they've been through a multi-stage editing process w/ the editors and the proof-readers, so i don't even *have* a word version of the published piece!) i think cutting out endnotes is fine, but i'd do an informationally extensive in-text style if so (e.g. (John Smith, Academic Text, 100).)
 * Does the word doc form mean you can't include publication details in a header? Isn't it easier to put your published article into the form of a word doc, even if you have to retype it, than to write something entirely new or write ten pages of new material to double the length of an existing conference paper? In any case, the standard writing sample length for most jobs seems to be 20-25 pages (see above post: "in my experience 25 pages is totally common"), so I'm not entirely sure why this one is so troublesome. But what do I know? In the end, you will know best how to present your own work. And senior colleagues or dissertation advisors who have won this kind of award before will be your best guides.
 * The NEH's fellowship proposals demand "no less than an eleven point font," a three page narrative, and a two page resume--by that fact alone these things make sense in the ACLS application. I don't understand the above division between the presentation and the article. We have all seen presentations that make considerable contributions just as we all have read published articles that contributed nothing and with which few if any agree. Further, I am working under the assumption that an expert in my field (if not my subfield) will read my application simply because the instructions call for specialized writings. At this point I am such a fan of the ACLS I wish I could buy a T-shirt!
 * To the last poster: where exactly do the instructions call for specialized writings? I'm asking because I'd also love to assume that "an expert in my field will read my application", because that would mean less (and different kind of) rewriting of my writing sample to make it competitive.
 * I am assuming that a "published article," "a polished dissertation chapter," or a "panel presentation," will be specialized--but perhaps I am wrong?
 * Look, the recipients of this are going to be teaching in good departments for 2 years, even teaching grad students--this is not an explicitly "interdisciplinary" program, and surely they're taking disciplinary specificity at least somewhat seriously; at the same time, there are 800 applications to read, so there's only gonna be so far the specificity can go. I think imagine to yourself that we're getting divided into groups of, say, 40, so you're gonna get put w/ the 39 other applications most like yours, and assume that's the level of "expertise" your reader will have. Which means we can't assume that someone writing on 18th c. italian poetry will get a reader who is a specialist in 18th c. italian poetry, but we can totally assume that that person won't get a reader in anthropology. In other words, I think imagine your reader as approximately like a job committee member (as opposed, say, to a editorial board-selected reader for a field-specific journal or something)--that is, they'll probably be in the same discipline, but you can't assume they're in the same subfield.
 * Just a warning--you need to do an 800 character max project description on the webpage app--if you're waiting till the last minute, then, make sure you have this ready to go!
 * Q: After you've entered the email addresses of the people writing letters on your behalf, do you see all three listed on the Reference Letters page? I see only one, and I'm afraid it's because all three recipients have the same email address -- the email address of the department coordinatory, who keeps e-copies of letters on file and handles dossier requests, all confidentially of course. I hate these applications that require the active and timely participation of others. Not only must you have a letter, but you must have a letter writer who is sitting at his computer, waiting for an email calling him to action.
 * And to correct someone above, not all Fellows will be teaching grad students. There are several undergraduate-only colleges where you could end up.
 * Anyone else notice that the instructions say, "We do not accept letters from dossier services such as Interfolio"? I just put in my interfolio document email addresses on their reference letters page, but now worrying about whether this is going to work. Why did the ACLS put this stipulation in here? Has anyone else used interfolio for this app and gotten it to work?
 * Ok. So their machine doesn't seem to send of emails to interfolio email addresses if you put them in. Interfolio is not reporting receiving an email from them.
 * Update of update: I spoke too soon. Their website did accept my interfolio letters.
 * A double-spaced cover letter? Really? These stipulations seem byzantine and bizarre.
 * Yes, a double-spaced cover letter does seem odd and, frankly, unconventional. Are folks really double-spacing?
 * Just follow the directions. Don't try to use Interfolio. Double-space your cover letters. It's all right there in the directions.
 * Right, we can all read the directions. But the directions are a headache, you must admit.
 * All applications are a headache. Adjust. I managed to submit mine without the planets spinning out of alignment because I had to double-space my cover letter, compress my abstract, and contact my recommenders directly. Sure, I'd prefer it if the application fairies had filled out my application for me and unicorns delivered it on a silver platter, but they didn't. I got over it, so can others.
 * Well, now we know the one person worthy enough to win all 65 awards. I think this market is bad enough without condescending remarks.
 * My apologies. I was trying to say in a funny way that fussing about double-spacing and such is a bit silly. After all, we all made it through the arcane requirements necessary to get a PhD, so I'm sure we can handle this too. As sometimes happens on the Interwebs, it came out sounding more harsh than intended. Good luck to everyone, I'm sure all of the applicants are more than worthy, and I really mean that.
 * I spoke to one of the current fellows today who is taking his fellowship in our dept, and it sounds like he followed their directions to the letter. For my part, I'm much happier about taking the extra time for this fwp than for the ones that have more applicants for fewer positions.
 * Re: the cover letter, are you guys actually putting your address, etc. on there, as well as their address, as if it were a "real" cover letter? I was thinking of just making a header with my name/school for the cover letter. Thoughts?
 * Did anyone else finish this up today as the ACLS website counted down the minutes? At this point in my life, that consituted quite the rush. Probably not a sign of great mental health, but I'll take what I can get.
 * Crap. I worked really, really hard on this application. I was really proud of myself for getting a writing sample into good, formatted shape. Now I realize I didn't double-space my goddamn letter. Oh well. I guess that means everyone else's statistical odds just got a bit better.
 * I was fairly last minute -- 57 minutes to go. Had I not been coughing up my lungs **and** on the verge of throwing up my lunch, I would have kept editing that writing sample for the remaining 50 minutes. Pretty hard to condense a 70-page chapter into 25 pages, while remaining fairly coherent.
 * Good luck to us all! (x4)
 * Can we get a count of how many of those that applied are using this board? And yes- good luck to all- at least January isn't that far off.... (Count here.... x16)
 * did anyone receive the postdoc last year without being paired with a school?
 * Don't know for sure, but the list of winners and schools lists 44 names, so the remaining 6 presumably either forfeited the postdoc entirely or took the one year without a school.
 * I know one person who turned down the postdoc to take a T-T job. /I know one who turned it down for a T-T, and know of one who got the 30k consolation; neither are on the list of 44 on the ACLS website, FWIW.
 * You don't get to "take" the one-year-no-school 30k option. If a school doesn't choose you, you get that as a consolation prize.
 * Read the 09-10 wiki on this one. Everyone selected seems to have gotten more than a few offers. If you turn down the offers, you get nothing. If somehow no school picks you, you get the 35k--which will just about cover taxes and a year of COBRA payments, I'd say.
 * As for the last minute people, I was one of those. Down to the wire and of course the next day noticed a typo in my cover letter from cutting and pasting. Always better never to look back at something already submitted. For the record, I agree with the ACLS t-shirt fan comment. I think it's one of the few orgs out there trying to proactively address the current mess called a job market. [Amen.]
 * When are we going to hear back on this? Has anyone been contacted?
 * per last year's Wiki, both recipients and non. heard in mid-January.
 * rejexns and xptnces went out 1/12 last year. I think prolly a little later this year, maybe ~1/15.
 * 01/03/11--rec'd a request to certify my degree by Jan. 11. (x3). I'll bet some kind of meetings start going down around then, and we can hope for results by, let's say, Jan 20.
 * Does this mean you have made some kind of cut?
 * I really dont think so. I want to say that w/ 800+ apps to sift through, they're trying not to read any they don't have to.
 * To those who received this request -- are you ABD?
 * This postdoc wasn't open to ABDs. What a mysterious turn of events.
 * Did some who applied not receive a certification request or is this going out to everyone?
 * I didn't receive a request (and, for what it's worth, had my PhD when I applied).
 * This postdoc was open to those slated to get their PhDs in December 2010, but still ABD at the time of applying. What I meant was, were those who received this request ABD when they applied, and scheduled to defend in December?
 * As the below, I defended and deposited but was in a window period and so didn't actually graduate until two weeks ago. In fact, I think because I have library books out I'm not officially done yet.
 * I received a request. I had defended my dissertation when I applied but not received my degree which I got in December 2010 (x2).
 * So did anyone who already defended and had their degree in hand when they applied also receive this request?
 * I had degree in hand when I applied and I have not received the request for verification.
 * Put differently, did any ABD that applied not get the request? [x2--this is the real question to ask to know whether this has any real meaning--which I continue to believe it doesn't.]
 * I received my Ph.D. this December and have not received a request for verification (1/4).
 * A propos of everything and nothing, How Professors Think by Michele Lamont has a sort of sociology of an ACLS committee. Now you can worry all this to death with a greater degree of precision. Lamont also brought us How to become a famous French philosopher. No postdoc for you if you can't figure out who that might be about.
 * man, literally 100s of us whose hopes are probably resting on this one. how can the selection of the final 50 not be somewhat arbitrary?
 * I think if your hopes are resting on this one exclusively, or even close to that, you have a very different understanding of how academic hiring and awards are carried out. I've applied for about 30 jobs and postdocs this year alone [a high number for my field], with probably 15 more to go and I think I'd have to say I don't have my hopes riding on any of them. At all.
 * I must have applied for 50 or so jobs and postdocs, am from a top school, have a hot topic, a hot advisor, no major publications and have heard nothing. So yeah you are right, one cannot rely on any one thing exclusively. but I am SO hoping that this would work out for me. I guess I am still not as pessimistic as you. And I would guess a lot of people do in fcat have their hopes seriously resting on this.
 * These things are ALWAYS somewhat arbitrary; my advisor used to say, 'if you don't get it, don't take it personally; and if you get it, don't take it personally.' Also, not to quibble, but there are 65 spots for 800 applicants, thus ~12-1 odds out of the gate. That's actually pretty good for this kind of thing.
 * I agree.
 * For those people who rec'd a request to verify your degree, my speculation is that you are likely to be selected b/c email notifications should be going out next week (judging by last year's 1/12 notification and the fact that this year's app deadline was even earlier) so it sounds to me like 1 final step before a yes. good luck to all. what makes you think so?
 * Because -- why waste time with a verification request at all, if the application is not in the running? My friend got one and it was a personal email, written and addressed to her (not a form email cc'd to a bunch of people) and signed by a program officer at ACLS with contact info for questions. My friend, btw, had defended at the time of app, but degree was just conferred mid-December. Hope this helps. However -- in my opinion, this has nothing to do with anyone else's chances of getting it, especially if you already had Ph.D in hand at the time of app. Good luck everyone. It's not over until the rejection letter arrives or the contract is signed.
 * Much as I REALLY want to believe my conf. req. = job, I can't. I think they were weeding out apps that no one wanted to read. The conf. req. wastes one administrative staff's time, ~10 sec/ applicant (form letter or mass cc or not, write the brief letter, c&p the letter, c&p the address, send, done) as opposed to wasting a reviewer's hour or so on an ineligible candidate. If I'm wrong, I'll be back to say so.
 * ---> back to my above point, notifications are presumably going out next week. the applications have already been reviewed at this point by probably 3 reviewers. therefore they are taking the time to check the degrees of people in the yes or alternate pile before proceeding. this is my stab in the dark. (I got my degree last May so I'm not in that category.)
 * Alternates?
 * As someone who was also asked for confirmation, I am now becoming intensely curious and somewhat anxious about the fellowship outcome. I wish I had been told what the status of my application was when this request was made. The speculation is not helping the nerves.
 * "It was an honor just to be nominated again. It was an honor just to be nominated again. It was..."
 * hehehe...or.."it was an honor just to get the PhD. it was an honor just to get PhD."
 * So can I reask a couple above questions: Did anyone who had degree in hand (graduated August 2010 or before) get asked for confirmation of degree (my assumption was our nomination letter said so)? Did anyone w/o degree in hand not get asked?
 * x2. In fact, if we could get a running count of:
 * degree at time of applying yes, confirmation no. (3)
 * degree at time of applying yes, confirmation yes.
 * degree pending at time of applying yes, confirmation no. ( 1)
 * degree pending at time of applying yes, confirmation yes. (1)
 * I received my Ph.D. this past December and have not received a request for verification.
 * Completely irrelevant and silly question, but I'm just killing time: do you think ACLS panelists ever bother to google applicants? I know that search committees do... thoughts? Also, good luck to all who applied.
 * So, let me ask you back: is this because you get occasional emails from academia.edu saying someone searched you on Google and came up with your academia.edu page? I have my fervent doubts about those, personally. I think fellowship selection committee members tend towards doing as little work as they can; OTOH, maybe they're like me, and when they get bored/stuck, they go waste time on the internet...like I'm doing right now...
 * Nah, I have no way of knowing whether people google me or not.
 * What difference does it make if they do google or dont? Are they going to find anything significant that is already not in the application?
 * It makes no difference at all. I just wonder about all the intangibles in the process.
 * I doubt people google for fellowships like this. They are too busy reading a pile of application on their vacation to worry about it. For campus interviews, they definitely do. I had some FB application with the number of countries visited and I didn't know it came up under google. A professor starts the interview with, "So I noticed you have traveled to X number of countries..." (I was completely confused).
 * Does anyone know on good authority when we will hear about the results? Anyone call ACLS?
 * No, and no (First, categorically; second, yet more speculation.) But the original materials said notification in mid-Jan.
 * Oh great. Just read the bit about people getting conferral confirmation requests last week, and now feel like I'm pretty much out of the running. (I'm one of those who only just graduated in Dec. but didn't get an email asking me to assure ACLS about this fact.) I like the idea of this wiki forum in theory, but really the only news it can ever help you get a little ahead of time is bad news, am i right? Blech.
 * Agreed. I'm in the same boat.
 * I've been doing grad school and all this waiting on results since 1998, and I have to say, I find it infinitely less nerve-wracking to have other people's thoughts and a place to leave my own--even if there are no names or faces. Prediction: announcements on Tuesday. Last year was 1/12, the Tuesday after the first full weekend [not New Year's] in January. I think meetings were held over this weekend, the last deliberations, i-dotting and what-all happen tomorrow, and the waiting, at least, will be over within 48 hours. In the meantime, a new semester starts tomorrow morning, and undergrads are waiting with bated breath for me to share my erudition.
 * I was hoping we would find out today. :-(

Brown University: Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Postcolonial Literary and Cultural Criticism

 * Brown University invites applications for a 2-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Postcolonial Literary and Cultural Criticism, with a specialization in Modern South Asian Literatures and expertise in theoretical and/or methodological debates in the field.


 * This position is funded by the Mellon Foundation, to be held jointly at the Cogut Center for the Humanities and the Department of English, effective July 1, 2011. Our goal is to appoint an exceptional scholar of South Asian postcolonial literature with an interest in current debates and a commitment to innovative scholarship and teaching. The successful candidate will teach two courses per year in the Department of English cross-listed in the Cogut Center's course offerings. The fellow will also be affiliated with the Cogut Center and is expected to participate in the seminars, lectures, conferences, and other research activities of the Center.


 * Ph.D. must be in hand and must have been awarded in the last five years. Stipend of $52,000 and $54,080 in the 1st and 2nd years respectively, plus benefits and a research budget of $2,000 per year.


 * Candidates should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, writing sample, two sample course descriptions, and three letters of recommendation to South Asian Postdoctoral Fellow Search, Department of English, Box 1852, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912. Applications will be reviewed beginning February 15, 2011 and accepted until the position is filled.

Brown University Political Theory Project

 * The Political Theory Project at Brown will be appointing up to seven post-doctoral fellows from fields such as Political Theory, Political Philosophy, Constitutional History, American Founding Period, Religion and Politics, Political Economy, Legal Theory, and History of Economic Thought.
 * Deadline: Applications received by November 1, 2010 will be assured of full consideration.
 * Any news about this postdoc?
 * Confirmation by e-mail that application was received (12/22), committee to meet in January.

Brown University, Pembroke Center Fellowships for Teaching and Research on Women

 * Three or four postdoctoral research fellows in residence for an academic year (July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012).
 * Candidates who do work that is qualitative and humanistic in nature are drawn from the humanities, the social sciences, and the life sciences. Recipients must have a PhD and may not hold a tenured position.
 * The Center has an annual research focus: "'The Question of Consent'''"
 * The stipend is $50,000, plus a supplement for health and dental insurance.
 * Questions should be directed to Donna_Goodnow@brown.edu or phone 401-863-2643.
 * Deadline: Dec.10th, 2010
 * Selections will be announced in March.
 * 12/21/10 Writing sample was requested.(x10)
 * Q: Writing Sample Folks --kindly share which broad field you're in (Hum, SocSci, Science)? A: Hum (x6), Soc Sci (x2). No Science?
 * Any guesses as to how many people were requested for writing samples?
 * Here's hopin' it's 10.
 * Rejection received (12/27). Wasted no time. Q: They read your writing sample that quickly?
 * Writing sample sent. Good luck to us all! (x3)

Cambridge University / Harvard University / Mellon

 * 3 year post-doctoral research Fellowship on "on Exchanges of Economic, Legal and Political Ideas" sponsored by the Mellon Foundation; based at Magdalen College Cambridge/Harvard University.
 * "The fellows appointed will be expected to undertake research in the general fields of economic, political and transnational history described in the programme outline at http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~histecon/exel/objective.html. We particularly welcome applications from scholars with an interest in legal history and the uses of legal sources."
 * Deadline: 26 January 2011
 * Interviews (in Cambridge): March 2011

Cambridge University - Christ's College

 * One JRF (four years) in the Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences
 * Applicants should hold a first degree, or higher degree, qualification from a university in Britain or Ireland, or should be studying at such a university for a higher degree.http://www.christs.cam.ac.uk/jrf/
 * For those who finished their PhD not earlier than 1 Jan. 2010
 * Deadline: 12 Nov. 2010

Cambridge University - Churchill College, Murray Edwards College, Selwyn College, Trinity Hall

 * Joint application for up to 9 3-year JRFs in arts & social sciences across 4 colleges.
 * "no age limit, but will normally be awarded to candidates who have recently completed their PhD or are close to completion"
 * More details via Churchill's website: http://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/applying/fellows/jrf/
 * Deadline: 21 Nov. 2010.
 * The Stipendiary Fellowships (anyone opting to work for FREE for 3 years ?! see comment below) differ in subjects between the colleges (click for list).:


 * Churchill (2 stipendiary) - 1 in: Economics, HPS (History and Philosophy of Science), Law, Philosophy, PPSIS (Politics, Psychology, Sociology and International Studies), Theology. 1 in Science.


 * Murray Edwards - 1 in the Sciences.


 * Selwyn - 1 in American Studies (including the history, law and institutions, literature, and music of the United States).


 * Trinity Hall (2 stipendiary) - 1 in: Arts and Social Sciences.1 in Science subjects (including Mathematics, Medicine and Engineering).


 * So...3/6 for the Humanities and SocSci's isn't that bad...Last year they had 800 (?!) applications...
 * In response to the statement about 'working for free': non-stipendiary fellowships are normally targeted at people who have an outside source of funding, especially common in the sciences, but sometimes in the arts (e.g. a British Academy Postdoc which they are taking at a Cambridge college).

Cambridge University - Clare College

 * Two 3-year JRFs in the Humanities
 * "Candidates who have undertaken more than four years of full-time research in the Humanities are unlikely to be considered."
 * Deadline: 13 Dec. 2010
 * FYI for non-EU citizens concerned about eligibility, I got this response from the fellowship administrator: "US citizens are eligible but do need work permits. At the moment we don't know for sure how many 'certificates of sponsorship' the UK Borders Agency will allow Clare College to apply for in the New Year. These certificates grant permission for the employer to apply for a work permit on behalf of the applicant. We have requested three certificates in the hope that, should we appoint all 3 JRFs from non-EU countries, we will be able to offer them all places here. There has been such a fuss from industry and research establishments over the current cap on non-EU skilled workers that the UK Government is considering exemptions but whether these will be specified by the time we make our JRF offers I do not know."
 * As for the research time for Ph.Ds from North America, I got this response from its JRF Administrator: "You are not the first with this query – we do appreciate that PhDs tend to take longer in North America. What we suggest is that you discount any taught element of the PhD. If this brings you down to the four year limit – a few months over doesn’t matter – you are welcome to apply." (November 29, 2010)
 * Question: The app asks for a "research supervisor." Is this the same thing as your dissertation advisor in the US? (same question. Did you get the answer?) -- To both of you: yes, this is just what we call them over here.
 * Email confirmation of receipt of application 12/13.

Cambridge University - Clare Hall

 * Two stipendiary JRFs in the Arts and Social Sciences, duration 3 years, to start October 2011.
 * "The Betty Behrens Fellowship is funded to encourage research into the causes of, and/or the ways of mitigating, those forms of anti-social behaviour (including such as result from personality defects and disorders) which cause severe unhappiness to, and/or frustrate the talents or capacities of, those who suffer with them."
 * The other is in any area of the Social Sciences or Arts
 * NB (re. the discussion above): "There is no restriction on age, sex or previous standing, except that candidates may not already have held a Stipendiary Research Fellowship at an Oxford or Cambridge College, and some preference may be given to candidates who are at a fairly early stage of their research career."
 * This is a graduate-only college, so there are no teaching requirements.
 * Deadline: 29 Oct. 2010
 * (16/11) Request for written work**Congratulations! Would you by any chance mind sharing your field? Sociology. Thanks, best of luck.
 * (16/11) Request for written work, English.
 * (16/11) Email request for written work, Comparative Literature
 * Are the requests coming via email or post?
 * Mine was by email.
 * (16/11) Request for written work, History. Please could you be more specific - area, period?' -- Modern Europe
 * (25/11) Rejection received via email. (x 2) No info on number of applicants, etc.

Cambridge University - Emmanuel College

 * 3x 3 year JRFs in any subject (+1 in biology/medicine)
 * Applicants "should not have completed more than eight years of post-graduate research by October 1, 2011"
 * Deadline: 7 Oct. 2010
 * Shortlisting: 15 Nov. 2010 (written samples will be requested)
 * Decision by 24 Jan 2011.
 * Any news?
 * Rejection email (16 Nov) (x7)
 * (Nov 16) Longlist, writing samples requested by email, field Comparative Literature

Cambridge University - Gonville & Caius

 * Junior Research Fellowship (4 years), open field
 * "graduates or research students, who have completed not more than four years of full-time research"
 * "Full submission of written work in support of the application is required at the time of application"; this means a submission of anything up to 30,000 words
 * Deadline: 5pm (BST) 30 Sep. 2010
 * Any news?
 * Original advert said they will interview short-listed candidates on 21 January 2011. Since they took all the writing samples up front, and thus presumably carry out the 'long-listing' round internally, I doubt they will give notice of interviews particularly far in advance -- certainly not two months. According to previous wikis: two years ago they notified applicants of their fates in mid-late December; last year apparently they didn't notify unsuccessful candidates at all.
 * Any news?

Cambridge University - Homerton College

 * Junior Research Fellowships (3 years) in "Social Sciences (including Psychology and Anthropology)" and "Politics and Modern British History"
 * "There is no age limit for eligibility, but the College will not normally appoint Junior Research Fellows who are more than three years beyond the award of a doctorate"
 * Deadline: 10 Dec. 2010

Cambridge University - Kings College

 * Junior Research Fellowships (up to 4 years), Arts & Social Sciences
 * Applications are invited from researchers in the fields of Philosophy, Theology, History and Philosophy of Science, Economics, Sociology and Psychology.
 * Candidates "will usually" have their PhD and NOT MORE THAN 2 years post-doctoral research experience at 1 oct 2011
 * Deadline: 22 Oct 2010.
 * Rejections have been recieved by some applicants - 11th Nov.
 * A friend has been longlisted - 11th Nov.
 * Can I ask - what discipline is your friend in? Has anyone else heard anything?
 * Philosophy.

Cambridge University - Magdalene College

 * One JRF in the humanities: "Candidates should normally have completed two or three years of research and may have written a PhD dissertation"
 * Note this restriction: " Short-listed candidates will be called for interview; and the expenses of travel within the United Kingdom only will be paid by the College."
 * Deadline: 22 Nov. 2010

Cambridge University - Newnham College

 * Junior Research Fellowship (3 years) in 'History, Architecture and History of Art, Oriental Studies, [or] Divinity' (posting states 2010/11, commencing Oct. 2011)


 * Female candidates only


 * Deadline: 5 Nov. 2010


 * Second round notification 10 Dec 2010 with submission of extra material by 20 Dec 2010


 * Decision to be made by 4 Mar. 2010.


 * RE: time to degree, etc. From the website for this fellowship. "Both selection panels use the concept of "research age" in judging how long a candidate has been active in research, so that time out of research for professional or family reasons will not be a disadvantage."
 * Rejection via email, 06/12. No info on applicant numbers (X4)

Cambridge University - Jesus College

 * Junior Research Fellowship (3 years) in 'Arts & Social Sciences'
 * "Candidates who have undertaken more than four years of full-time research are unlikely to be considered"
 * Deadline: 1pm BST 17 September 2010, with written work requested from shortlisted candidates by 21 October.
 * Application and college website down as of 5.30pm BST 16 September 2010. This does not bode well...
 * Back up now (6:58pm BST)
 * Any news on the short list?


 * 13/10 rejection received via email, 11am. Congrats to whoever made it to the short-list.(X6)


 * 13/10 rejection received via email. Did everyone get this?: "The Master has, however, asked me to thank you for your application, which was one of a large number in a very strong field, and to wish you every success in your future career." (Field: Literature.) Yes everyone got this.
 * 13/10 request to send in writing samples. I think it is a long short-list not a short short-list... Congratulations! Would you mind sharing your field? Response: Comparative Literature.
 * 10/11 Has anyone heard anything?
 * From a different section of this page "Also, the government is being extremely stingy with visas this year - evidently Jesus got "0 allowances" for research visas for non-EU candidates." Does anyone know if this is true or conjecture?
 * This is true. The fellowship secretary informed me of this before the application was even due. They appealed and got rejected.
 * I wish they had been transparent enough to advertise that. Some of us need not have wasted our time! Thank you though for the information. Would you know if this is the case with other Cambridge colleges as well?
 * re: other Cambridge colleges -- I just posted the response to my inquiry to Clare College concerning eligibility under the Clare College section.
 * 24/11 Any news?
 * 26/11 Rejection email 9am, no other specifics (x2): Just to clarify, these were rejections issued to those shortlisted for the fellowship, weren't they? (sorry though!)

Cambridge University - Peterhouse College

 * Junior Research Fellowship (3 years): one in Arts, one in Sciences, to start 1 October 2011.
 * " Candidates must be graduates of, or current students at, universities in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland." This includes anyone of any nationality who has taken at least one degree at a British or Irish university.
 * "Candidature is also restricted to those who commenced full-time research work on a PhD degree not earlier than the 1st October 2007."
 * Deadline: 5pm GMT 13 November 2010, with written work requested from shortlisted candidates by 26 November. Interviews 21 January 2011.
 * Any news?
 * (29/11) Rejection received via email. (x 3)
 * 29/11: Invitation to submit written work, received via email at 11:45 am

Cambridge University - Queens' Collage

 * Advanced Research Fellowship, 3 years with possibility of 1 additional year, in Classics
 * This is aimed at post-docs with some experience of teaching & research, unlike the junior research fellowships, and involves a significant teaching element.
 * "it is expected that the successful candidate will be able to undertake some language teaching in both Greek and Latin"
 * Deadline: midday (GMT) 17 Dec. 2010.

Cambridge University - Sidney Sussex College

 * The College Council wishes to make elections to two Research Fellowships, each tenable for three years, to commence on 1st September 2011. One Fellowship is devoted to...the Arts and Social Sciences, the other to...the Sciences (including mathematics, engineering and the medical sciences). Interviews for short-listed applicants...beginning 29th November 2010.


 * Deadline: October 12th 2010
 * Note on their online application system: it has a number of quirks. Be very careful with time-out issues (it seems to do so without warning so watch your time). Also, make sure that your statements do not contain anything "weird" (e.g. accents, umlauts, symbols, strange punctuation marks and so forth). To stay on the safe side, if a character does NOT appear on the standard US or UK QWERTY keyboard, do NOT include it -- it will NOT go through. I noticed this because after I submitted the application form, they produced an RTF of the information that went through -- and lo and behold, not only were the accents and umlauts all omitted -- in fact the ENTIRE WORD containing the accent was cut out. Just a heads up to you guys, best of luck.
 * Anyone heard anything yet (14 Nov)?
 * Nope (17 Nov)
 * Err, still nope (20 Nov)
 * Me too - is it ever appropriate to call them to find out if the shortlist has been communicated, just so you can cross them off?
 * If you call them I'll pay half.
 * I'm assuming a call can't hurt - it will be to the Fellowship Secretary who is after all responsible for dealing with the administrative side of things. If you do call could you check on the research visa situation. Troubling things are being posted in the Jesus and Clare sections...
 * Email notification of short list and request for written work (21 Nov) -- Congratulations! Are you willing to share your field? - Classics -- Thanks for that, best of luck.
 * Anyone else heard anything? I wish colleges would email rejections out at the same time as they notify of long- or short-listing.
 * I, too, haven't heard anything one way or the other. Probably not a good thing. Maybe they're just slow in sending out rejections?
 * Official rejection by email (14 Dec) (x4)

Cambridge University - St John's College

 * JRF
 * Deadline: October 1 2010
 * Has anyone heard anything?
 * Shortlist made - and communicated via email on November 11 2010 (4:45 pm).
 * Rejection received via email (11/11). If the poster above is from the college, then thank you for writing on the wiki.
 * (Dec 2) Any news? JRF website FAQ says "Election in January 2011", does that mean no news until after the New Year?
 * Election took place Jan 10, Rejection email received. No information on number of applicants.

Centre for Advanced Study, Sofia, Bulgaria

 * For the academic year 2011/2012 CAS Sofia provides in-residence fellowships of two- to five- month duration to post-doctoral non-Bulgarian researchers. Junior as well as senior scholars are invited to apply.
 * The working language is English.
 * In addition to supporting focus-group research, CAS invites scholars to pursue their individual research projects during in-residence periods of up to five months. Fellows participate in the intellectual life and the scholarly community of the Centre while working on projects of their own choice. CAS Sofia assists Fellows in all practical matters concerning travel, residence and research in Sofia.
 * Deadline:November 1, 2010.

Columbia University Committee on Global Thought Post-Doctoral Fellowship

 * Deadline: October 29, 2010
 * The CGT web site notes that people will be notified if they've advanced to the second round "in early December," and Wiki posts from previous years suggest that people heard from the CGT on the equivalent of today, the first Friday in December. Any news? I'm not clear if the CGT plans to contact ALL applicants, or only those poised to be selected for interviews. (12-3)
 * When I contacted them last week they said that they did not know when decisions were going to be made "Unfortunately we do not know at this time." I didn't realize there were rounds- is this what happened last year?
 * A notice that the application was shortlisted 12.8 (3)
 * Did you JUST hear, #2? I wonder if people are hearing piecemeal, or if one mass email went out? Thanks for indulging this picayune question. A: Yes, email just came in today.
 * Does anyone know how many are in the shortlist?
 * I was shortlisted too, also heard 12.8. Don't know how many people are on the list - does anyone know if being shortlisted = getting an interview? Seems from last year's Wiki that these are not necessarily the same thing. Email was ambiguous.
 * For those of you shortlisted, could you say which "track" you were in? I wonder if they are sending out emails as they read/screen? I have not heard anything. And, was this a mass email, do you think?
 * I sent an email asking if they have ever received my application -I've never got any confirmation- and the answer was that the application is currently under review. Maybe they send out emails as they read. (12/14)
 * Have offers been made yet?
 * Phone interview scheduled for 1/11 (1/5)

Columbia University Society of Fellows in the Humanities

 * Several postdoctoral fellowships in the humanities for the 2011-2012 academic year. "We invite applications from qualified candidates who have received the Ph.D. between 1 January 2007 and 1 July 2011. Fellows are appointed as Lecturers in appropriate departments at Columbia University and as postdoctoral research fellows. The fellowship is renewable for a second and third year."
 * Requires a $30 US application fee. Unconscionable.
 * I am not actively on the post-doc market, but I happened to see this. Charging a fee to apply for such a position is absolutely deplorable. If I were a post-doc candidate, I would refuse to apply for this. Seriously. I know the market is bad, but such exploitation of financially disadvantaged post-grads is wrong on a fundamental level and should not be countenanced. Ditto for Michigan Society of Fellows below.
 * Deadline: Postmark October 4, 2010.
 * Curious that the writing sample that they ask for is no more than 3,500 words. How many people have a self-contained paper/chapter at hand of this particular length? A standard article in a humanities journal is around 8,000 words. The average PhD chapter is probably somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 words.---I, too, am baffled by this odd word limit. I basically sliced and diced one of my chapters beyond real recognition. The articles I've got are too long and I wasn't about to send a seminar paper I wrote years ago.
 * I submitted a conference paper last year. I wasn't selected, so I can't say it's a fool-proof plan, but a rigorous, well-written conference paper can make a powerful writing sample.
 * I have also been frustrated by the 3500 word limit -- a paltry 11 ds pp. Does anyone know if the writing sample is expected to, in fact, resemble an uninterrupted argument, or is it also acceptable to do a creative mix of sample / summary?
 * I sent an e-mail to SOF, asking for some guidance on the writing sample (in light of the strangely low word limit), and just received this rather vague response: "Submitting an excerpt from your dissertation is acceptable. There is no preference for excerpts or standalone pieces. How you arrange your writing sample is up to you for what best exemplifies your scholarly writing."
 * I was planning on submitting a conference paper. What else is 3500 words long? Sliced and diced dissertation doesn't seem to work for me...but I suppose a carefully chosen selection with a bit of contextualizing introduction might work.---on my chair's advice, i decided to submit a conference paper. i was a little worried because it has little to do with my overall project/interests (more of a pet project). however, they also have your research statement so...
 * i nominate Columbia SOF for most annoying humanities p-d application, submitting to the jury a.) the 35 fee, b.) the 3500 word writing sample, c.) the 5 hard copies specially collated and mailed (i think they should use the $35x1000 to buy online submissions capability and a good printer). dartmouth is a close runner up for requiring undergraduate transcripts (i mean, SERIOUSLY?!) but i think columbia is the winner. any other nominations before we present the trophy? :)
 * I second your nomination. Apart from everything you mentioned, last year I attempted to drop off the application in person (I used to live in the area and wanted to avoid the mailing cost for the giant packet). The entrance to the office took 10 minutes to locate--turned out to be in the first floor of an undergraduate dorm, and the security guard was shocked that anyone wanted to drop off work there! In the end he nicely let me in (after I left my ID with him). After that, I skipped the application this year for sure. :)
 * I skipped it in the end. Time that I would spend agonizing over the writing sample and putting everything together = Time I would spend doing 4 or 5 other applications.
 * Me too--I'm just not cool enough for Columbia.
 * Just curious, has anyone received their postcard confirming receipt of the application? and if so, when? thanks.
 * My postcard arrived last Saturday (10/23).
 * @ My postcard arrived: You rock! @Those of you who take time to post on here and whine about the application requirements taking too much time, with the exception of the person who applied last year and got a bit lost on campus, seem to have plenty of time on your hands. To be fair to all of you, it does look like a pain of an application, but what is the point of whining about it?
 * I dunno, what's the "point" of whining about anything? Because it makes you feel better, I guess, when you're shelling out, say, somewhere between $200-$500 for application fees, overnight mailng costs, photocopying, printer ink, paper and envelopes and stamps, interfolio subscriptions, rush dossier-mailing because your damn advisor didn't get his letter in on time...and that's not even counting if you have to go to a professional convention for job interviews, for which you have to buy a plane ticket and a hotel room and a suit and a buncha bad breakfasts at the hotel starbucks...And if after all that effort, you see these really frustrating, bureaucratically-persnickety applications, none of which are standardized (as they are in plenty of other fields), and you see well-off institutions like Columbia and Harvard asking you for yet another damn check, maybe ALL YOU WANT is to gripe a little, anonymously, with folks going through the same thing. And while--sadly--it is indeed impressive that Columbia, nearly alone among postdocs, can get it together to send a daggone postcard acknowleding receipt of your check...oops, I mean, receipt of your *materials*, that seems like a somewhat tarnished silver lining. So yeah, absolutely no point at all of whining but, what the hell, it's at least a chance to engage in a little gallows humor, no?
 * @ what's the point of whining about it: seems like you also have a considerable amount of time in your hands to be able to read all these and then respond. Which is fine as long as you don't get all clever about others' time. Also worth thinking: what's the point of whining about others whining about something? Columbia, such prestigious institute, treating its prospective employees like this is worth whining about. At the end post-doc is a JOB. No job application should require fee and if it does it requires complaining.
 * Has anyone heard about their application? (other than getting notice of its arrival) (11/7)
 * I think it's still too early. According to last year's wiki, candidates were contacted about interviews no earlier than mid to late December.
 * unofficial notice that they've made a long-list. No news about who's on it, though!
 * Last year candidates selected for interviews were notified on December 26th, nice Christmas gift.
 * 12/17 interview scheduled for January 21 (via email)
 * Congrats, and thanks for the update. So, if I didn't receive an email today (12/17), I'm done? Presumably the emails went out all at once?
 * yes, are they done with invitations? Would others who've been invited to interviews mind checking in, so that we know there's more than one, and that the rest of us should just call it a day. Thanks so much, and congrats.
 * I also received an interview request via email yesterday, 12/17 (History/ Institute for Research on Women and Gender).
 * is there a possibility that perhaps not all of the interview emails went out yesterday?
 * any word on this? have all interviews been scheduled???
 * looks that way.
 * Have only a few people on here heard about interviews? Is it safe to say that if heard nothing by now probably didn't make the cut?
 * A bit confused here. I personally called Columbia SOF and they said interview notifications have not gone out yet and that we would be notified tomorrow?
 * Well, in any event the website says "Applicants who have not been contacted by 7 January 2011 should assume that their candidacy is no longer active." So presumably that settles that.
 * Nice, I wonder how much Columbia made off you guys this year? I spent my $30 on dinner with my wife, and it was...yummy.

Columbia University, Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, 2011-2012 INTERACT Postdoctoral Fellowship

 * The fellowship will cover a 10-month period beginning August 1, 2011, and comes with a stipend of $45,000 plus benefits


 * Recipients of the Fellowship must have received their Ph.D. degree within the past four years (Spring 2007 and after). Recipients must complete all their Ph.D. requirements (completed and filed the dissertation) by June 30, 2011.


 * Candidates are required to teach in programs in Comparative Literature and Society and are from the humanities, the social sciences, and the Schools of Architecture and Law.


 * one INTERACT Fellowship to an outstanding scholar who pursues comparative research, with evident multilingual and interdisciplinary aptitude as well as a demonstrated emphasis on global contexts and connections, either in literary studies or the social sciences, broadly speaking


 * Deadline: January 31, 2011


 * Candidates may be invited for a phone interview. Awards will be announced no later than April 2011.
 * $20 non-refundable application fee required; check or money order.

Columbia University, Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Award in Palestine Studies

 * The Center for Palestine Studies at Columbia University's Middle East Institute is pleased to announce and to invite applications for the 2011-2012 Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Award, a post-doctoral fellowship in Palestinian Studies. The one-semester fellowship carries a stipend of $25,000 and the status of post-doctoral research fellow or visiting scholar at Columbia University, as appropriate.
 * Full proposals due January 15, 2011. Fellowship awards from $6,000 to $10,000. Awards announced March 15, 2011

Cornell Univ. - Institute for the Social Sciences - Interdisciplinary Immigration Program Post-Doctoral Fellowships 2011-2012

 * focal theme for 2010-2013: "Immigration: Settlement, Integration and Membership.” See: http://www.socialsciences.cornell.edu/1013/Postdoc.html
 * Multiple research fellows will be appointed
 * Applicants must have received the Ph.D. degree within the last five years
 * The fellowships are held for one academic year
 * Each Fellow will receive $50,000.
 * Deadline: November 15, 2010
 * Awards will be announced in December 2010.


 * any word on this?
 * According to emails with the very responsive and friendly admin. they were narrowing to top 20 within the last week (mid-Dec.) and aiming to then winnow down to a list of 6-8 to interview by phone. Not sure of timeframe for interviews or any other details.
 * rejection letter received via email (12/22 x2).

Cornell Univ. - Society for the Humanities - Fellowships 2011-2012

 * focal theme for 2011-2012 is “Sound: Culture, Theory, Practice, Politics.”
 * Six to eight Fellows will be appointed
 * Applicants must have received the Ph.D. degree before January 1, 2010
 * The fellowships are held for one academic year.
 * Each Society Fellow will receive $45,000.
 * Deadline: October 1, 2010
 * Awards will be announced by the end of December 2010.
 * Rejection letter received 12/10. Wah waaaaaaahhh. (x3)

Cornell Univ. MELLON POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS 2011-2013

 * two postdoctoral teaching-research fellowships in the humanities, each awarded for the two-year period beginning July 2011
 * Each fellowship offers a stipend of $45,000/year
 * available in two areas of specialization: History of Art (deadline: January 15, 2011), Linguistics (deadline: November 26, 2010)
 * History of art focus: combination of: modern and contemporary art, popular culture, including media and fashion, gender and sexuality studies, and the social history of the United States as well as Asian-American studies.
 * Linguistics focus: core linguistics (phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics) with additional expertise in critical theory/cultural studies (e.g. poetics, stylistics, gender studies, queer theory, postcolonial studies, globalization studies)

Dalhousie University Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship

 * Izaak Walton Killam Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded annually at Dalhousie University to recently graduated scholars of superior academic research ability in any discipline. Awards are tenable for two years and include travel costs, a research grant, and a conference travel allowance.
 * Applications due by December 15, 2010
 * App is enormous pain: undergrad transcripts, a four-page research summary *and* a one-page research summary, and, worst, a letter of support from a Dalhousie faculty member ("The letter should indicate the benefits that would accrue, both to the applicant and to the University, from the proposed collaboration; judgement of the candidate's published papers; and judgement of the candidate's unpublished papers and/or conference presentations").
 * Letters of support are standard for all the Killams: they're particularly concerned with finding people who are a good "fit" - not just excellent candidates. It's also not the only postdoc (or even tenure-track position!) to require undergrad transcripts - a pain, I agree, but I don't find it any more arduous than any other applications.

Dartmouth College - Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship

 * One postdoctoral fellowship in the humanities and humanistic social sciences for the 2011-2013 academic years. PhD must have been completed between January 9, 2009 and June 30, 2011.
 * Applications due by October 1, 2010.
 * The following fields ARE NOT eligible: Anthropology, Art History, Film/Media Studies, French, History, Italian, Music and Native American Studies.
 * This may well be a stupid question - but what counts as a 'humanistic social science'? Political science? Linguistics? Sociology?
 * On the above question: I believe that the "humanistic social sciences" are not specific fields, but rather refer to humanistic methods and orientations toward research. For example, anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists who do interpretive, qualitative and in-depth interviews or ethnographic observations likely qualify. Scholars who use large-N datasets and don't interact with humans, or texts, in their research would probably not qualify.
 * Does Dartmouth require a writing sample? There's no mention of it in the application guidelines.
 * FYI: I emailed the administrator to ask what would happen if my letters of reference didn't make it on time (my recommenders have the totally reasonable idea that jobs don't expect letters before October 1). She said that my application would still go through, but that the applications get sent out to the committee for review "the day after the deadline," and that if my file was missing letters, that would obviously put me at a disadvantage. I can only assume she means they get sent out Monday, October 4, since Oct. 1 is a Friday.
 * 10/6: Has anyone received confirmation of application?
 * 10/12: Nope, no word yet.
 * 11/05: Any news about this postdoc?
 * 11/08: Based on the timeline they have posted on their website, I don't expect to hear anything for several more weeks yet (Oct 1,2010 - Deadline; Mid Dec 2010 - Evaluations complete; Jan 2011 - Successful applicants notified by email; Jan 2011 - All other applicants notified by USPS), that is unless someone has information to the contrary...
 * 11/22: The last post notwithstanding, anyone hear anything? If I'm not mistaken, they had already sent out some rejection letters this time last year.
 * 11/27: Rejection letter by snail mail. Congrats to those who are proceeding in the process! (Q: Where in the country are you? Anyone else heard anything? Looking back at their application timeline I've just now realized that this application was for a *single* fellowship. Not great odds for any of us.) A: I live in Michigan.
 * 11/29: Did the letter mention the total number of applicants? A: I don't think so, but I already tossed it. It was very brief.
 * 11/30: Anyone hear that s/he is continuing? If so, how were you notified? I've yet to hear word one way or the other, but perhaps they've been going through their rejection lists alphabetically. (I say this judging by others I know who have in fact heard word.) A(?): nothing yet ths year. last year, the rejects came in batches. first cut by mellon committee, then by various departments (and these at different times), then by mellon committee again.
 * 12/3: I applied and haven't heard anything positive or negative yet.
 * 12/3: Rejection by snail mail, dated 11/30 (no mention of # of applicants). x2
 * 12/3: Rejection by snail mail (government)
 * 12/4: Rejection letter by snail mail. FWIW: I live in the midwest and my last name is in the middle of the alphabet (also my letter made no mention of # of applicants).
 * 12/6: rejection by snail mail dated 12/2 (philosophy)
 * Q: can updaters indicate field, please? helps track where each department is in its portion of the process.
 * 12/16 rejection letter received (German)
 * 12/17 rejection received (english)x1; ditto (government); rej. rec'd. (Classix); ditto (religion)
 * Has anyone from Comp Lit heard anything?

Duke University Program in Women's Studies

 * The Duke University Program in Women's Studies invites applications for two post-doctoral associates in Interdisciplinary Feminist Studies to complement their 2011-2012 theme of "The Future of the Feminist 1970's." We seek candidates with interdisciplinary experience in Women's Studies. We welcome empirical, textual, and theoretical specialization from a diverse array of academic fields, political and cultural contexts, and historical periods.
 * All applications materials (including all letters of recommendations) must be received by November 22, 2010.
 * Cross-posted at Queer/Women's/Gender Studies 2010-11
 * 11/23: I was irritated by the 2 years out requirement applied anyway. Others?
 * 12/8: Has anyone received a confirmation of receipt?
 * To 11/23 -- yep, the same here.
 * To 12/8 -- not yet as of 1/7.

Duke University Thompson Writing Program Fellowship

 * candidates with a Ph.D. in any field and a demonstrated commitment to undergraduate teaching. Fellows are asked to draw on their disciplinary training and interests to design a seminar-style course introducing students to academic writing. Teaching load is five sections of Academic Writing per year, with each section limited to 12 students.
 * Applications received by October 15, 2010, will be guaranteed consideration.
 * Anyone heard back from them? (i think last year's wiki indicated people didn't start hearing anything until maybe late Nov or early Dec?)
 * Haven't heard anything (11/21/10), but a friend of mine got a position mid-year after being on the waiting list, so they don't necessarily have a set timeframe for filling these spots.
 * Anything for anyone yet? (12/3)
 * Their website has been updated, and it says that folks will be notified in mid or late December. (12/3)
 * Thanks for giving the update! (12/5)
 * According to someone with inside knowledge, all applicants will be emailed (either way) by 12/17; approximately 20 applicants will be invited for interviews.
 * Phone call requesting on-campus interview in Jan (12/14) x 3 (Based upon the dates offered, i strongly doubt that 20 folks will be interviewed)
 * Based on the dates offered, would you guess 3 people were invited for interviews? 5? Based on the info below, looks like there's ~10 finalists in the wings.
 * My guess is 6 on-campus interviews. Based on the dates given and on last year's wiki posts, this seems to be the magic number.
 * Not quite sure what it means to be a finalist or to be waitlisted. Perhaps folks in that camp will be granted phone interviews. Or, maybe they'll be called in as back-ups. Or, maybe its Duke's polite way of encouraging repeat applications. Seems like a high number for so few seats. But, if you add it all up, its closer to the 20 number that has been referenced (+6 interviews +10 finalists + 7 waitlisted = 23 possibilities).
 * Does this mean they are flying out 20 people for on-campus interviews??? I figured the 20 was phone interviews; that's a lot of money.

So, have they contacted all 20 lucky ones already? Any emails being sent? Good luck!
 * I don't think it's clear that all 20 (if 20 is the real number) have been contacted yet - that's a lot of phone calls to make in one day. Only two people said they got a call so far. I haven't heard anything yet personally - invitation or rejection. (12/15)
 * I agree and I haven't heard anything (12/15), anybody else? Have heard nothing either (12/15)
 * Nothing here either (12/15), but I have also heard from a reliable source that those who are going to be interviewed already know who they are. I imagine the rest of us will get condolences by email later in the week. Yes, only two people have noted so far that they've heard, but you can't expect that all those who've gotten good news either: (1) know about this wiki; or (2) necessarily care to post to it even if they do.
 * Good points. I am just waiting for the dreaded email at this point. So, did your sources confirm the 20 interviews? Thanks for the update. My source said "20, or about that."
 * Well, the tip about notification by the 17th was a dud. Though last year I got my rejection the day before Christmas Eve, I think.
 * Email received (12/21), more than 600 applications received, placed on the "active" (ie waiting) list. (x10)
 * So did the above emails also contain this statement: "Your application was particularly impressive and was among our finalists"? (yes x8)
 * Great. Let's see how many of us are active finalists.
 * Were any of you guys listed as "active/waiting list" last year too?
 * No, and didn't apply last year.
 * Anybody received plain old rejection (without being place on waiting list)? :: Yup, plain old rejection here; started a new list below to differentiate from "active" list.
 * Just received a rejection email (12/21) (x6)
 * How many here got interview invitation? via email? phone?

==École Normale Supérieure de Cachan, France==
 * For two two-year postdocs to study cross-disciplinary research ventures in postwar American social sciences.
 * Candidates should have completed their doctoral degree in the history of economics, history of science or history of social science, and have interest or expertise in cross-disciplinary research ventures in social science after WWII.
 * Flexible application date. They are receiving applications as of Nov. 2, 2010 but the postdoc is recently funded and postdoctoral fellows are expected to start their work in Cachan this fall.

Emory University - Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry

 * Up to three Post-Doctoral fellowships for an academic year of study, teaching, and residence in the Center.
 * Stipends of $40,000 will be offered to Post-Doctoral Fellows. In addition, a research budget of $2,000 will be made available to each Fellow, along with shared office space in the Center and access to the Emory University Libraries. The Ph.D. must be awarded before the application deadline of February 18, 2011 @ 4:00PM EST.
 * The deadline for submission of completed applications is February 18, 2011; awards will be announced in mid-April 2011.

Emory University - Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Poetics

 * One Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Poetics for an academic year of study, teaching, and residence in the Center. Funded by a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Fellowship highlights the importance of the ongoing critical, theoretical, and creative engagements with poetry across Emory University, as well as marking the emergence of the Robert W. Woodruff Library’s Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Library (MARBL) as a major center for research in poetry.
 * Please note that Post-Doctoral Fellows, who must have the Ph.D. in hand before submission of their applications, are awarded to those who have held the Ph.D. for no more than six years before receiving the fellowship.
 * Stipends of $40,000 will be offered to Post-Doctoral Fellows in Poetics. In addition, a research budget of $2000 will be made available to each Fellow, along with shared office space in the Center and access to the Emory University Libraries.


 * The deadline for submission of completed applications is February 18, 2011; awards will be announced in mid-April 2011.

European College of Liberal Arts, Berlin (Germany)

 * Teaching post-doc (2 years). Deadline: Dec 3, 2010
 * Receipt of application confirmation (email): 12/7
 * Rejection because one reference letter was received late (so German!) (email): 12/13
 * Crazy! My app was late as well because it got held up in customs (also so German - what did they think it was?), but ECLA accepted it (at least, have not had a rejection yet!)
 * no e-mail confirmation of receipt of application; also no response to e-mail requesting confirmation of receipt anyone else had this problem? (1/10)
 * Perhaps because they are on winter break until today (1/10)?

==Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat, Jena (Germany)==
 * Two year (with possibility of extension) post-doc in the History of Science (or similar)
 * German languages skills essential!
 * Post includes some admin/teaching as well as research
 * Deadline: 11 Oct. 2010

Georgetown University, Qatar Postdoctoral Fellowship, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) at Georgetown University is pleased to announce the annual Qatar Post-Doctoral Fellowship competition. The fellowship will support a recent PhD working on the topic of US-Arab Relations, Arab studies, or Islamic studies for a period of one academic year for the purpose of transforming his/her dissertation into a book manuscript for publication. The fellow will receive a stipend of between $40,000 - $45,000, plus benefits.

Applicants must have completed a PhD between January 1, 2009 and August 31, 2011 from an university in the United States. The fellowship requires residence at Georgetown University for the duration of the academic year. The fellow will be given library privileges at Georgetown University and office space at CCAS. During the fall term the fellow will be expected to deliver a lecture at CCAS about his/her research. In the spring term, the fellow will teach a small seminar of his/her choosing broadly related to the subject of US-Arab relations, Arab Studies or Islamic studies.

George Washington University IERES Mellon Pre-doctoral Fellowship in Cold War/Post-1945 International History

 * Pre-doctoral Fellowship for 2011-2012, application due January 24, 2011
 * Applicants must be working in the field of post-1945 international history or the cold war, but not necessarily in a history department. Scholars in the fields of political science and other disciplines with relevant topics are encouraged to apply.

Harvard University, Environmental Fellows

 * Purpose: The Harvard University Center for the Environment created the Environmental Fellows program to enable recent doctorate recipients to use and expand Harvard's extraordinary resources to tackle complex environmental problems. The Environmental Fellows will work for two years with Harvard faculty members in any school or department to create new knowledge while also strengthening connections across the University's academic disciplines.
 * The fellowship will provide an annual stipend of $55,000 plus health insurance, a $2,500 allowance for travel and professional expenses, and other employee benefits. The Harvard University Center for the Environment awarded four fellowships in 2010, and expects to award approximately four to five fellowships per year thereafter.
 * Candidates for 2011 Environmental Fellowships should have received their terminal degree between May 2007 and August 2011. (Fellows must have completed all requirements of their degree before starting work in September 2011.)
 * Candidates with a doctorate or equivalent in any field are eligible, and they may propose research projects in any discipline. Applicants without a Ph.D. may apply if they have studied in fields where the Ph.D. is not the typical terminal degree. All successful candidates will be able to demonstrate experience performing scholarly research.
 * Each candidate must secure a commitment from one or more Harvard faculty members to serve as a mentor and to provide office or lab space for the two-year fellowship.
 * Deadline: Applications and all letters of reference must be received by the Center for the Environment by 5 pm EDT, Friday, January 14, 2011. The Center will select a group of fellows and alternates by March 2011, and contact applicants with results at that time.

Harvard - Expository Writing
"2nd round" requests for additional info out (11/17).

NOTE: this position is also posted at Rhetoric/Composition 2011. Most people seem to be posting about this job on that page.

Harvard Humanities Center

 * One-year fellowship in "all fields within the humanities and the allied social sciences."
 * Applicants must have received the Ph.D. after May 2008. Applicants without the Ph.D. must demonstrate that they will receive the Ph.D. in or before June 2011.


 * Deadline: November 15, 2010.
 * Another $35 fee
 * Two full syllabi? For a postdoc application that 1000 people will apply for? Really?
 * @syllabi -- 100% agreed. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. And did I read the announcement correctly -- is this a 1-year non-renewable postdoc? (It's that bad -- I've gotten to the point in the season where I can no longer decipher job postings...)
 * yep, it's a 1-yr non-renewable. a bit better paid than other p-ds, tho. and FWIW, last year "only" (!) 500 people applied.
 * omg, lol, i'm laughing and laughing at the parenthetical aside about (It's that bad -- i've gotten to the point in the season where I can no longer decipher job postings ... ) Another Friday night at the computer with job and post-doc applicaitons. omg can I relate!
 * 11/30: received e-mail confirming receipt of application and supporting materials. Final decision will be made in mid-February. (x3)
 * 12/2: Has anyone else NOT received an e-mail confirming receipt of application and supporting materials?
 * 12/2: I haven't received anything yet either [x3]
 * 12/6: Still haven't received an e-mail confirmation
 * 12/7: E-mail confirmation received
 * 12/7 Still nothing here.
 * 12/14: Anyone else without an email confirmation?
 * yes, I also haven't received confirmation
 * You should email the assistant to make sure all your materials were received.
 * I also haven't received confirmation, although I sent my materials with delivery confirmation that said they were supposedly received 11/15. (12/16)
 * 12/17: Received confirmation e-mail that my materials were received (after e-mailing the assistant _twice_)
 * Any news on this one?
 * Final decisions not to be made until mid-February, according to the website and acks sent.

Harvard Prize Fellowships in Economics, History, and Politics

 * "Harvard University is delighted to announce a new program of three-year postdoctoral Prize Fellowships in Economics, History and Politics, tenable at Harvard over the period 2011-2016. The fellowships are intended to encourage outstanding scholarship in any field of economics, history, politics and related subjects, with a special emphasis on scholarship which crosses the frontiers between disciplines, and which addresses questions of lasting importance."
 * "Applications are by nomination only, and nominations of fellows for the 2011-2012 academic year must be received by October 15 2010."
 * Deadline for receipt of applications and references: November 1 2010.
 * Has anyone heard of anything yet on the Harvard Prize Fellowships in Economics, History, and Politics?
 * Unfortunately, I have not heard anything yet either. The confirmation email said that we should hear in late November and candidates will be invited to campus for interviews on December 3rd and 4th, so I imagine we should hear any day now. (11/21)
 * Rejection email received. (11/24) --- has anyone else heard back on this either way? (11/25)
 * Nothing (11/26)
 * Rejecton email received (11/26)

Harvard Society of Fellows

 * "Candidates are nominated for Junior Fellowships, generally by those under whom they have studied. Applications are not accepted from the candidates themselves."

I just called today and they said that they are making calls now and they will be doing so until the end of November. I've not gotten a call yet. Anyone??
 * Nomination letters accepted until September 3, 2010.
 * Invitation to apply rec'd 9/8/2010 (via email and then by USPS)
 * Confirmation of receipt of materials via USPS September 8, 2010
 * Question: I know I was nominated, but have not been invited to apply. Is there a preliminary cutting-round at the nomination letter stage? A: I think you should contact them. I've not seen anyone mention an initial cut on previous wikis, and it seems like they should have sent you a web portal link by now.
 * Second-hand info that someone has gotten a call for an interview.
 * Have you got a date on that (rumored) call for interview? Thanks!! (X4)
 * Wow! Either this wiki is dead or Harvard SOF is way behind this year. (X2, someone must have good news??)
 * I just got confirmation of receipt of my application via email, Thursday, 10/14.

Called today and heard that they are currently reading my application. Any confirmations of actual calls?

May I ask if the people who called the SOF did so after receiving an email confirming receipt of their applications ? I wonder if the SOF Committee starts reading our dossiers only after these emails have been sent out, or not. --A: Not if it's anything like last year. I got an interview when two pieces of my application were still missing. HSOF are not the type to trash your app on a technicality or refuse to read it because one of your recommenders was late. My impression was that they actually treat candidates like human beings, unlike these places that don't even send acknowledgements or rejections. I'd suggest people not call about stuff, as they specifically ask candidates not to do so. They really will let you know if your file isn't complete, and won't penalize you for things not in your control. --A: THANK YOU! This was a really helpful answer.

Got a call yesterday 10/20.-what is your discipline, out of curiosity? - History - Congratulations!

Met someone (Poli-Sci) who has a confirmed on-campus interview this coming week, 10/25

Got a call today; scheduled my interview for very end of November.(10/25)-Q: what is your field? - Literature

Does anyone know what these interviews are like and how one might prepare?? Sounds intimidating. (10/26)

I have heard it is very conversational and not stressful at all. (11/2)-- This was certainly true for me last year. It was actually really enjoyable. Some people get shaken up by the setup, though-- the Senior Fellows are kind of circled around you.

how much do they stagger these invitations? any ideas? wondering if i should cross this one off my list... do they review in discipline-chunks or...(11/2)

When I called the Society a couple of weeks ago, I was told that if you did not hear at the end of this week, you did not get an interview. Now this information contradicts what a commenter has written above, but that was what I was told...(11/5)

has anyone received a rejection? i can't tell from last years list when the first round of rejections comes, if at all A: There is no first round. If you didn't get an interview, you will get a rejection in a tiny envelope mid-December. If you do get an interview, this fact is acknowledged with a normal-sized rejection letter.

I didn't get a rejection last year.

Called the Society today (11/8) and was told that they've contacted everyone they're going to interview, so if I didn't get contacted, no interview. Oh well!

--can't help but wonder if the relevant question isn't *field* but university/pedigree...

-- I'm sure it's a bit early (12/10), but have any shortlisted candidates heard anything?

-- (12/12) Nothing yet. Could the happy finalists kindly post a message on the wiki when they hear from the HSOF (today, perhaps?) so as to shorten the suffering of those who are still waiting, please? Thanks!

--(12/13) By the end of today, successful candidates should have been notified by phone. Letters are in the mail to unsuccessful candidates and should arrive in the next few days.

Did anyone actually hear today (12/13) or is the previous post inaccurate? Please tell. R: The previous post is accurate.

Nothing here--which unfortunately does not necessarily mean that the post is inaccurate. (x3)

Just got a very very small rejection letter in the mail (November 14)

Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki

 * The Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies is inviting applications for 8–12 University Researcher/Postdoctoral Researcher Positions for a fixed-term appointment starting from 1 August 2011. 2–4 researcher positions may be reserved for scholars whose research interests are related to the theme of mortality.
 * The working language of the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies is English.
 * "The director of the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies will determine the length of the individual appointments (between one and three years) on the basis of the applicants’ research plans."


 * Deadline: 8 September 2010 at 15.45 local Helsinki time

Imperial College London Junior Research Fellowships

 * Although these are mostly aimed at the sciences, note that applications to work in the Business School & Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine are also accepted for these 3-year fellowships.
 * Candidates are expected to have "up to" 4 years post-doc experience & must secure a sponsor at the university
 * Deadline: 29 Oct 2010.

The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), Princeton, NJ - School of Social Science - Fellowships for Scholars
not their research corresponds to the theme.
 * IAS-SSS invites each year as Members up to 20 visiting scholars who constitute a genuinely interdisciplinary and international group.
 * A completed doctorate or equivalent is required by the application deadline.
 * Memberships are awarded for the full academic year only.
 * Theme 2011--2012: MORALITIES
 * Applications are strongly encouraged from scholars across the social sciences, whether or
 * Deadline: November 1, 2010
 * The selection process will be completed by February 1, 2011.
 * Not really expecting to hear till, as stated, Feb. 1, but please someone post if you hear before then.

The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), Princeton, NJ - School of Historical Studies - Membership Competition

 * IAS-SHS invites each year approximatly 40 Members in all fields of Historical research, principally: Western, Near Eastern and Asian Civilizations (emphasis upon Greek & Roman), Hostory of Europe (Medieval, Early Modern, Modern), the Islamic World, East Asian Studies, History of Art, Science, Philosophy and Modern International Relations. The School also offers the Edward T. Cone Membership in Music (History) Studies.
 * A completed doctorate or equivalent is required by the application deadline.
 * Memberships are awarded for one term (Sep.-Dec./Jan.-Apr.) or the full academic year.
 * Inquiries may be sent by email to the Administrative Officer at mzelazny@ias.edu
 * Deadline: November 1, 2010
 * Anyone know how many appilcations they got, and also, about the School for Social Sciences IAS competition?

Johns Hopkins Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities

 * This year's topic is "Concepts of Diaspora"
 * "Applicants should have completed the Ph.D. in one of the following fields: History, English, History of Art, Musicology, Classics, Anthropology, German and Romance Languages and Literatures, Comparative Literature, History of Science and Technology, Near Eastern Studies, no earlier than June 30, 2006 and no later than June 30, 2011"


 * Deadline: November 11, 2010.
 * Cross-posted at Queer/Women's/Gender Studies 2010-11
 * This one had over 450 applicants last year - good luck to us all!
 * I was a finalist last year for this postdoc. Reading the wiki was extremely stressful - they began cutting people right before Christmas (a large cut that went for about 4 days of 50 people including Christmas Eve!), and then did fine slicing from mid-January until the final rejections around March 1. It was sometimes at a rhythm of 2 people a day. There was lots of arguing and hostility on the wiki as it was a confusing process, so you might want to think twice about following this one!
 * Q: How long are others' research/teaching statements? I know there is no page limit---
 * Does anyone know if the online application will accept the unique email address Interfolio assigns to letters? I really don't want to bug my referees for yet another upload. Thanks!
 * Yes. The website accepts the Interfolio email addresses?
 * No news? (1/8)

John David Stout Research Fellowships at Victoria University of Wellington

 * "This Fellowship provides a full time opportunity to write within an academic environment for the year of tenure. The Fellowship is based in the Stout Research Centre, a multi-disciplinary research centre in New Zealand Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. It is open to researchers in any area of study relating to New Zealand society, history and culture.
 * Deadline: September 10, 2010.

London School of Economics - Research Officer Post-doctoral Position

 * Post-doctoral Research Officer to undertake research duties on a major research project funded by the European Research Council “Useful and Reliable Knowledge in Global Histories of Material Progress in the East and the West from the Accession of the Ming Dynasty (1368) to the First Industrial revolution (1756-1846)”.
 * The successful candidate will specialise in the following region: Islamdom. Candidates should possess a PhD in Economic History and strong language skills in Arabic and-or Persian.
 * Post will end June 1, 2012
 * Deadline: August 18, 2010

The Martin Buber Society of Fellows in the Humanities at the Hebrew University

 * The Martin Buber Society of Fellows, a joint venture of the Hebrew University and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), aims at fostering inter-disciplinary and inter-cultural academic discourse at the highest level among outstanding young scholars from Israel and Germany together with selected senior colleagues.
 * Each year up to ten exceptionally gifted young post doctoral fellows are appointed in all fields of the humanities and social sciences, with the exception of law and economics. Fellows receive a monthly stipend of approximately 9000 Israeli shekels and a housing subsidy and are asked to reside in Jerusalem. No special connection to Israel, to Jewish studies, or to German-Israel projects is required. Discussions in the Martin Buber Society take place in English. Scholars who have completed their Ph.D. at an Israeli or German university, or citizens of Israel or Germany who have received their Ph.D. in other countries, are eligible to apply.
 * Scholarships are initially granted for two years (subject to a review at the end of the first year), beginning October 1, 2011, on the basis of a detailed outline and description of a research project of major scope and innovative character, and may be extended further.
 * The deadline for applications for 2011-2012 is January 30, 2011.
 * For further details and application procedures, see our website http://buberfellows.huji.ac.il/

MIT: Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities

 * MIT's School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences awards two fellowships each year to promising young scholars working at the intersection of humanities disciplines, or between humanities and other disciplines. This Fellowship is especially intended for scholars who work in more than one specialty within the humanities, or bridging from the humanities to science, technology, or architecture.
 * Applicants must designate the academic unit in which they would like to be located. Units at MIT include Anthropology, History, Literature, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Political Science, Writing and Humanistic Studies, Comparative Media Studies, Music and Theater Arts, and the Program in Science, Technology and Society.


 * Appointments will be for two years, effective July 1, 2011. Fellows will teach one course in Spring 2012 and one per semester the following year, and will be in residence at MIT during this time. Salary will be $50,000 per year with standard benefits, and each Fellow will receive a research fund of $5,000 to cover travel and other costs associated with research and professional development.


 * Applications must be received by Tuesday, January 18th 2011. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

MIT: Postdoctoral Fellowship in the History of Modern Physical Sciences

 * MIT’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) expects to fill a post-doctoral fellowship for the 2011-2012 academic year. 12-month position begins July 2011. There is a possibility for an additional one-year renewal.
 * The physical sciences may be interpreted broadly to encompass such disciplines as history of physics, astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, and earth sciences, as well as border fields between these disciplines. Projects should focus on topics dating since the beginning of the nineteenth century. Non-European and non-American topics are particularly encouraged.
 * Ph.D. in hand by the time the fellowship would begin, and must have obtained the Ph.D. no more than three years prior to beginning the fellowship.


 * The fellowship provides a salary of $44,304 plus health insurance.
 * Deadline: 1 February 2011.
 *  Hard copies of: CV and two recommendation letters, proposal for research to be conducted during the fellowship year; a writing sample (a published article or section from the dissertation); and a proposed course syllabus.
 * For more information, contact Prof. David Kaiser at [mailto:dikaiser@mit.edu dikaiser@mit.edu]

Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin - Junior Researcher Fellowship

 * two-year position to begin no later than 1 September 2011
 * Research Fellow in Comparative History and Theory of Textual Practices
 * Candidates should hold a doctorate in the history of the human sciences, history of science or related field at the time the position begins
 * Project organized by Professor Anthony Grafton (Princeton University) and Professor Glenn Most (Scuola Normale Pisa/University of Chicago): "The Learned Practices of Canonical Texts: A Cross-Cultural Comparison"
 * Deadline: December 3, 2010
 * Those who applied: did you receive confirmation of receipt of your materials?
 * same question here
 * Well, the posting has been removed, but my recollection is that it said that interviewees will be notified by December 22, so I guess if we don't hear anything by tomorrow....
 * Anyone get either a rejection or notification of finalist status?
 * Nothing here (12/22).
 * They have kept to their deadline.
 * What does this mean? Have you been scheduled for an interview? Were you offered the post? Did you receive a rejection? (01/09, Different person from above -- heard that shortlist was made and interviews scheduled, but no rejections sent out yet?)

Max Planck Two Year Postdoctoral Fellowship

 * "The future research fellow should hold a PhD in anthropology, history of science or related field, and must be familiar with neuroimaging research"
 * To work on the “Neurological Adolescent" project.


 * Deadline: 15 Oct. 2010
 * Candidates who were shortlisted were notified on 2 November 2010
 * 12/22: Fellowship position filled

Max Weber Programme (European University Institute)

 * The Programme, open to all nationalities, is designed for junior post-docs who have received a doctorate in economics, law, history, social and political sciences, or a related field, within the last 5 years and who want to advance in their research and academic training, in an active multidisciplinary environment before entering the international job market, or in the early stages of their academic careers.
 * Deadline: October 25, 2010


 * Applications for self-funded fellowships will be considered until April 20 2011, provided that they can be accommodated within the Max Weber Programme.
 * Received an unofficial offer over email - letter to follow later. (Dec 8)
 * Received official letter offering a 12 month fellowship (Dec 13).
 * Received rejection letter (email). 1139 applications for 43 positions (Dec 16).

McGill University - Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellowships in the Humanities and Related Social Sciences

 * Three Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships will be awarded for the academic year 2011-2012
 * The stipend for each fellow is $45,000 CAD (plus benefits), in addition to a research allowance of $8,500
 * Eligibility: Scholars who received their PhD after June 2008 or who will have completed all PhD degree requirements by June 1, 2011
 * Candidates in any discipline of the humanities or related social sciences are eligible to apply
 * Interdisciplinary applications are especially welcome
 * Fellowships are open to scholars of any nationality.
 * The deadline to contact a proposed supervisor is Friday, October 29, 2010. Each supervisor can only endorse one Mellon fellowship application.
 * Applications must be received by Monday, November 22, 2010
 * so... this was posted after the deadline had passed? any particular reason why?
 * Well...as you said in another post...sometimes your reluctance to change IS a disadvantage...but to the point: NOBODY updated last year's posting regarding this specific Mellon; NOBODY gave links or any kind of description; and NONE of this year's applicants wanted to share...so I assumed better late than never (if we're not fair to each other, at least we'll be to next year's applicants - hopefully not us !)
 * Ditto on "better late than never": that's the posting that the applicants for the fellowship need. So, anyone who knows when the decision will be made? The last two years' postings inform that it was made before winter break. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed every day.
 * Offers made (12/6)--How have you been informed of that? by phone or email? Did the Faculty of Arts already contact candidates? I was contacted by the Faculty by email on 12/6. Offers have been made and a small pool of alternates established.
 * rejection email (12/10) (x2)
 * I was one of the alternates. They awarded three, with three alternates. So I'm hoping the winners go elsewhere......

Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship

 * Stipend: $25,000, plus funds for research costs of up to $3,000 and for university fees of up to $5,000
 * Tenure: one year beginning summer 2011
 * Completed applications must be submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship Application system (http://ofa.acls.org) no later than 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, November 10, 2010.
 * Notifications will be sent in late March 2011.
 * "ACLS will award 65 Fellowships in this competition for a one-year term."
 * "This is the first stage of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation/ACLS Early Career Fellowship Program*" (NOTE: Early Career Fellowship is NOT being offered for 2010-11). *Recipients of Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship and other national fellowships will be eligible to apply (for Early Career Fellowship) in Fall 2011 if they have completed their dissertations within their fellowship tenure or by August 31, 2011, whichever comes first.

Moreau Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowship (University of Notre Dame)

 * Two-year research, teaching, and mentoring fellowship, which carries an "annual salary of $50,000, health insurance and $5,000 for relocation/research expenses."
 * Up to 11 Fellows will be selected (based on last year's count).
 * Applications due November 1, 2010.
 * Did anyone apply for this fellowship?
 * Yes, applied and got a confirmation a few days before the deadline. All quiet since then.
 * Anything word on this? I sent an email to check on the status of my application a few weeks back and haven't heard a thing.
 * Departments just sent in their nominations to the Provost's Office. The Moreau Committee will meet to select finalists, which will happen soon if it hasn't already. After that, candidates will be contacted in early January and campus visits will be scheduled in mid-to-late January or early February.

National Endowment for the Humanities - Research Fellowship

 * $4,200 per month.


 * application deadline, May 4, 2010


 * Notification early December 2010
 * any news?
 * nope. We're still in November, after all. (Of course that didn't keep me from checking the Wiki, either.)
 * The Chronicle has a discussion thread. From previous year's wiki it seems notifications were made on November 30.
 * Oh, that's worrisome. I figure the odds can't be great to begin with. Anyone have general stats? How many awards vs. how many applicants? Good luck to all.
 * According to last year's Chronicle thread, NEH funded 111 projects out of 1,235 applications.
 * Any news? The emails about this fellowship have usually been sent by now (12/6/2010).
 * Last week a friend contacted NEH and was informed "next week." Good luck to all.
 * Do they tend to inform the winners first, then wait for them to accept before informing all the unsuccessful applicants?
 * Any word about these yet, up or down, email or post? (12/8/10)
 * I've heard reliably that the notifications will come out Friday or early next week.
 * Informed that notifications expected to go out on Friday.
 * Friday sounds consistent with last year 2 of my colleagues got 'em last year (in a dept of 6--talk about pressure) and their letters arrived on Saturday.
 * Info posted on website today prior to notifications going out on Friday
 * Where? It's a big site -- on the recent awards page?
 * landing page, upper right hand side
 * Thanks for the info. I'm surprised that the NEH would publicly post the names of the successful applicants before even informing the rest of us.
 * I'm having trouble finding the information or the "landing" page. Could someone help me out? Thanks!
 * "landing page" is the home page -- www.neh.gov -- and the link to recipients is in the "News and Events" section, starring Ella Fitzgerald. NEH has also sent out emails to recipients.

National Humanities Centre Fellowships

 * 40 residential fellowships for advanced study in the humanities during the academic year, September 2011 through May 2012.
 * Young scholars as well as senior scholars are encouraged to apply, but they must have a record of publication, and new Ph.D.s should be aware that the Center does not support the revision of a doctoral dissertation.
 * In addition to scholars from all fields of the humanities, the Center accepts individuals from the natural and social sciences, the arts, the professions, and public life who are engaged in humanistic projects.


 * The Center is also international and gladly accepts applications from scholars outside the United States.


 * Application deadline, October 15, 2010

NYU Postdoctoral and Transition Program for Academic Diversity Fellowship
(1) Individuals who have completed their dissertation within the last three years or who will have completed their dissertation by September 1, 2011; or (2) Professionals transitioning to academic careers (for those in fields for which the doctorate is not the terminal degree).
 * Dealine November 15, 2010
 * Eligibility:
 * Award: NYU will award up to five in-residence fellowships in 2011. The two-year appointments, which begin September 2011 and end August 2013, have a possibility of a third-year extension. Fellows will teach a maximum of one course per semester, participate in school and departmental activities, and have mentorship opportunities to prepare them for an academic career.
 * Fellows will be appointed as “Assistant Professor/Faculty Fellow” and will receive a $40,000 nine-month salary; an annual housing allowance ($20,000); a research allowance ($2,000); and reimbursement for one-time relocation fees (up to $3,000). Such compensation will be subject to appropriate taxation. The University also provides a benefits package, including medical and dental coverage.
 * Required application materials include: (1) a fellowship application; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) a statement of research and goals; (4) a personal statement detailing the reasons for applying for the fellowship; (5) three letters of reference from individuals familiar with your scholarly or creative work; and (6) and one of the following: a dissertation abstract (postdoctoral applicants); or a statement of how your professional experience prepares you for a faculty position (professionals). Incomplete submissions will not be accepted.
 * Awards will be announced on or about February 15, 2011.
 * Is it possible to accept just one year of this fellowship? Has anyone had any experience trying to negotiate a one year appointment with this particular award?
 * Did you already receive an offer?? Usually one just takes the gig and then leaves when one gets something else. Happens all the time, as far as I understand it.
 * Anybody have an idea of what the selection process is for this fellowship? Are all applications sent directly to relevant departments, or are initial cuts made first before forwarding to the individual departments?
 * No, I haven't received an offer.
 * Anyone have an idea of how "diversity" is defined for this postdoc? From previous years, it seems like it is defined in terms of race and ethnicity.

Northwestern University - Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in World Literature

 * Northwestern University seeks applications for a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in World Literature for a period of two years, beginning September 1, 2011. Applicants should hold a Ph.D. degree, granted during or after 2007; all requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed before the start date.


 * Comparatists working on the literatures of Africa and Asia (the Far East, South and South-East Asia and the Middle East) within a comparative framework are encouraged to apply, as are candidates working on world cinema. The successful candidate will teach one or two courses per year in the Program in Comparative Literary Studies and will be affiliated with an appropriate disciplinary department.


 * Please send letter of application, CV, sample of scholarly writing (25 pages maximum), brief proposal of the research to be undertaken during the fellowship, teaching record, and 3 letters of reference (one addressing teaching ability) by December 20, 2010 to Michal Ginsburg, Director, Program in Comparative Literary Studies, Northwestern University, 1-117 Crowe Hall, 1860 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208.
 * any news on this front?
 * acknowledgement of materials (mistakingly addressed to me and to another candidate) 12/29

Northwestern University - Postdoctoral Fellowship in Sexuality Studies (Social Scientific Approaches)

 * Northwestern University seeks applications for a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in social scientific approaches to sexuality studies, to run September 2011 - August 2013. Applicants must have completed all the requirements for the Ph.D. (or equivalent) by September 1, 2011, or have received their degree within the last five years.
 * Applications are welcome from scholars who study sexuality from a social science perspective (broadly construed). Fellow will be affiliated with both the Gender Studies Program and a department at Northwestern, which must be either Anthropology, History, Human Development and Social Policy, Linguistics, Performance Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, or Sociology.
 * The stipend is $45,000 plus benefits in the first year of the fellowship and $46,350 plus benefits in the second year. In addition, the Fellow is eligible for $2,000 per year to fund research and conference travel, and up to $2,000 for allowable relocation expenses in the first year.
 * Deadline: February 15, 2011

Northwestern University - Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Latina and Latino Studies

 * Northwestern University seeks applications for a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Latina and Latino Studies for a period of two years, beginning September 1, 2011. All requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed before the start date. Recent Ph.D.s degree (granted during or after 2007)
 * Preferred disciplinary fields are anthropology, art, art history, ethnic studies, history, literature, political science, religion, and sociology. 
 * Letter of application, CV, sample of scholarly writing, brief research proposal to be undertaken during the fellowship, and teaching record with sample syllabi should be submitted to Mellon Search Committee, the Latina and Latino Studies Program, Northwestern University, 1880 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208-4020.
 * Deadline: January 10, 2011

Northwestern University - Postdoctoral Fellowship in American Jewish Religion and Culture
==Oregon State University, Center for the Humanities - Horning Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the History and Philosophy of Science==
 * Department of Religious Studies and the Jewish Studies Program announce a post-doctoral position in American Jewish religion and culture for the academic years 2011-2013, beginning in September 2011. Successful candidates will have received the Ph.D. within the last 5 years.
 * Please include a letter of application, CV, sample of scholarly writing, brief research proposal to be undertaken during the fellowship, teaching record with sample syllabi, and arrange to have 3-4 letters of recommendation sent directly to the committee. Applications must be sent to committee chair, Robert A. Orsi, Department of Religious Studies, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, 1860 Campus Drive, Crowe Hall 5-179, Evanston, Illinois, 60208.
 * Deadline: January 15, 2011


 * This program supports post-doctoral research in the history of science, including history of medicine and technology, as well as the philosophy of science and intellectual history.
 * Ph.D. completed since January 2006
 * Postdoctoral fellows will be in residence for nine months at the Center, with a stipend of $40,000
 * Deadline: postmarked by January 31, 2011
 * Awards will be announced by late March

Penn Humanities Forum - Mellon Postdoc

 * "Five (5) one-year Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships are available for the 2011-2012 academic year for untenured scholars in the humanities who received or will receive their Ph.D. between December 2002 and December 2010."
 * The theme is "Adaptations."
 * Applications due October 15, 2010.
 * Any news here?
 * I called to ask....they said apps are still under review and that decisions will be made in January.
 * Thanks for posting the above. I was anticipating they were going to make a decision around now (based on a vague recollection of something I read), but I can postpone thinking about this one until after the new year. good luck everyone and happy holidays!
 * Received a call today offering a postdoc (12/15, x2). An unbelievable Christmas present. -- indeed! Santa's early!
 * Did you get an email as well? Congratulations! -- no email, just a phone call and promises of an offer letter in the next couple of weeks... good luck, everyone
 * So awesome for those of you who got a call!! I'm very sorry I didn't but trying not to feel generally discouraged. Again, congrats.
 * Anyone hear how many people applied for this?
 * email said they got aroun 200 apps
 * What email? -- yeah, what email? I never got no email.
 * I got a rejection email on 12/17, the exact wording was "several hundred applications" -- Okay, thanks. And good luck with your other applications.
 * So, I got an email on 12/17 saying I was "shortlisted" and they would make final decisions by the end of Jan. A bit surprised to hear that others got actual offers just before that. Perhaps they're waiting to see who accepts? To those who got offers: what timeline did they give you to decide?
 * People with offers have until the end of January to decide, so maybe shortlisted means waitlisted?
 * I guess so - not quite the good news I thought/hoped it was when I got the message, but congrats to those with a decision to make. And thanks for the update.

University of Pennsylvania - McNeil Center for Early American Studies

 * The McNeil Center will appoint a Postdoctoral Fellow for a two-year term beginning 1 July 2011
 * Applicants must have earned the PhD no earlier than 2006 in American History, American Literature, American Studies, or a closely allied field and must have completed all requirements for the degree when the term of appointment commences.
 * While this fellowship is particularly appropriate for projects designed to turn a doctoral dissertation into a publishable monograph, any project dealing with the histories and cultures of North America in the Atlantic world before 1850 will be considered. Proposals dependent on the use of Philadelphia-area archives and libraries are particularly welcome.
 * The postmark deadline applications is 1 November 2010.
 * Any news on this one? According to the acknowledgement email, they should be contacting people for AHA interviews by now. (12/11)
 * AHA interview scheduled (12/20)

University of Pennsylvania Mellon Teaching Postdoctoral Scholarships

 * For the class of 2011-2013: Music Theory, Art History (Renaissance and/or Baroque), History (19th-20th century U.S. International history, or Environmental History), East Asian Studies (Religion or Popular Culture), and South Asian Studies.
 * Eligibility is limited to applicants who have received the Ph.D. within two years of the time they would begin their appointment at Penn, that is, no earlier than August, 2009. Penn Ph.D.'s are eligible.
 * The stipend for 2011-2012 is $48,000. The fellows will also have a one-time $5,000 budget for research support.
 * Deadline: NOVEMBER 30, 2010
 * Question: If you are not in one of the exact areas listed, is it worth applying? Has Penn historically offered fellowships to candidates in fields other than those on their list? --that is, Art History other than Ren/Bar, History other than US, etc. --? [I would also like to know this!]
 * Since I do U.S. Environmental History and don't want any competition for this... I'm going to say nope, don't even bother. Seriously though, unless someone from the selection committee decides to weigh in on this wiki, you're just going to have to make your own decision. The application looks pretty straight forward so you can probably crib most of the required documents from your other application packets. There's no fee. It's the Ivy League. So, is it worth the old Hail Mary pass?
 * Penn asked departments what they needed taught, and the departments responded. That is, they didn't pick the categories just because they're so hot this year. It doesn't seem that likely that they'll pick someone from outside the categories if they get satisfactory applications in the areas they want. But, as the previous poster noted, it doesn't cost you anything other than time and effort to apply..
 * What if I work on South Asia but have a degree in anthropology? Can I apply?
 * BUT NO LATER than 2013 for the receipt of the PhD? That is, can one be ABD and still apply? I could not tell. The way it is worded seems toi indicate that it is open to ABD candidates.

Princeton Society of Fellows

 * 5 3-year postdoctoral fellowships. Must have received degree between January 1, 2009 and October 1, 2010. Can be ABD untill June 15, 2011 but will require 'letter of progress'.
 * Applications accepted between August 16 and October 1, 2010.
 * 1 open; 2 in "Humanistic Studies"; 1 in LGBT Studies; 1 in Race and/or Ethnicity Studies.
 * Apparently a candidate can only apply once in their career: "If you have already applied to the Society of Fellows, you may not apply a second time. We therefore recommend that candidates wait until they have completed a substantial portion of the dissertation (approximately half) before applying."
 * Note that they are serious about this (new) rule of only applying once and it applies across types of SOF fellowships (for example, if you have ever applied to an "open" fellowship and now want to apply to a more specialized one, you can't. This was confirmed through contacting the director of SOF.)
 * I'm confused. Can you explain what you mean by this rule applying across types of SoF fellowships? For example, if you've applied ("been nominated') for a Harvard SoF, which is an open fellowship, does this mean you're now ineligible to apply to the Princeton SoF?
 * No. Princeton SoF has "open" and "targeted" fellowships. So if you applied, for example, to the LGBT fellowship and were rejected, then you can't apply to the "open" one. But it's all Princeton... thank goodness, they don't have jurisdiction over other schools yet!
 * Okay. That's fine.
 * Screw that. No grandfathering?
 * 9/18 - I can't open their website. Is anyone else having this problem. I feel silly contacting them if it's just me. Thanks!
 * I have no problem entering their site or the form. Try clearing your history or using another browser.
 * Does anyone who didn't graduate from an Ivy league or a UC school have any hopes of getting this? I think not. The list of current and previous fellows, and the schools they graduated from strikes me as a disheartening commentary on the state of market, and on higher education in general. If the Ivies just trade their students and faculty around, what's the point of any of it? It would be such a wonderful fellowship to have, for so many reasons, but I, for one, have decided to put my energies into something within the realm of possibility.
 * To the poster above: I got my degree from a non-Ivy, non-public-Ivy university, and I was interviewed as a finalist.
 * [Deleting my question about the expectation for #9 tick box on the finalized application form. I realized they're expecting applicants to submit the application form first, then arrange for letters of reference to be sent. I did it the other way round: I arranged for letters to be sent, and I'm just now completing the application form.]
 * Actually, I was told that the #9 tick box is just a reminder to get the letters sent. Before or after doesn't matter.
 * Yes, of course. My first post, which I deleted, was "Why should I contact my referees again, when their letters have been sent? To confirm I'm truly applying? That makes no sense." Then I realized that tickbox #9 was simply a reminder to applicants, based on the reasoning that applicants would leave their letters to the end. (I arranged for the letters from the start.) Because I answered my own question, I deleted it and replaced it with the above post for the benefit of anyone who had seen it, to say, "Now I understand their reasoning. Here's what they're assuming."
 * 10/20: Anyone heard anything?
 * I assume it's way too early to have heard anything yet - the deadline was "postmarked by 1 October" so applications probably trickeled in after then, and it has only been three weeks since. Also, the FAQ says it takes up to 6 weeks just to send candidates an acknowledgement that the application has been processed. So chill ya boots.
 * 10/25: Received acknowledgement of receipt. Says we'll be notified in Jan. (x6)
 * Was the acknowledgement by email or letter? I haven't gotten any notice yet (as of 11/3).
 * Generic post-card via snail mail. Mine arrived a few days ago. Don't worry, it's probably on it's way.
 * Going a bit gonzo with the wait. That's all I wanted to say.
 * Although the site states that candidates will know their status by the end of January, last year's wiki shows that candidates began receiving request for interviews starting this week. Is anyone else on tenterhooks, anticipating the same timing this year?
 * Confirmed: A source on the inside told me that they would be contacting people this week.

Princeton University - Center for the Study of Religion

 * Small number of ten-month academic year positions for pre-tenure scholars and recent Ph.D. graduates. For 2011-2012, scholars will be appointed in the area of Christian Thought and Practice with special emphasis on the religious life of American Christians, congregations or clergy.
 * Scholars will conduct own research, attend a weekly interdisciplinary workshop and participate in Center-sponsored events.
 * Applicants' doctorates may be in any relevant field. Princeton University Ph.D.s are not eligible.
 * Apply at http://jobs.princeton.edu, requisition number 1000751. Applications due January 7, 2011.
 * For more information, visit http://www.princeton.edu/csr/funding-opportunities/visiting-fellows

Princeton University - Writing Program Lectureship

 * Full-time lecturer (2/2 course load) of a topic-based writing seminar for freshmen. Salary is $54,800+. Position is for one year, renewable for five. Deadline for full consideration is 1/10/11. Application requires a cover letter, 200-word description of proposed writing seminar, CV, and writing sample. Apply online at jobs.princeton.edu.
 * Note: this position is also posted at Rhetoric/Composition 2011

Radcliffe Institute Fellowship

 * Multiple Felllowships of $65,000
 * Fellows receive office or studio space and access to libraries and other resources of Harvard University during the fellowship year, which extends from early September 2011 through May 31, 2012.
 * Deadline Oct 1st, 2010
 * For questions regarding the application process you can contact us by email or phone.
 * [mailto:fellowships@radcliffe.edu fellowships@radcliffe.edu] (humanities, social sciences, and creative arts)
 * [mailto:sciencefellowships@radcliffe.edu sciencefellowships@radcliffe.edu] (natural sciences and mathematics).
 * Applications Office Line: 617-496-1324. Radcliffe Fellowship Program, 8 Garden Street, Byerly Hall, Cambridge, MA 02138
 * Q.: Is this ever awarded to junior faculty? I thought they required lots of pubs.

Rosalind Franklin Fellowships (University of Groningen, the Netherlands)

 * 4 Fellowships in the Arts, 2 in Behavioural and Social Sciences, 1 in Philosophy, 1 in Theology  and Religious Studies - up to 5 years in the first instance with the intention that these should convert into tenured faculty positions.
 * Applicants must be female, have a PhD in hand and at least 3 years of post-doctoral research
 * Fluency in English is essential, as is a commitment to learn Dutch within the first two years of the appointment.
 * Deadline: 7 January 2011

Rutgers Center for Cultural Analysis

 * Two external fellowships with awards of $45,000
 * Topic: Public Knowledge: Institutions, Networks, Collectives


 * Download application form.


 * Deadline: emailed or postmarked by January 7, 2011.

Rutgers University Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities

 * Three two-year postdoctoral fellowships supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, one each in the Departments of English, History, and Women's and Gender Studies. Fellows will receive $50,000 annually as well as an annual research allocation of $2,000; they will also receive Rutgers University health benefits.
 * English Department specifically asks for "interdisciplinary approaches to literary studies."
 * Fellows will pursue research and teach three courses during the two-year term in the department of their appointment.
 * Applications must be received by January 17, 2011. Candidates must have received the Ph.D. after August 31, 2006; applicants must have finished all requirements for the Ph.D. by June 1, 2011.
 * It seems like only the Department of English is set up to accept applications at this point. Or am I missing something on their application portal?
 * 10/5: Positions in all 3 departments have now been set up for applications: Women's & Gender Studies, History, & English.
 * Gender Studies post-doc cross-posted at Queer/Women's/Gender Studies 2010-11.
 * I'm a little surprised that the application instructions (for the English Mellon, at least) don't call for course proposals. Is it advisable to include brief ones anyway, in the statement of research project?

Saint Louis University: Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship

 * The Fellow will teach two English courses a semester plus a one-credit course in vocational exploration in the spring. About half the Fellow's teaching will be with students in the Micah Program a nationally visible residential learning community for undergraduates that focuses on urban studies, social justice, and service.
 * Starting date: August 2011. Evidence of teaching excellence and receipt of the Ph.D. by the time of appointment are required. The Fellowship provides a salary of $38,000 a year plus benefits. Applicants should provide a letter of application and c.v., a list of academic references, and a writing sample of 15-20 pages. All applications must be filed at http://jobs.slu.edu.


 * Applications are due by December 1, 2010. MLA interviews.
 * Request for letters / transcripts (12/14) x6
 * Interview Scheduled (12/17) x4

School for Advanced Research

 * Applications due on November 1, 2010
 * Approximately six Resident Scholar Fellowships are awarded each year.
 * SAR provides Resident Scholars with low-cost housing and office space on campus, a stipend up to $40,000, library assistance, and other benefits during a nine-month tenure, from September 1 through May 31.
 * Resident scholars may approach their research from anthropology or from related fields such as history, sociology, art, and philosophy.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship

 * The SSHRC 2010-2011 postdoc now has its own wiki page here.

Stanford University, Clayman Institute for Gender Research, Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

 * Recent Ph.D.'s in all disciplines of the humanities and social sciences whose research focuses on gender are eligible. We encourage scholars with a strong interest in interdisciplinary methods to apply.
 * The postdoctoral fellows will focus on the Institute's theme of "Beyond the Stalled Revolution: Reinvigorating Gender Equality in the Twenty-first Century.”
 * Applications must be submitted online by Monday, January 31, 2011.
 * Cross-posted at Queer/Women's/Gender Studies 2010-11

Stanford University Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship of Scholars in the Humanities

 * Up to 6 2-year postdoctoral fellowships. Must have received the PhD between January 1, 2008 and June 30, 2011.
 * Eligible fields: Classics, History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies.
 * Applications due November 15, 2010.
 * Just submitted my application (11/15). Anyone know how many applicants they might be expecting?
 * Last year's wiki reports 600 applicants. The fields change each year but presumably the applicant pool will be comparable, if not larger, given (a) the economy and (b) last year it was primarily open to languages and linguistics, whereas this year it is open to four of the big humanities disciplines.
 * Almost 1000 applications this year.
 * How did you learn that?
 * There is a special unsubstantiated rumour mill you go to, where you can collect an enormous number of fellowship applicants and then post it on the wiki. Same thing has happened above with Michigan, and yet mysteriously, these people never report back when asked to name their sources... (which isn't to say that number is impossible).
 * There were 986 applications. And this is a very substantiated report from an insider who is a fellow. Smoke on your pipe, and put that in.
 * Must you be so terribly snotty about your inside information?
 * Seriously? I was only kidding, and meant in no way to be snotty at all. It was just a response to the certainty of the person who chalked the info up to a rumor mill. I figured the little Sondheim twist would up the levity a bit, and I'm sorry that I was mistaken. Happy New Year and good luck to all.
 * Speaking as the poster who originally attributed it to rumour mill, I actually enjoyed your pithy response. So no bad blood here. Though if you look at the Michigan SOF section you can see why there are often good reasons to be sceptical of the unsourced rumours on here: someone claimed that they'd 'heard' that applications were up 70%; in fact, that was total B.S.
 * Any news?
 * Not on my end.
 * Anyone know if there's a chance to hear before Feb 1?
 * There is no chance of hearing before February 1. I sent them an e-mail inquiring into progress of selection, and they responded that decisions will be made in the spring.

==Stanford University Post-Doctoral Fellowships in Introduction to the Humanities (IHUM) and Structured Liberal Education (SLE)==
 * 8-10 positions in IHUM. 2 in SLE
 * Deadline: February 28, 2011. Phone interviews for semi-finalists after April 1, 2011. Campus visits in April-May. Decisions mid-May.
 * IHUM Post-doctoral Fellows and SLE Lecturers are appointed September 1, 2011 for a one-year term renewable for two additional years. Starting salary $51,000. Supplemental stipends of $2,800 for research and scholarship.
 * Eligible candidates come from all humanistic disciplines and areas of specialization, who will have filed for their Ph.D. degree no later than June 30, 2011. They will demonstrate a strong record of humanities scholarship and evidence of teaching excellence. Other desired qualifications are: experience in teaching first-year university students; interdisciplinary research and/or teaching experience; familiarity with team-teaching; and experience in writing instruction.
 * IHUM especially seeks candidates from the fields of American studies (literature, history and politics), archeology, classics, comparative literature, European history, new media, philosophy, poetry, religious studies and Slavic studies

Tufts University Mellon Postdoc

 * Two fellows will be appointed in fall 2011. The stipend for fellows will be $44,800 plus benefits, and a research allowance of $5,000 per year.


 * Fellows will be housed for two years at the Center for the Humanities At Tufts (CHAT) and affiliated with the department or interdisciplinary program most germane to their field of research. Fellows will teach one course in the spring semester of their first year and two in the second year of their residency through their home department or program.


 * All application materials must be received by February 1, 2011 and will be competitively evaluated by the Mellon Postdoctoral Committee. Applicants for the fellowships must have received their Ph.D. within the past five years. There is no requirement that the fellows be U.S. citizens.
 * Does anyone know if you can be ABD and apply for this (presuming you have a PhD before your fellowship begins in the fall)?
 * I emailed, and yes--you can be ABD, as long as your degree will be in hand by the start of the fall semester.

Tulane U., New Orleans, LA - Mellon Postdoc

 * Two-year contract, renewable annually, as Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows in the Humanities beginning in August 2011. We expect to appoint two or three fellows for AY 2011-2012. Candidates must have received the Ph.D. by June 30, 2011 and not before September 1, 2007.


 * Fellows will be assigned to one of six departments within the School of Liberal Arts: Communication, English, French and Italian, History, Philosophy, or Spanish and Portuguese. Fellows will teach mid-and upper-level courses in their field of expertise, and these courses will be cross-listed with one or more of four interdisciplinary programs: African and African Diaspora Studies, American Studies, Asian Studies, and Jewish Studies.


 * The teaching load will be one course per semester, with the remainder of the fellows' time devoted to strengthening their research profiles. Fellows must be in residence at Tulane during the tenure of their fellowship. Preference may be given to applicants who intend to make use of Tulane's and New Orleans' rich cultural and archival resources, such as the Amistad Research Center, the Hogan Jazz Archive, the Newcomb Center for Research on Women, the Southeastern Architectural Archive, the Latin American Library, the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Louisiana State Museum, and the archives of the New Orleans Public Library.


 * The stipend is $45,900 per year, with some funding also available for research and travel.
 * Send dossier including cover letter, curriculum vitae, a one-page summary of the dissertation, a few sample titles of courses the applicant would like to teach, and three letters of recommendation to Dr. Kevin Fox Gotham, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, School of Liberal Arts, 102 Newcomb Hall, New Orleans, LA 70118 by December 1, 2010
 * Cross-posted at 20-21 c. American 2011, African American 2011, & Other Ethnic American 2011
 * Does anyone know where application for position is posted? I cannot find it anywhere on the Tulane website. Thanks!
 * This position was advertised on the MLA JIL (expired today, "23 Nov 2010"). The information given above is virtually the entire ad (you can still see it under expired listings). There is no online application required. Application seems to be mail only, to address given above.

University of Alberta Postdoctoral Fellowships

 * The University of Alberta offers two postdoctoral fellowships: the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowships and the Grant Notley Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowship
 * Deadline:November 29, 2010 is the deadline for prospective postdocs to submit all documents to departments.


 * Be aware that this program does not normally reimburse relocation costs, and that the cost of living in Edmonton, Alberta is high. Grocery prices are at least a third higher than in any comparable U.S. city.
 * The department nominated my application to the University of Alberta's Killam Committee (12/17)
 * to the above poster: missed this--congrats! What department, and by mail or email?

University of British Columbia Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

 * The UBC Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are provided annually from the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Fund for Advanced Studies and are available for most fields of research. The fellowships are awarded for a maximum of two years. The number of awards varies between four and six per year.
 * Deadline:Mid-October to early November - check with the UBC department or unit of interest regarding internal deadline
 * Nov 17: Rejection email (x3) --Sorry to hear that. Was it from the individual department through which you applied, or a Killam administrative assistant? It was from the department -- they said they would not be recommending the application to the Killam committee. 

University of Calgary Killam Postdoctoral Awards

 * Selected by a special multi-disciplinary committee of the University Graduate Scholarship Committee, the recipient of this fellowship is an exceptional new scholar who has obtained a PhD degree within the two years preceding the competition. The fellowship enables the Fellow to work at the University of Calgary, consolidate his/her research training and develop and initiate original research in his/her discipline as well as participate in and contribute to the activities of his/her host department or unit.
 * Currently, the fellowship is valued at $45,000 for twelve months, plus a research allowance of $6,000.
 * Deadline: December 15, 2010

UCLA Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Humanities

 * Theme: "Cultures in Transnational Perspective."
 * Two or more fellows for a 1-year term renewable for a 2nd year beginning in the fall of 2011. Fellows must have earned their doctoral degree between January 2005 and June 2011.
 * Stipend of $53,000, plus benefits, a moving allowance of $1,500, and a research budget of $3,500. All Fellows will be housed in home departments for which they teach two courses.
 * To apply, please visit our website at http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/mellon
 * All application materials are due by December 01, 2010.
 * Cross-posted at Theater 2010-2011
 * Emailed to ask about decision timeline and was told that decisions will come out late Jan, early Feb. Good luck to everyone!
 * Thank you!

University of Chicago, Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Center for Gender Studies

 * The Center for Gender Studies at the University of Chicago invites applications for a one-year postdoctoral fellowship beginning September 15, 2011 and lasting through the academic year. The fellow will take a leading role in a Sawyer Seminar titled "International Women's Human Rights: Paradigms, Paradoxes, and Possibilities," which is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, will teach one undergraduate course on the seminar's issues during the 2011-12 academic year, and will co-organize one undergraduate workshop/conference.
 * Theme of Sawyer Seminar: The seminar is designed to address contradictions within the concept and practice of women's human rights. Such contradictions can be seen in the notion of a "women's crusade" that sets up an increasingly suspect opposition between the plights of women in developing countries on the one hand and advanced industrialized countries on the other, in the appropriation of the language of women's rights by groups unsympathetic to Western rights-based feminism, in the use of human rights discourse to justify military interventions, and in the reliance on a Western liberal framework that is inattentive to crucial cultural, social, and political national differences, that privileges civil and political rights over social and economic rights, and that tends to construe women in the developing world as victims of a stalled or failed modernization process. The seminar's task will be to address but also attempt to move beyond current formulations of the inherent difficulties and complexities associated with thinking about transnational feminism as a practice of declaring and claiming women's human rights. This will involve, among other things, a comparative approach to women's human rights which analyzes the differences and similarities between the European and the Indian rights traditions.
 * We will consider applications from candidates with backgrounds in the humanities, social sciences, law, or theological studies who have scholarly interests in the central themes of the Seminar.
 * The applicant must have received her or his PhD or JD between September 16, 2006 and September 15, 2011. The stipend for the postdoctoral fellowship is $50,000, plus benefits. One quarter of teaching (Autumn or Winter) is required, and the fellow is expected to be in residence full-time in academic year 2011-12.
 * Applications and letters of support must be received by February 4, 2011 to be considered.
 * Cross-posted at Queer/Women's/Gender Studies 2010-11

University of Chicago, Provost's Career Enhancement Postdoctoral Scholarships

 * As part of an effort to promote a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences among its faculty as set forth in the University of Chicago Diversity Statement, the University of Chicago invites nominations and applications for the newly established Provost’s Career Enhancement Postdoctoral Scholarship (PCEPS).
 * This year the Office of the Provost will award two 2-year postdoctoral scholarships to promising junior scholars in all fields. Candidates must have completed all requirements for their doctoral degree (Ph.D., M.D., J.D., or foreign equivalent) before the scholarship start date, and must be no more than three years beyond receiving that degree. Individuals currently holding a postdoctoral or faculty position at the University of Chicago are not eligible.
 * Successful candidates will be selected on the basis of academic achievement, scholarly promise, potential to add to the diversity of the University community, and the likelihood that the individual may become a qualified and competitive candidate for a faculty position at the University of Chicago upon the completion of the Scholarship. Each cohort of PCEPS holders will include at least one scholar whose research furthers the mission of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture.
 * Number of Scholarships: For the term beginning fall 2011, two two-year postdoctoral scholarships will be awarded.
 * Salary and Other Support: Each postdoctoral scholarship will carry an annual salary of $60,000 and an annual research fund of $5,000. Postdoctoral scholars will be eligible for designated health-care and other benefit plans through the University of Chicago Postdoctoral Researcher Benefit Program.
 * Eligibility: Candidates must have completed the Ph.D., M.D., J.D., or foreign equivalent by September 1, 2011 and must have received their degree no earlier than November 1, 2007. Individuals currently holding a postdoctoral or faculty position at the University of Chicago are ineligible.
 * Selection Process: A selection committee appointed by the Provost and the Deputy Provost for Research and Minority Issues will recommend appointments to the Deputy Provost who will approve all appointments.
 * Deadline: November 1, 2010
 * Has anyone heard anything about this one? Does anyone know much more than what is posted above about the selection process ... like when they'll notify their selections? (12/22) -- the confirmation e-mail that I received (10/30) said, "We will announce the recipients of the 2011 scholarships in late March 2011." Thank you - I guess I glossed over that. I wish we had a little more to go on for this! Late March is so late to hear about a postdoc, but I guess that's in line for when faculty positions are announced.

University of Chicago Society of Fellows
Fellowships are open to scholars in all disciplines and areas of specialization who will have completed all requirements for their Ph.D. degree no later than August 31, 2011.
 * Four-year postdoctoral teaching appointments as Harper and Schmidt Fellows who hold the rank of Collegiate Assistant Professor.
 * Online applications must be completed by November 1, 2010.
 * Any news? Last year I wasn't contacted for more materials until early January, so it might be awhile.
 * 12/14 request for further materials (x7, via email)
 * Thanks for posting, would you mind saying what field you're in? And also what means of contact (phone, email, snail mail), if possible? Congrats. -- Yes, in particular, are the requests for materials for Humanities or Social Sciences postdocs? Congrats as well!
 * Congrats again. In the past they have made materials requests of Humanities applicants first, and Social Science people a few weeks later. Were the 12/14 requests for Humanities postdocs? Does anyone know whether they'll be making another round of requests or whether they're done? Thanks for any info anyone might offer. A: My request was for a Humanities postdoc. A: My request was also Humanities. I'm in Comp Lit. A: Humanities, here, as well. A: I'm in History, applied in humanities field
 * Q: In the request for further materials, they ask for two complete sets of teaching evaluations. Does anyone know whether this means copies of each student's individual scantron sheet, or just all the numerical data for a given class tallied up? /I wonder this, too. Do they want student comments?
 * Have any social sciences applicants heard back?
 * Email rejection received 1/10. No applicant numbers given. (x2)
 * Was this the humanities or social sciences track? humanities (x2)

University of Chicago - Sawyer Postdoctoral Scholar

 * The Sawyer Seminar on "Around 1948: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Global Transformation" at the University of Chicago invites applications for a residential Postdoctoral Scholar position at the Franke Institute for the Humanities for the academic year 2011-12.
 * For fullest consideration, complete application materials are due by Tuesday, March 1.
 * This research position carries a salary of $50,000 per year. The Postdoctoral Scholar organizes and leads the bi-weekly workshop and may offer a one-quarter research seminar in his/her area of expertise in the relevant department.
 * Applicants must have filed their Ph.D. between 7/1/06 and 7/1/11, and may not hold any other appointment during the period of the fellowship. Application includes a brief statement detailing research goals and relation to the agenda of the Sawyer Seminar (500-1000 words); a current writing sample of up to 35 pages; and a CV, including names & contact information of three references.
 * Additional information: http://around1948.uchicago.edu.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellowships in the Humanities

 * Two Post-Doctoral Fellows for two-year appointments starting in Fall 2011
 * Open to scholars in all humanities disciplines, but we seek applicants whose work falls into one of the following broad subject areas: Race and Diaspora Studies, History of Science/Technology, Empire and Colonial Studies, Memory Studies
 * Completed applications must be submitted, and letters of support must arrive, by 5:00 p.m. on October 29, 2010.
 * (9/22) You must have PhD in hand to apply. I confirmed this via email correspondence. No ABD candidates, even those who will finish at the end of this semester or spring.
 * Any news here?
 * Nothing yet
 * The confirmation of receipt letter I got back in October said decisions would be made mid-Feb, I believe...

University of Manchester (UK)

 * Three-year postdoctoral research associate position assisting a Professor's project on early modern British/Scottish History
 * To work on "the Scottish contribution to the formation of Britain between 1603 and c.1760, including Scottish migration to England" and archive work with Scottish Parliamentary papers; paleography skills essential.
 * Deadline: 22 Sept. 2010 note short deadline

University of Manchester (UK) - CHSTM

 * Two-year (subject to probationary period) postdoctoral research associate position in the History of Medicine
 * To study the history of the University of Manchester 's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences & antecedents.
 * Deadline: 28 Jan. 2011

University of Michigan Society of Fellows

 * Postdoctoral fellowship in the humanities, must have "received the Ph.D. or comparable professional or artistic degree between June 1, 2008 and September 1, 2011."
 * Application fee of $30. Ridiculous.
 * The fee is deplorable. I would refuse to apply. Disgusting.
 * Such fees are quite common.
 * Only recently have these fees started to appear. (8/25)
 * Over 800 applicants last year. Ridiculous indeed. Re: the total would equal around half of the offered felllowship.
 * Applications due by 1pm Eastern Time October 18, 2010.
 * If you felt justified about asking for such fees, surely you wouldn't feel the need to defend it on a wiki that is, after all, a service for candidates. Applicants, note and beware.
 * I don't understand the last comment. Could you elaborate?
 * I like to imagine my $30 fee as paying for a few martinis for the fellows who will do the first sorting of our applications. I would like to suggest Bombay Sapphire with just the faintest spritz of vermouth plus three olives.(x2, as I drink a lowly Bud Light to 'celebrate' the passing of another deadline). :-)
 * Those who haven't visited last year's wiki might like to take a look at the relevant section. If Michigan conducts things the same way this year, then it's worth thinking of being a SoF applicant as a bit like being one of 850 suitors standing in a line on a bridge. The high-class bride that is the Society of Fellows walks the length of the bridge, lingering back and forth coquettishly throughout the whole November-January period, gradually pushing prospective applicants off into the sea with a seductive poke and sending a letter to let them know they're no longer in the running. Eventually, early in the new year, only a few suitors remain, the final decisions are posted and the dowry is offered. Good luck to everyone: the poking starts soon.
 * An early indication of the state of the job / post-doc market: I hear that applications for the Society of Fellows are up 70% this year.
 * To the last poster -- just out of curiosity, where did you hear that?
 * Any news?
 * 11/26, Rec'd rejection letter by mail, dated 11/22. Says 1060 applications, narrowed to about 400 semifinalists (x5)
 * 11/26: nothing yet, now I have to wait to see whether my rejection letter is late arriving, or whether it'll arrive in the next round.
 * I'm on the west coast thinking that letters probably haven't arrived here yet. (-Possibly. My letter came yesterday, but I'm in the midwest. That said, no need to give up hope!)
 * [nope, it came today, 11/27. And this one I almost thought if I got through the first round to the department level, I might actually have a... 1 in 400 chance].
 * 30*1060=31800 wow! [My thought exactly. Could it really cost $30k to run the search every year?]
 * A: It's pretty convenient if it does, because that's pretty much exactly what they made in application fees alone.
 * A: Of course it doesn't or all postdocs would have app fees. These postdocs are profiting off of a lousy economy and the desperation of the unemployed (or soon to be). It's disgusting. If everyone refused to apply, the profession would be in a better state.
 * Received rejection leter by mail (11/29). 1,060 applicants. First cut down to 400. Congratulations to those still in the mix.
 * Could anyone say whether they received rejection letters at their home or at their university address?
 * Mine came to my home address (x4).
 * 12/2: New round of rejection letters. I received mine today, postmarked 12/1, I live in Michigan, they are down to 250 semifinalists. Best of luck to those who are continuing! (x2: received 12/4 and I live in Indiana) (x3: received 12/3 in Chicago)
 * Yikes. I wish they'd just email us so we could get it over with.
 * Anybody else get a rejection letter (west coast)?
 * Haven't heard anything either. I'm in Dublin, Ireland. (15 Dec.) Ditto in London (15 Dec.), hoping this is because we're in the last 250 rather than because of the Atlantic or the snow chaos. Ditto in Spain (16 Dec.), and I have received mail from the US postmarked well after 1 Dec. so I'm going to throw caution to the wind and say that we may have reason to be optimistic. Dublin here again. Hoping it's because we're in the finals, but I wouldn't count out the delayed post due to snow.
 * heard that most depts have already picked their short list. i assume these will eventually become the 35 finalists, who will then be cut down by s.o.f. to the lucky eight. anyone know more? good luck to us all!
 * So what happens with the final 35? Interviews? Darts at application materials? (16 Dec)
 * From the glass-half-empty point of view, there are still 242 of us to cut... Usually with the UM SOF there aren't any interviews or further materials requests, just offers sometime earlyish next year. Good luck all.
 * Has anyone heard anything concrete? Happy Holidays!
 * Might anybody with a mole on the inside be willing to share their insights and demystify this anxiety-inducing process? (1/4) Last year it looks like there were two final mtgs on January 12 and 19.

UNC Center for the Study of the American South

 * Two one-year postdoctoral fellowships in the history, culture, or society of the American South, broadly construed to include the states of the former Confederacy and adjoining areas. The awards include a salary of $42,500 and health insurance, plus $3,000 in research and travel funds. The fellowships will support outstanding junior scholars as they revise book-length manuscripts on topics related to the South, and intended for publication by the University of North Carolina Press.
 * The application deadline for the 2011-2012 Postdoctoral Fellowships is December 17, 2010 and recipients will be announced soon after February 1, 2011. Awards begin July 1, 2011 and continue through June 30, 2012.

University of Oxford - All Souls College

 * Five year, non renewable post-doctoral research fellowship
 * For "Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theoretical Sciences (including Mathematics)
 * For candidates who started post-graduate education after 1 August 2003 (negotiable for career breaks etc)
 * Deadline: 24 September 2010
 * Decisions made 19 Feb 2011, appointments start 1 Oct 2011
 * Is this correct? Link not working. [yes! link redirected, as obviously they were too cheap to renew their jobs.ac.uk advert ;)]
 * Ewww. They make their "early career" decision based on when you STARTED?
 * 26/10 - Response.
 * Can you be more specific? Requested to send writing samples to the 'long short-list' (History)
 * Thanks for the clarrification. Best of luck. Appreciated. You too.
 * Rejection email 4 Nov (x5: over 360 applicants)

University of Oxford - Christ Church, Merton, St John's Colleges

 * Eleven Junior Research Fellows (3 year tenure) in Arts & Sciences to start 1 Sep or 1 Oct 2011
 * Current salary £20,938. Additional housing and lunch entitlements differ between the colleges and are detailed in the further particulars (pdf).
 * Application deadline 12 NOON on 10 December 2010.
 * 'Shortlisting, interviewing and appointing procedures will be conducted separately by each college in February and early March 2011. Interview dates will be published in due course on the relevant college websites.'


 * Subjects are divided up as below, but note that you do not specify on the form; they divide the candidates amongst themselves accordingly (sciences struck through for ease of reading):


 * List A: Merton ('at least one' Arts and one Sciences): Modern History,, Archaeology, Music, Geography, Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry,  Engineering.


 * List B: St John's (two in Arts and two in Sciences): Philosophy, Politics, Economics, Classics (including Ancient History), Theology, Oriental Studies, Materials Science, G eology , Physics, Biochemistry,  Computer  Science.


 * List C: Christ Church ('equal number' of Arts and Sciences): English, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Art History, Law, Sociology, Psychology, Physiology & Medicine.
 * All candidates and subjects eligible except those who 'on 1 October 2011 will have accumulated more than six years of full-time graduate study' (unless they can argue otherwise, e.g. career break, American), or who have had a JRF at Oxbridge.
 * Up to six hours pw. of teaching, discretionary.

University of Oxford - Hertford College

 * Drapers' Company Junior Research Fellowship in the Humanities
 * Applications are invited from candidates in the following subject areas: English Language and Literature, Modern and Medieval History, Modern European Languages and Literature, East Asian Languages and Literature, and Philosophy.
 * Deadline: 12 November 2010
 * Shortlisting (send work) in week beginning 29 November 2010; interviews in week beginning 17 January 2011.
 * Positions start 1 October 2011, tenable for two years.
 * Salary £16,795 rising incrementally, plus free meals and free accommodation or a housing allowance in lieu, together with computer and research allowances.
 * 'The Fellowship is open to graduates of any University who are of postdoctoral or equivalent standing and are already engaged in independent research. Eligible candidates should normally have submitted their doctoral thesis [see below] and have fewer than five years of post-doctoral research experience by the closing date and they should normally not have previously held a Junior Research Fellowship in the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge.'


 * Confirmation from administrator that submission before the application deadline is strictly observed.
 * dec 1st notified by email of being longlisted (English). Work due 13th dec.
 * dec 1 rejection received by email (x2).
 * For those who've had responses from H by email, would you mind advising as to whether you're outside the UK? I'm wondering because I'm in England and I've received neither a rejection nor a longlisting by email - maybe they're doing letters for UK applicants instead of emails. Puzzling. Thanks.
 * Two friends applied for this, both in the UK: one received a rejection via email today, the other has still not heard anything. So you're not alone, but it is indeed puzzling. I hope you get good news, or any news at all.
 * Thank you. Good luck to your friends too!
 * Dec 2 rejection by email.
 * Has anyone else still not heard anything? Dec. 7 Me neither 12/9. 

University of Oxford - Magdalen College

 * Two three-year Fellowships by Examination (otherwise known as JRFs)
 * Deadline: 22 October 2010
 * Candidates should have an Honours degree or an equivalent qualification and have completed, or be near to completing a doctorate or other post-graduate research.
 * £20,000 per annum with increments in the second and third years; single accommodation in College free of charge or, alternatively, to a taxable housing allowance currently set at £10,000 per annum
 * Selected applicants will be invited to submit written work (25,000 words maximum) sometime in November
 * Selected candidates from short list to sit for viva examination in Oxford in February on written material submitted.
 * The original website is down (dead link), now that the deadline is passed.
 * Submitted application via email and got "Out of Office" reply saying application was received.
 * (15/11) Request for written work.
 * Would you mind sharing your field and whether your request was written or emailed? Thanks. Response: History, email. Thanks, good luck!
 * 11/19 Request for written work via email (Comparative Literature).
 * 12/1: Still no word from them. Are we supposed to assume rejection?
 * I'm gonna go with yes. There's no way they'd leave a gap this big between starting the longlisting process from the different disciplines. I seem to remember that they didn't send rejections last year. Which is nice.
 * Just a request: if anyone does hear back about an interview, please post here. Last year not only did Magdalen not notify those who were rejected in the original round, they also didn't notify those who sent written work but didn't get through to the interview. Pretty shabby IMHO, but hopefully the wiki will demystify things this time around...

University of Oxford, Queen's College

 * 3 year JRF in Philosophy
 * "Eligible candidates should normally have submitted their doctoral thesis and have no more than three years of post-doctoral research experience by the closing date."
 * Deadline: 10 December 2010

University of Oxford, University College

 * Stevenson Junior Research Fellowship in History
 * Any historical period after the 4th Century B.C.E.
 * "this position is not intended for those who have already held another stipendiary Junior Research Fellowship or equivalent (such as a Career Development Fellowship), or for those who obtained their doctorates more than two years prior to the application date."
 * Deadline: noon GMT 16 Dec. 2010

University of Pittsburgh Early Career Fellowship

 * "The Humanities Center at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for an early-career residential fellow for the academic year 2011-12. We seek a colleague of outstanding promise, at work on a major project in any area of the humanities or allied areas of inquiry. Applicants must have PhD in hand at time of application."
 * Stipend will be $40,000, plus benefits, with a fund of $5,000 available for research and relocation expenses. The fellow will be provided with an office and assisted in finding housing in Pittsburgh. The fellow will be required to reside in Pittsburgh while holding the fellowship, to present a lecture and colloquium, and to participate regularly in the activities of the center. If there is a course the fellow wishes to develop and teach, this is welcome, but it is not required.
 * Applications due: November 16, 2010 for the academic year 2011-12.
 * Anyone get an acknowledgment on this one yet? I did, soon after the deadline. I emailed and politely asked for one, since the online app was a bit more mysterious (no confirmation #, etc) than others).
 * Any thoughts about the timeline for this one?

University of Southern California, Provost’s Postdoctoral Scholars Program in the Humanities

 * Candidates should choose one of the following programs as their proposed host department and explain the choice briefly in their cover letter: American Studies, Art History, Classics, Comparative Literature, Critical Studies (Cinema), East Asian Languages and Cultures, English, French, History, Linguistics, Musicology, Philosophy, Slavic Languages and Literatures.
 * Candidates must have received the Ph.D. no earlier than July 1, 2007 and must have the degree in hand by July 1, 2011.
 * Appointments are for two years, with a start date of August 15, 2011. Provost’s scholars will teach three courses over four semesters, with one semester free for full-time research. They are expected to reside in the Los Angeles area during the academic year and to participate in the scholarly life of the host department and the university through seminars and other scholarly activities. The salary is $50,000 per year plus fringe benefits, with a research and travel account of $6,000 per year.
 * Five to eight postdoctoral awards per year
 * Online application opens Monday, November 15, 2010
 * Deadline: February 1st, 2011

University of Southern California - Science, Technology & Society

 * Science Technology & Society research cluster are calling for applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate for 2011-3
 * Based in Sociology department, "Applicants with backgrounds in anthropology, art history, communication, history, literature, sociology and related fields are encouraged to apply"
 * Must have PhD in hand by June 2011
 * Deadline: 15 Dec. 2010.
 * 12/21: Received e-mail confirmation of receipt of materials.
 * any idea as to how many applications they may receive?

==University of Southern California, the Center for International Studies - HAYWARD R. ALKER POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH COMPETITION 2011-2012== ==University of Texas Austin, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of English==
 * CIS invites applications from scholars who specialize in international relations and political science. This covers a wide range of topics but we are particularly eager to encourage applications from candidates engaged in scholarship related to the research activities of our faculty. Applications from a variety of disciplines, including the social sciences, humanities and communications are encouraged.
 * The competition is open to junior scholars: those who have received a Ph.D. within the last three years or who will have defended a dissertation by August 1, 2011.
 * Awards will be announced in Spring 2011.
 * Application materials must be POSTMARKED on or before DECEMBER 20, 2010
 * Department of English, University of Texas at Austin: Post-Doctoral Fellowship ($48,000 a year plus benefits and $2,000 moving expenses). Field is open and strongest candidates will be appointed regardless of specialization. The successful candidate will demonstrate a compelling reason to engage in postdoctoral teaching and research at the University of Texas, such as a commitment to the teaching mission at a large public institution, or a scholarly orientation that will benefit from the University’s distinguished archival collections. This position is subject to final funding approval. Annual Teaching Load: 1:1. One upper-division English course each semester.


 * Applications should be postmarked by December 1, 2010. Please send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation, dissertation abstract, and brief description of current research agenda to Postdoctoral Search, English Department, University of Texas, 1 University Station B5000, Austin, TX, 78712.
 * Does this postdoc exist? I can't find it anywhere on the web.
 * I think it was advertised in the MLA JIL; there is also a discussion on the bottom of this page about the notice being circulated by email.
 * Any word on this one? I've applied twice in the past and never heard a peep -- kind of unprofessional.

University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Historical Studies
-Anybody receive confirmation of receipt of application material?
 * Deadline: January 15, 2011. Applications materials, including letters of reference, should be submitted electronically to the Director, Julie Hardwick, at [mailto:historyinstitute@austin.utexas.edu The Institute for Historical Studies].

University of Texas at Austin, Center for Mexican American Studies

 * A nine-month postdoctoral fellowship for the 2011-2012 year, effective September 1, 2011
 * The fellow will receive an academic year stipend of $46,000, health insurance benefits, a moving allowance, office space, and logistical office support.
 * Applicants must have completed the doctoral degree (Ph.D./Ed.D.) within the past five years before the beginning of the fellowship year.
 * deadline is 5:00 pm CST on Wednesday, December 1, 2010.
 * Is anybody applying for this one? I have not heard from them at all. Do they send acknowledgement letters or emails? (12/11)
 * Applied around the deadline and haven't heard anything either. (12/13) Me either. (1/1)

University of Texas at Austin, Jefferson Society of Postdoctoral Fellows

 * The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas invites applications for a post-doctoral fellowship for a term of one academic year, possibly renewable for a second year. Fellowships will be awarded to scholars in all areas of the liberal arts who have in the past 7 years completed doctoral dissertations on one or more of the great books and have shown a commitment to the interdisciplinary study and teaching of the great books.
 * Recipients must have a Ph.D. and may not hold a tenured position elsewhere.
 * The term of appointment is September 1, 2011 - August 31, 2012. The stipend is $37,500.
 * Applications must be post-marked by December 1, 2010; any late materials will not be accepted, no exceptions.
 * Duties for Fellows, in addition to their own scholarly research, will consist chiefly of teaching or assisting in one undergraduate course on the great books each semester.
 * Applicants should have a broad background in the interdisciplinary study of the great books, with a concentration in political philosophy.
 * This fellowship will continue the postdoctoral fellowship program begun by the Jefferson Center’s predecessor, the Program in Western Civilization and American Institutions.
 * Out of curiosity, did anyone else apply to this last year? I never heard boo from them: not a rejection letter, not even an acknowledgement of my query about a timeframe for decisions several months after the deadline. I can certainly accept and live with rejection. Failure to acknowledge an applicant's interest and application materials, on the other hand, is simply poor form and reflects ill on the program. Did anyone else have a similar experience?
 * I had the same experience as the last poster. I applied in fall 2009 and never heard from them. I also applied this year. Hopefully they will get their act together this time.

University of Toronto, Jackman Humanities Institute (JHI) Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships

 * Up to three Fellows in the Humanities will be selected each year for a two-year fellowship in the JHI.
 * The theme for 2011–2012 is Location/Dislocation
 * Applicants must have graduated with Ph.D. after 1 July 2008; a Ph.D. graduation date before 1 July 2008 is not eligible.
 * Applicants who will defend their Ph.D. degree by 1 May 2011 are eligible, but such applicants must also include a letter from their supervisor. Any award will be conditional on a successful defense.
 * Degree candidates and recipients of the Ph.D. from the University of Toronto are not eligible.
 * All applications must be made online at www.humanities.utoronto.ca by 1 December 2010 at 11:59 p.m. (EDT). Faxed, emailed, and paper applications will not be considered.
 * Does anyone know anything about their timeline?
 * 'We are currently in the review process of all applications and notices will not be sent out for several weeks yet' (8 Jan/11). - Thanks, appreciated.

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Center for Research on Gender and Women

 * The Center for Research on Gender and Women at the University of Wisconsin-Madison invites applications for a one-year postdoctoral fellowship beginning August 29, 2011 and lasting through the academic year. The fellow will take a leading role in a Sawyer Seminar entitled "Globalizationand the New Politics of Women's Rights," which is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The postdoctoral fellow may come from any discipline in the social sciences or humanities.
 * We are particularly interested in postdoctoral fellows whose scholarship examines, for example, theoretical and historical perspectives on women and citizenship; critical gender perspectives of modernization and the post-colonial project; women and contemporary Islam; redefining global conflict through gender relations; shifts in gender relations with the end of the Cold War; social movements and world polity; and how local and global women's rights discourses influence one another. Other topics related to changing global context of women's rights are also of interest.
 * Eligibility: The applicant must have received his or her PhD between August 1, 2006 and July 31, 2011.The stipend for the postdoctoral fellowship is $45,000, plus benefits. Sawyer Seminar participation is required but there is no other teaching obligation. However, the fellow is expected to be in residence full-time in academic year 2011-12.
 * Applications and letters of support must be received by January 17,2011, to be considered.
 * Cross-posted at Queer/Women's/Gender Studies 2010-11

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON Mellon Postdoc: "Life"

 * The theme for 2011-13 applicants is “Life.”
 * 3 two-year postdoctoral fellowships for recent Ph.D. recipients starting on August 29, 2011.
 * The stipend for Mellon postdoctoral fellows is $53,560 per academic year, with a $2,000 per year research allowance, $3,000 per year travel allowance, and a $2,500 computer allowance for the first year. Fellows are eligible for health insurance (http://www.uwsa.edu/hr/benefits/gradben.pdf.)
 * Applicants must be scholars who are not yet tenured and who are no more than 5 years past receiving their PhD.
 * Deadline for applications: November 15, 2010. All materials must be submitted by this date.
 * Q: Did anyone receive confirmation when you submitted your application? I emailed mine to the address noted, but never got any kind of acknowledgement. Just checking whether this is normal or whether I should follow up. Thanks much!
 * I second the question above: anyone receive a confirmation message?
 * Does whomever had to write this description really hate themself so much that they couldn't narrow down the topic at all? What a joke! Who is *not* eligible to apply for this? Isn't that supposed to be the point of a theme...that they can whittle down thier applicant pool before they get 5000 applicants. Sheesh!
 * Hey, some of us work on Death. We were totally excluded from this fellowship opportunity.-oh come on- i'm sure you can create a buzzterm to fit into the topic. perhaps "the undead" or "necropolitics rethought". // ha! that's right. or: "Thinking About Death: A Living Scholar's Perspective."


 * Does anyone have any idea when we might hear back from these folks?
 * Offers expected to be made in late February / early March.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Solmsen Post-Doctoral Fellowships

 * Up to four external, academic-year Solmsen Post-Doctoral Fellowships each year to scholars outside UW-Madison working on literary and historical studies of the European Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance periods up to about 1700.
 * Applicants must be in possession of the doctorate at the time of application. The award provides a stipend of $40,000, office space, support services, and access to all university facilities.
 * Applications are due on October 15th.

Valparaiso University Lilly Fellows Program

 * Deadline 12/14 (deadline has passed)
 * Three two-year residential postdoctoral teaching fellowships in the areas of Humanities and the Arts for 2011-2013 for scholars seriously considering academic vocations in church related institutions.
 * Fellows will teach seven courses over a two year period; engage in scholarship or creative work; participate in a two year colloquium; work with a VU faculty mentor; and interact with representatives from a national network of church related institutions.
 * Received acknowledgement of application; review of applications to begin immediately and finalists contacted in January (12/13) x2
 * Made cut to semifinalist round (1/4). Six finalists will be notified by 1/13. x2
 * Congratulations!
 * Rejection email (1/5) x2
 * I wish I knew how they made these cuts so I could have better feedback for next year. I want this so badly, but only have a vague understanding of what they are looking for. Does anyone want to shed light for future candidates?
 * Why don't you read the biographies of current fellows? They can be found on Valpo's website.

Washington University in St. Louis Mellon Post-Doc ('Modeling Interdisciplinary Inquiry')

 * The Fellows will receive a two year appointment with a stipend beginning at $44,450 per year.


 * Postdoctoral Fellows plan and pursue their own continuing research in association with a senior faculty member at Washington University, and, over the course of their year appointment teach three undergraduate courses in the home discipline and collaborate in an interdisciplinary theory and methods workshop.
 * Application deadline is December 1, 2010.
 * Receipt of materials via email 12/8.
 * What does the last post here mean? Acknowledgement? (x2) Yes, acknowledgement that they received all my materials.
 * I did not hear anything.
 * I have also not heard a single word, not even an acknowledgment. 12/18
 * Acks. came spread over several weeks/months last year, for some reason.
 * I got a request for another copy of my CV, which went missing, 12/15.
 * Ack. of complete application via email, 12/21
 * Ack. of complete application via email, 12/29 (x5)

Wesleyan University - Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

 * One Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow will be appointed to the Wesleyan University Center for the Humanities for the whole academic year, 2011-2012, and each Fellow will be awarded a stipend of $40,000.
 * He or she will teach a one-semester undergraduate course; participate in the collegial life of the Center for the Humanities, which sponsors conferences, lectures, and colloquia; and give one public lecture. The Fellow will be provided with an office at the Center for the Humanities, and will be expected to work there on weekdays while the university is in session, and to reside in Middletown.
 * The themes for 2011-2012 will be "Fact and Artifact" and "Visceral States: Affect and Civil Life", please click here for complete descriptions of the themes.
 * Applications should be completed online by January 1, 2011.
 * Does anybody know how long the research statement should be? On the application guidelines it seems that they want it in the cover letter, but the online application has a different section for it... I know! This is confusing. They also explain not to contact them with any questions but then also give a contact to email if we have questions. Hm. Has anyone received info about this? Would it be a problem to simply upload the same document in both slots?
 * I wrote a brief cover letter (1 page), more or less stating what i would be including in the other documents. kind of a roadmap to my other materials.
 * Does anyone know if we can use a dossier service of letters of reference for this application? -- Yes. They explain this in the online application.
 * what about the electronic email to referees? I am planning to submit tomorrow, but it says that they do not get the email until the application is submitted so do they have a different deadline?
 * I submitted several days ago and one of my recommenders had an issue with the online form. I emailed the office they suggest in case of difficulties, and got back an automated response that the university is completely closed until Jan 4th, so I am guessing that they will give recommenders time beyond Jan 1st to get letters in as no one will be looking at anything until later anyway! --The exact same thing happened to me.

Williams College, MA - Gaius Charles Bolin Dissertation/Post-Doc and Post-MFA Fellowships

 * Up to three scholars or artists are appointed each year
 * Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, those who are first-generation college graduates, women in predominantly male fields, or disabled scholars.
 * The Fellows will receive a two year appointment with a stipend of $33,000 per year and up to $4,000 for research-related expenses.


 * Deadline: December 1, 2010.
 * Email confirmation of receipt of application 12/13.

Q: The long-term usefulness of doing a post-doc

 * Aside from paying the bills for another year or two, and putting off the job search (whether academic or outside of academia), I'm wondering what people might think are the positive effects of doing one of these post-docs (which, by nature, are always short and offer no job security, limited benefits, etc.). I understand that they are a way for universities to keep costs down while bringing in fresh people to do research and to teach. Are there any benefits (again, aside from the short-term gains of being able to pay the bills) from our side? Do these post-docs ever turn into tenure line positions? Do they ever open up doors to more substantial things? Or are they simply short-term quick fixes? Do they simply diminish our human capital, making us less desirable as the years get past our doctorates, and as we squander our time (which, theoretically, is intended for research) searching for jobs while doing the post-doc, due to a need to worry about next year's paychecks? And this all, of course, is if we are amongst the lucky few to even get one of these. I'd love to hear what you all have to say.


 * The alternative makes it clear -- you'd have to squander your time in a VAP (if you're lucky enough to get one), plus teach numerous sections, if you don't have a tt job. Buh-bye research. At least with a post-doc, you'll be meeting other scholars, and you'll be associated (most likely) with a better university, and your teaching load will be much lighter (and generally better). Some fields make a post-doc or two mandatory before a tt job, so the candidate can have time to devote to research. I had a pre-doc fellowship that enabled me to make connections for publishing -- I'd imagine it's even better with post-docs. In general, it makes you more competitive for tt jobs in the future. But if you're trying to decide between a tt offer and a post-doc, I certainly understand the issues. Probably better to take the tt so you can get on the tenure clock and have some stability. (Unless, of course, it's in a hateful place that you'll want to flee the next year anyway.)
 * I'm not talking post-doc vs. VAP, vs. tt...that is certainly a no-brainer in terms of the scale of what is "better" (1. tt; 2. post-doc; 3. VAP). I'm talking more generally, in terms of the entire, defunct schema of academia. First of all, how much research can one really get done in a post-doc (especially the one year), when one enters in Sept. or Oct. and already needs to go full force on the job search for the next cycle? Second, do these post-docs ever actually create, or lead to any openings? Third, do they actually make someone "more competitive" for the future tt search, or are they just holding-places? I would sincerely like to believe that they allow for one to be more competitive... broader research, a few more articles, perhaps one more book... but my experience shows something that seems to be quite different, unfortunately. Additional post-docs do not seem to matter too much anymore, when it comes to the tt job search. on the general scale, this may be detrimental, prolonging one's state of limbo and diminishing his or her human capital. Perhaps I'm wrong? Hopefully I'm wrong?
 * Not necessarily a no-brainer -- a bad tt position is sometimes not a good idea, as stated above. It doesn't seem like there's any conclusion that can be reached theoretically, since situations and post-docs differ so widely.
 * New poster: I wish you were wrong, but you don't seem to be. I'd look incredibly carefully at the hiring practices in the institutions/disciplines which interest you. I'm accustomed to the European system where a couple of post-docs are fairly normal (and function as the tenure track bit of tenure) and one expects hiring for tenured positions to be done at least in part on experience and publications. It came as a shock to watch positions in the US be offered to applicants with (thinking of one Ivy League's recent hire) people who had no publications at all, and were still ABD, when I knew for a fact that there were applicants for the same position who already had prize-winning books, etc. I don't understand *at all* the thirst for the new or the pervasive sense that an experienced candidate is somehow 'worse' than a new one, but I've pretty much given up hope of a US-based job after 6 years of post doc. (The irony being, of course, that I finished my PhD in 3 years and so even my PhD + post doc time is still less than some US candidates spent doing their PhD alone!). I'm sure some disciplines value experience. At least, I hope some still do...
 * QUESTION for above poster: are you in anthropology?
 * Sometimes! My experience of ABD hiring/prioritising 'new' as opposed to experienced candidates is mostly in some flavours of History though. I'm sure that it varies by institution and discipline.
 * To poster above: one thing to keep in mind about Ivy League hiring is that it might be better to think of "assistant professor" positions at such schools as themselves glorified post-docs, since traditionally it is extremely difficult to achieve tenure at such places, but you will almost surely be able to move to a comfortable tenure-line job at a lower-tier institution once your time is up at the Ivy. I agree Ivy League hiring tends to favor the ABD, the "new," etc. (partially for the reason laid out above) but I don't think that's necessarily true for all or even most other institutions, particularly in the current difficult job climate . . . I definitely know several people in my field (literary studies) who have moved from 1-3 years in post-docs to good tenure line jobs and who were made stronger candidates in teaching and research by the post-doc experience (although it is true that the US system is different in many ways from UK/Europe in these things . . . and of couse, as you note, disciplines vary . . .)
 * Thank you for the honest, albeit disheartening response. I have also seen several examples of accomplished, published scholars being aced out by unpublished (even ABD) colleagues. It seems as though the longer one is outside the loop of the tenure track, the more detrimental it becomes. It also seems that in some cases, more publications can actually be harmful. For instance, I was recently warned by an older colleague, in regard to an application for which he knows the committee members, to play it down and to try not to be "too intimidating." Now, it is not that I am some intellectual power-house, but the message was clear; if anybody on the committee feels "threatened" by one's experience and/or publications, this could work quite adversely. This is perhaps the answer to the above poster's query as to why there is a seeming "thirst for the new or the pervasive sense that an experienced candidate is somehow 'worse' than a new one." I do not know, and again, I hope I am wrong. But if all of this is right (and it emperically seems to be so), then the question remains: what is the point in doing these post-docs? Aren't they only more detrimental in the end?
 * I think it depends on the field. In some social sciences, I know for a fact that many colleges and universities are less likely to consider an ABD candidate (this has changed in the past 10 years) and all the people they invite for job talks either have a post-doc currently, or have finished a post-doc or 1 year appointment.
 * For the OP, what are your experiences? It seems you've done multiple postdocs, and the other commenter with 6 years of postdocs who was disheartened seems to be in a different category than those of us who will do either one or two years immediately after finishing so we can have a freer schedule to do months of research that wouldn't happen in the first year of a tt job.
 * (OP) Yes, I am 4 years past the Ph.D, I've done two very reputable post-docs at top research universities, had some prestigious grants, during which time I have been able to build up a decent list of publications (which includes a book, with a reputable publisher), And I am now working as a VAP. I've been on the tt market, but 'the pickins are slim', and I am sometimes being aced out by those with much lesser publications, and even ABDs. Since I haven't had much success on the tt search, I had decided to apply again for some post-docs; nevertheless, experience tells me that even if I am one of the "lucky" ones to get one, this may very well be a bridge to nowhere. My question then, is not what "choice" one has in the matter WITHIN academia, since there really is none in the present market (as many of you are voicing), but whether it is time to make the difficult decision to bow out altogether. The temporary situation is simply untenable as a permanent situation, and temporary post-docs/VAPs don't seem to lead anywhere anyway, at least in History and related fields (again, time and again I've been aced out by ABDs, those with NO publications and most often, those with no post-docs under their belts). Sorry to be pessimistic, but this has been my experience. Hopefully, if any of you get good post-docs, you will have different experiences....
 * As an aside about the UK: these days pretty much no British universities hire a permanent lecturer (equivalent of TT in the US) straight out of their PhD. Departments are heavily assessed according to publications and it is thus becoming the norm that new permanent hires will have at least one book on their CV. In this context, it is a definite advantage to have done a post-doc, especially a cushy three-year Oxbridge JRF, as the other available path involves 2-3 years of temporary teaching contracts and thus less time available for publishing activity (something which potentially makes you 'toxic' in the end). There is certainly no way that in the UK 'over-publishing' would be seen as intimidating, as long as the journals and publishers were decent.
 * (Same whiny poster as above :D) Again, while this is generally true, it is field specific. I've seen history lectureships - at Red Bricks - in the past 12 months go to people with 2009 PhDs (and British 3-year PhDs, not American ones), and I have *personally* had informal feedback telling me my publications were, and I quote, 'excessive'. It's much less common in the UK, that is for sure, but it is not unknown - especially not in the current climate where often the priority for hiring is your specific research topic and whether you can fulfill teaching needs in that topic.
 * That's interesting. But I suppose what I'm wondering now is, well who seriously gets to 'choose' in any meaningful way at the moment? Unless you actually have the concrete offer of two different positions, surely one might as well apply for everything out there and try to make the most of whatever one gets? If it's a post-doc, try and take on extra teaching and admin; if it's a VAP/temporary lectureship, moonlight on publications. I'm not really clear what the alternatives are; and when it comes to hiring for permanent positions there are so many variables, plenty of which as you say, aren't meaningfully in your control. Not to mention the fact that what one hiring committee finds 'excessive,' another presumably might find attractive; much as, for example, some hiring committees seem to consciously dislike Oxbridge/Ivy League pedigree while others implicitly overvalue it.
 * As the US-based OP is suggesting, it's about knowing when to cut your losses and run. Since most humanities research post-docs in the UK (e.g. JRFs!) disqualify people with 'too much experience' (or you become too expensive...), there comes a point where even here it's a case of taking on more and more short-term teaching gigs to pay the bills while you desperately hope to get a tenured/tt job. If it's the case that you become *less* employable over that time then you might as well quit academia entirely and focus on building a new career! I think there are still more opportunities in the UK/EU for people with longer CVs (I hope!), but in the US it really looks like - at least in History - you have the first one or two years post-PhD to find a tt job and after that you're unemployable.
 * (OP) yes, this is exactly what I am getting at, as I posted above in response to someone who asked about my experiences. Experience shows that more post-docs/VAPs, and a longer list of publications seem to make one LESS employable (as counter-intuitive as this may be). Why? I do not know...it would seem to point to something fundamentally wrong with the entire system. Am I wrong? I hope so. If anyone can show me that I am wrong, or has any empirical evidence to show that it is otherwise, please do so... I am not trying to be the messenger of bad tidings, I'm trying to consult, as to know how best to move forward...
 * I'm not sure where you could get empirical evidence for this, although it would be possible to use these pages as a guide to new hires. It would certainly be interesting to update them with a simple statement about the appointee (e.g. ABD, PhD (2003), etc). I know there's disagreement about whether it's appropriate to post names - and personally I think it isn't at all appropriate before the appointments are officially announced - but I can't really see a reason not to put this sort of info in after the appointee has actually taken up the job. OTOH, I suspect that the more senior jobs aren't posted here, so it would be a skewed sample.
 * Most of the names of winners of post-docs are publicised somewhere or other (e.g. in department news), and for the SoF-type positions there is usually a roll-call on the main website. You could google the names of past recipients of as many post-docs you could find for the last 5-6 years and mark down what happened to them. It might take an afternoon but would be better than useless.
 * This doesn't speak to the postdoc question, but as for being in temporary positions for a few years, I know a historian who held three VAP positions in succession and now has a tt job at a good SLAC, and only just got the book out. So there is hope.

Q. About letters
What do people think about using general letters of recommendations intended for job applications for themed post-docs? Part of me feels like I need to have my letter writers at least modify my letter slightly to fit each one of these themed post docs ("Life," etc.), but that's not really feasible, given that I don't want to ask them for a million different favors. Especially when the chances are pretty low to get one.

A. Yeah, I have the same dilemma. On one hand, you want to remain as competitive as possible, and tailored letters certainly make you more competitive. On the other, you can only ask your letter writers for so many favors... they really can't do more than 15 postdocs or so per season (and even that, I have found, is a lot to ask), on top of the job letter. I've tried to save my tailored requests for those postdocs I'm particularly interested in, and have a shot at. If possible, though, I'd have a tailored letter for each. This raises another Q: How many letters do you all ask from your advisers per season, on average? Are they forthcoming about them? I'm lucky if I can get *one* letter from my advisor. Well, not my advisor, but a major figure on my committee. Given that I now work in his field, and not my actual advisor's field, its a pretty important letter. But also almost impossible to get. Grrr....

UK Postdocs
Do NOT delete positions in the UK and Canada.

Note to applicants holding degrees from US universities: UK postdocs seem to have time stipulations (measured from the beginning of studies) that close them to anyone who had graduate education on the American scheme, had to work while going to school, or had a break in their education. Don't waste your time applying; they won't make an exception.

That's simply not true. Oxbridge JRFs (which are the bulk of what's posted here) are not representative of generalist UK postdocs, and in any case, most of the JRFs stipulate that consideration may be made for career breaks, medical issues and other breaks (and all of the colleges are quite aware that a US PhD has a different timescale than a UK PhD). Advising US students not to apply is very unhelpful advice. If in doubt; ask before applying. Simple, really.

See my edit above to the Cambridge Newnham College fellowship. The timeframe stuff is definitely not true in that case.

Application Fees
What do you say that we all agree to never hire a scholar who has won a postdoc at a program with an application fee? (re Michigan, Harvard or Columbia)

No one likes a fee, but there's nothing unusual about them. Although it is not their sole purpose, fees help to keep out the weaker applications. If you're really a fit for the post-doc and you really want it, then you'll apply and pay the fee. If you're just applying for the sake of applying, then maybe the fee will stop you from submitting the application and wasting everyone's time. In the whole scheme of things, and I'm sure that the person who is so upset with the fee will disgree with me on this, $30 is chump change.

As you have predicted, I do disagree. These fellowships (Columbia, Harvard and Michigan) aren't themed fellowships so I'm not really sure how one would know whether they fit or not (besides the fact that they can pay the extra $$.) As for whether or not you really want it, doesn't the sheer bulk of required materials for the application take care of that aspect? Really, who applies only for the sake of applying? Lastly, and most importantly, do you really think that these schools have seen fewer applications because of the fees? or is it more likely that they are profiting greatly from the fact that so many people do not have proper employment?

I totally disagree with the person who said that there is "nothing unusual about [these application fees]" and agree with other person on here. These fees are in fact very unusual. I have never seen them before and most applications don't require them. It is NOT chump change. Applicants looking for a post-doc or entry-level academic position are already in a very difficult financial situation and have to apply to many positions because the odds are very bad to begin with and the criteria to weed out applicants are so arbitrary. These schools are extremely wealthy and shouldn't be milking prospective applicants in this way.

And yet you think the appropriate channel for your bitterness about this is to penalise the candidates who fork out?


 * IMHO it's not channeled bitterness but organised resistance against an unfair labor practice. Next they will charge for all employment applications.
 * IMHO organising resistance against the candidates who pay the fees get the positions is hardly a very well-thought-through political strategy. If you want people to think you're being something other than bitter, you (whoever made the comment about 'not hiring a candidate who had paid an application fee') might want to take it out on the institutions rather than your colleagues who, due to the same pressures you are suffering, are forced to pay the fees. There are plenty of people who don't think it's fair and who can't afford it, but will fork out nonetheless. What do you think you would achieve by punishing them for making that decision?

Is there a scholarship for those who can't afford fellowship application fees? $30 is more than I can afford. (That's a week's groceries or a month's gas bill.) I'm not being facetious; if someone knows about a scholarship fund that helps cover application fees, please advise. Otherwise, I guess I'll apply for the second-class fellowships. Agreed that this is unfair labor practice. Brings back fond memories of applying to colleges; I could only apply to a limited number because of fees then too. Some of us cannot participate in a world where $30 is 'chump change'. Personally, I'd like to see us collectively refuse to pay such fees. In the meantime, please suggest scholarships that might help cover fees.
 * There is a scholarship, but it costs $45 to apply...

Out of curiosity I came to see what's up in this year's postdoc wiki. I agree with the above posters who have argued against the fees. It's just so wrong considering the fact that those institutions are filthy rich. Last year I avoided all the postdocs that asked for money and only applied for ones that were free. And guess what? I won a highly respected one (definitely not 2nd class!). Don't let those big names suck you in and suck you dry. And for those who are willing to dish out the $30 or whatever, you do know, I hope, that the reason why the fee is set at $30 and not at $100 is to be low enough so that some fools will pay for it.

So now everyone who pays the application fee is a "fool"? Even the people who WIN the fellowships? -- Dear Cave-Dweller: I'm sorry to inform you that the 5 or 6 who win each year already know the faculty extremely well. For them, the $30 is kissing ass and is a symbolic gesture of giving one's soul to enter a club. For the rest, it's the 'idiot tax', as the poster below aptly stated. The overwhelming majority of the 1200+ applicants each year have fantasies of rubbing themselves against a brand name. Sincerely yours, Enlightened One.

As the saying goes, "A fool and his money are soon parted," or would you prefer we call it an "idiot tax?"

Enlightened One and others: Actually, it is NOT true that the fellowship winners already know faculty extremely well, or that they already belong to some kind of club. A colleague of mine won one pretty much out of the blue this year. She was chosen because she has a good CV, an excellent dissertation, and really really good letters of recommendation. She did not know any of the institution's faculty, nor is she wealthy, foolish, or soul-selling. She's just a scholar looking for as many opportunities as she can find in a really bad job market. The benefits of being a fellow at one of these institutions far outweigh the $30 fee. And believe me, the years of hard work, excellent research, and a graduate education we've all undergone will cost us far more than the application fee. Yes, the fee is unfortunate, but I think the hyperbolic conversation here is unnecessary.

Dear Apologist, I understand your point, but of all your friend's accomplishments the single and primary sine qua non is the fact that she could afford the fee (that does put her in a kind of club, no?). It is not hyperbole or exaggeration to say that a great number of us can't afford to donate $$ to these schools--it is the plain and simple truth. For this reason alone, the competition is unfair and no one will know whether the best candidates have even been considered.

I do think these fees are unfortunate, as they really do add up. But going on the job market costs money. There's postage and copying costs, not to mention transcripts (one postdoc application without a fee requested official transcripts and actually ended up costing me more than Columbia or Michigan). At later stages there's getting to conferences, hotel rooms, interview clothes... I've definitely needed to tap into student loans for this career phase. But temporary poverty is a decision we all made--we all chose graduate school, it wasn't imposed on anyone. I don't have much sympathy for those who don't have $30 for an application fee. That just sounds like poor financial planning for the job market phase.

Student loans to pay application fees...nice.

I hate to point this out, but, though some universities are filthy, filthy rich, humanities institutes and departments are mostly big financial losses to the larger university, including schools helmed by Uncle Pennybags. Charging fees, and hence bringing in a bit of extra income, may help some of these programs avoid the chopping block. Also, let's face it, most conferences charge more than $30 for registration, even for students.

um.....Humanities institutes are NOT a financial loss for large universities. Contrary to capitalist-profit-seeking-corporate-style higher education's opinion, the Humanities are actually self-sustaining. The PROBLEM with Humanities is that they don't turn a big profit. But they are very inexpensive to run. The Sciences acutally drain money from universities, but they are also the recipients of all kinds of corporate grants and mainstream prestige. I'm pretty tired of people thinking the humanities are a money pit. They are not a money pit. They just aren't particularly lucrative, which renders them inexplicable to profit-seekers.

FWIW, I refused to pay application fees this year. I'm already paying $6 per application to forward my Interfolio recommendation letters. But with 10 applications already out, and another 10 to go, I'd like to keep my total costs around $120. Adding $35x3 to this (Harvard, Columbia, and Michigan) would increase my total application bill by 87% this year. I don't think it is worth it to spend 87% more in order to increase my application pool from 20 to 23. That's why some of us think it is foolish to pay the fees. Last year, I was a fool. This year, I have learned better. Good luck, however, to all those dreamers. I'm spending my $105 on something else.

I have absolutely no problem with the people who choose to pay the fees; it's a personal decision. However, the institutions that ask for them are being disrespectful of the candidates, and so I choose not to apply to Harvard, Columbia and Michigan. I believe that their motivation is not the money collected, but the desire to thin the field so they have fewer applications to read. And to those who state that such fees are quite usual, can you name a dozen other humanities fellowships that charge you to apply?

JRF's
Is it just me, or are there considerably fewer JRFs this year? I know it's early days yet, but still...

If memory serves, Oxford announce most of theirs towards Oct-Nov. I'm surprised Christ's Cambridge hasn't come up yet, though.

Is it true, as my adviser avers, that Americans *never* get JRFs?

No, it isn't. (And you can look at the college websites to see that for yourself - e.g. at least one of the current JRFs at Kings/Cambs has a US PhD). However, they are extremely competitive, so *most* people never get one. There might be a slight home advantage.

Also, the government is being extremely stingy with visas this year - evidently Jesus got "0 allowances" for research visas for non-EU candidates. Not only is it expensive to sponsor a Tier 2 visa, but it's increasingly difficult to even get one. ''How serious is this? does this influence the shortlist? or would Jesus (has it?) still bite the bullet and shortlist good candidates from other regions? And are other colleges similarly situated? ''

I live in one of the places and can second the observation that there are US and indeed continental European JRFs hanging about here and there. I also know of cases of US candidates winning them in the same year as a US postdoc and naturally choosing the latter. ('Naturally' because salaries for most SoFs this year are $50-60k and JRFs range from £16-24k. Of course there are housing/meal allowances, etc., but the discrepancy in pay and conditions seems to be getting, if anything, larger.)

Killam fellowships
Does anyone know anything about these? Can you only apply to one? Is it mostly Canadians who actually end up getting them?

I am not Canadian and have recently won one. My impression is that you can apply to any school that might sponsor you; department support is necessary to become a finalist, I believe.

Anyone is eligible to apply, Canadian or not. I know of several Americans that have got one - the "we prefer Canadians" bit is simply obligatory for Canadian hiring law. They are all administered independantly by the different schools that offer them, so you can apply to as many as you like (UBC, U Alberta, U Calgary, Dalhousie U, McGill U). You must contact a potential supervisor in the department you are interested in, as they must write a letter supporting your proposal.

University of Minnesota?
Has anyone heard of this fellowship: http://www.grad.umn.edu/postdocfellowship/

It has NO details listed and I e-mailed the address for more info and it bounced. Some kind of cruel Minnesota joke?

I shot a message to the contact listed at the bottom of the page sometime last fall and, sometime thereafter, got a message back indicating that they weren't offering any postdocs for the 2010-11 AY. Page has not been updated since then as far as I can tell. UMinn does offer the semester-long quadrant fellowships:

https://h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=41180

I also emailed them last fall and was told that they didn't know when the postdocs would be offered again (they were last offered 2009-2010). I asked a friend on faculty there, and she couldn't get any more info either

Contacting Current Postdocs
Is it uncouth to contact current postdocs to get their insight into the application? It's easy to find info on some of the Mellon postdocs (ACLS, Illinois, Washington U.) on their websites. Or are they just as clueless as me?


 * Gentle poster (sorry, I had to write that), I'm of two minds about this. On the one hand, I think that there are no rules about seeking information about how to construct a good application from any source, including current fellows and the administrators. (Sometimes, you can get tips from emailing the folks who run these competitions). It's really up to the fellow you contact whether to respond to your email message. On the other, I worry that contacting a fellow might be perceived as trying to curry favour. That's a risk that might not be worth taking. So, I would say that it's not "uncouth" as you put it, but it might be risky. It's a personal judgment call. If you do decide to contact a current fellow, I think it would be considerate to keep your message brief and professional in tone, and include a caveat that you realize that you might be putting them in an awkward position, and you understand if they prefer not to respond (i.e. give them an out).
 * As a current holder of a good postdoc who has already been asked for this kind of advice/help, I can say that unless a.) your work bears some significant relation to theirs, and thus you can seem like an interested colleague rather than just someone in need of help; or (well, ideally and) b.) you have a substantive, specific question, it's not likely to get much of a reply. Partly that's just because I don't know what there is to say--speaking for myself, I have no friggin' clue why I got the postdoc over others (or this postdoc and not the other dozen I applied for!), and being in the position has not clarified that at all! I don't think I'd feel like my favor was being curried (I don't have any role in the selection process, after all), but given the intense pressures of being in the middle of applications myself, I just don't think I'd respond to any request that wasn't specific and that didn't feel more than just instrumental. And I'm *totally* the kind of person who will read and give feedback on and edit the work of my friends and colleagues; it's just that these days most p-d programs get 400-1400 applicants, so you can imagine what it'd be like if this started to be an expectation...I think it's vastly better to have committee members or other colleagues at your current institution--ideally those who know you and your project--look over materials and answer questions.
 * C'mon. The best place to get help is your own department--your colleagues, friends, and advisors. They (presumably) like you and want you to succeed and won't take it amiss that you're asking for a favor. Your department (or university career center) may even keep a file of successful fellowship and grant applications. It's quite presumptuous to ask a favor like that from a stranger.

Q. about "list of publications"
For post-docs that mandate a "list of publications" - what do people think about supplying a list of conference presentations? I don't have any publications (they're not expected of graduate students in my discipline) and I don't want to leave the page blank...

It seems unwise to me to list unpublished pieces under a "publications" heading. Won't your CV convey the information?


 * to OP: conference presentations go under that heading, not under "Publications". As you start to publish, you can insert headings on your CV: manuscripts in preparation, then, manuscripts under review (once you've submitted it), articles in peer-reviewed journals (once it's been published), articles in journals (to distinguish from peer-reviewed journals), chapters, reports, book reviews, etc. Do you have anything you are writing right now that you could submit to a journal? You can start your "manuscripts in preparation" heading and put it there. Maybe that will inspire you to submit it for publication sooner than later.

Q. about Letters of Recommendation
Early this month I applied to a post-doc that likely attracts many hundreds of applicants, if not over a thousand. One of my letters was submitted two days past the deadline. Although it was uploaded successfully (the professor received an email confirmation), I am concerned that it may not be accepted, regardless, and that therefore my application may be rejected automatically, if the fellowship administrators monitor and police submission dates on letters posted online. Does anyone have any insight into this sort of situation? (Apologies for the vague details.)
 * Honestly, this seems like one of those situations where you just have to let it go. You can't change the situation now -- if your application was automatically rejected on principle, then it's already happened. If, on the other hand, you're just curious about whether you're still under consideration, call up the fellowship administrator and see if s/he will answer your question -- no harm trying.
 * I agree with the above comment. Life is inherently unpredictable because we're all reliant on others. Even when you give it your best shot, someone else may slip up. You just have to roll with it. And then, you might be pleasantly surprised to find that a 2-day late letter won't disqualify you.
 * Some fellowships do accept letters that are in later than the said deadlines-- it's only two days late. But the applicant would still be in disadvantageous position where not all committee members may have a chance to read the letter as the letter would get added into the applicant's file late. Also some fellowships do state that, although it is "our" responsibility to make sure that all the letters are sent on time, late letters may not penalize applicants. It depends on a fellowship and the institution's policy. The best way might be calling the administrator--if you want to get it (worries and all the wonderings) over with now.
 * I've sat on the graduate admissions committee for one of the top Ivy schools for the past four years (yes, as a graduate student). You would not believe how many times an application is missing a letter of rec--sometimes 2-3 weeks AFTER the deadline has passed. It's like this dirty little secret of the application world--faculty members are busy/overburdened/sending out a million recs at this time of year. No one is surprised when they don't get in on time. While our policy is surprisingly gracious and accommodating (phone and email requests actually go out to the applicant, letting them know a rec is missing), I'm not sure if it's that way everywhere. Neverthless, I think being a day or two late isn't going to cause an automatic rejection. Trust me, it will take days if not weeks for them to assemble all of materials and to determine who on the search committee will read what. No one is going to even pay attention to the time/day stamp of the recommendation letter, especially when there are hundreds of application as you say. If they were really that stringent, they wouldn't have let said faculty member even upload late. You can relax (well, as much as possible while you still await word on whether you get it)! 11-19-10

University of Texas, Austin
Has anyone heard of the following post-doc and can find the link to a more detailed description? This was forwarded to me, but no further link was provided.

Yes -- likewise, I got an email about this from my school's placement director. I've tried to find it posted elsewhere to no avail. My email included the info you posted, plus the following (cut and pasted, quotes aren't mine):
 * Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of English, University of Texas at Austin
 * Deadline: December 1
 * Letter, CV, 3 letters of recommendation, diss. Abstract, brief description of current research agenda
 * Postdoctoral Search, English Department, University of Texas, 1 University Station B5000, Austin, TX, 78712.

One-year postdoc, 1-1 teaching load. $48K salary plus benefits, $2K moving expenses. The field is completely open, but they express a (non-exclusive) desire to bring in someone who will (a) be able to make good use of the archival collections of the Harry Ransom Research Center or the Benson Collection, and/or (b) be able to take part in next year's topic at the Texas Institute for Literary and Textual Studies, which is "Poets and Formalists." Thus "a candidate who is strong in modern poetry would be particularly interesting, but we are open to all fields."

Its on the MLA job list--the info is below (interesting that it doesn't mention the modern poetry thing...)

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of English, University of Texas at Austin [13203] Department of English, University of Texas at Austin: Post-Doctoral Fellowship ($48,000 a year plus benefits and $2,000 moving expenses). Field is open and strongest candidates will be appointed regardless of specialization. The successful candidate will demonstrate a compelling reason to engage in postdoctoral teaching and research at the University of Texas, such as a commitment to the teaching mission at a large public institution, or a scholarly orientation that will benefit from the University’s distinguished archival collections. This position is subject to final funding approval. Annual Teaching Load: 1:1. One upper-division English course each semester. Applications should be postmarked by December 1, 2010. Please send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation, dissertation abstract, and brief description of current research agenda to Postdoctoral Search, English Department, University of Texas, 1 University Station B5000, Austin, TX, 78712.

i tried to add the UTA info as a category above but i'm apparently not the sort of person who's ever gonna get a digital humanities job, because i couldn't figure out how to do it. can someone else more equipped help? thanks!


 * A: It has already been added above, see HERE. Helpful hint: if you want to add positions to this page, creating categories is not the way to go. Just hit "Edit" at the top of the page, scroll down to the alphabetically appropriate position, add the name of the school/post-doc title and format in "Heading 2." Add relevant info below using bullet points. Even more specific directions for adding positions are given at the very top of this page.

Other sources of finance question
A number of postdocs and diss write up fellowships ask what other sources of funding/finance you have or you have applied for. Does anyone know what they are going for here? I understand the ones where you might use multiple sources of finance at once, but I, like many people, am applying to a bunch of postdocs and 30 jobs. Are they under the impression that I should list all of those things? Is it good or bad to say you are applying to a number of things?

Yeah, I've wondered this too--especially because all of the places that asked me this (indeed, all the p-ds I applied to) do NOT allow the recipient to take any additional funding. My solution has been to mention fellowships but NOT jobs (I wouldn't describe a job as a source of funding, exactly, right?), and not to mention all of the fellowships but a few representative ones. My take is that this is mostly a kind of research thing for the funding entity (i.e. the same reason they ask you where you heard about the fellowship) rather than information that's being used to evaluate the candidate. Do others have different answers?

I think everyone knows that we're all applying for lots of pdocs, jobs, etc, and the 'what other money are you applying for' question isn't asking about that. More like, 'do you have some independent fellowship [like an NEH] that you can use in addition to ours, and then we can decrease the amount of money we give you?' It seems like an inept question to ask pdoc candidates in the humanities, but I think that faculty and science fellowship applicants often have internal grants, etc, that they are using at the same time as applying for a visiting position at some institute or other. My $.02.