Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027-2028: Humanities Plural

Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 62,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision care

Moving allowance

Research budget

Job summary

The Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry at Emory University invites applications for Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships. We welcome scholars from any humanistic discipline to engage in interdisciplinary conversations centered on Humanities Plural.

The Fox Center will appoint two Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows for one year (August 1, 2027–July 31, 2028) with potential renewal for a second year. Fellows receive a $62,000 stipend, a $2,000 research budget, and a $2,000 moving allowance, plus competitive

Qualifications

• PhD required; doctoral degree must be earned by June 30, 2027.
• Preference given to applicants who have not held prior postdoctoral fellowships.
• Scholars from outside the United States may be appointed under J-1 or F-1 visa status as appropriate.

Responsibilities

• Participate in a weekly interdisciplinary seminar.
• Teach one undergraduate class during the fellowship year.
• Submit a progress report to the Director at the end of the fellowship.
• Acknowledge the FCHI in all work resulting from research and writing during the fellowship.
• Attend Fellows’ seminars and thematic programming sponsored by the FCHI during residence.

Skills

Interdisciplinary research

Education

PhD or international equivalent

Job description

Emory University: Arts and Sciences: Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry

Location

Atlanta, GA

Open Date

Aug 17, 2026

Deadline

Dec 07, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Description

The Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry is pleased to open applications for our Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships. We invite applications from scholars in any humanistic discipline who are eager to be part of a community engaged in interdisciplinary conversations around our theme of Humanities Plural.

At a moment when fields such as "history of the humanities" and "humanities theory" are coming into view, and as hybrid formations such as digital humanities, health humanities, and public humanities are taking humanities scholarship into new academic and extra-academic spaces, we seek scholars whose research expands our horizons for thinking about the humanities as they have existed or are unfolding in our current moment. Applications are open to scholars in any field, area, or historical period.

Projects need not explicitly foreground "the humanities" (or related formations such as "liberal arts") as an object of inquiry, but they should clearly address any core issue of humanities scholarship or learning, including its methods, its objects, its histories, its values and social valuation, its contradictions, its publics, or its institutional or social locations.

Potential lines of inquiry include:

• What are the contexts, across time and space, where humanistic learning occurs and matters (e.g., formal or informal academic settings, places of worship, prisons, online spaces, museums)?
• Where is humanistic scholarship enlisted into serving other systems of knowledge and value (e.g., medical schools, think tanks, revolutionary movements, corporate boardrooms), and what sorts of work is it asked to do there?
• Which communities have forged programs or practices of humanistic learning without having access to formal or elite institutional structures? What are the distinct methods, epistemologies, aesthetics, and/or values that take shape in these sites?
• What gave rise to "theory," where and why has it taken root, and what is its future?
• How do or should humanistic methods function in hybrid formations, for example in digital humanities, environmental humanities, or health humanities?

The Fox Center will appoint two Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows for one year (August 1, 2027-July 31, 2028), with the possibility of renewal for one additional year. Fellowships include a stipend of $62,000, a research budget of $2,000, and a one-time additional payment of $2,000 to defray the costs associated with moving to Atlanta, and competitive benefits including medical, dental, and vision care. Fellows are required to be in residence during the academic year for the term of the fellowship.

All postdoctoral fellows participate in a weekly interdisciplinary seminar, presenting their research at one of these meetings, and teach one undergraduate class in their area of expertise in the College of Arts and Sciences. If invited to continue for a second year, fellows will have additional teaching responsibilities and will receive teaching mentorship from Emory faculty in a relevant discipline.

The application deadline for applicants to submit their materials is December 7, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. The deadline for receipt of letters of recommendation is December 11, 2026, at 11.59 PM ET.

Qualifications

All postdoctoral fellows must hold a PhD (or its international equivalent, such as the DPhil). Applicants may not have received their doctorate before January 1, 2024. Preference will be given to applicants who have not held prior postdoctoral fellowships. Applicants applying without a degree in hand must have successfully completed all degree requirements by June 30, 2027. Scholars from outside the United States are appointed under either the J-1 visa (Research Scholar status) or F-1 OPT (Optional Practical Training), depending on their circumstances. The Fox Center reserves the right to cancel awards if the recipient is unable to meet these conditions of completion and visa status.

Acceptance Procedures

Upon notification of an FCHI Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, recipients must agree to:

1. conduct writing and research in residence full-time at the FCHI for the academic year;
2. take full responsibility for contributing to and maintaining an environment conducive to academic research while at the Center;
3. submit a report of progress to the Director at the end of the Fellowship;
4. acknowledge the FCHI in all work resulting from research and writing done during the Fellowship;
5. teach an undergraduate course in the spring term of the Fellowship year;
6. attend all Fellows’ seminars and thematic programming sponsored by the FCHI during their term of residence;
7. immediately notify the FCHI of any other support or of any conflicts with the restrictions and conditions of this Fellowship Program.

Pleasenote: The Postdoctoral Fellowships aim to create a diverse community of scholars-in-residence at the FCHI and to introduce the University to exciting humanistic work by emerging scholars nationally and internationally. As such, applicants who received (or will receive) their PhD from Emory University will not be considered. If for any reason a Fellow’s circumstances change and the grantee is unable to use the Fellowship during the academic year for which it was granted, the Fellowship will be forfeited. If the project involves human subjects, approval from the proper Emory Institutional Review Board Committee (IRB) is required before Fellowship funding can be released. For more information, please refer to this website:https://www.irb.emory.edu. If you have any questions, please contact the Fox Center at [e-mail]. The FCHI regrets that it is unable to provide feedback on unsuccessful applications.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Emory is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law. Emory University does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training. Students, faculty, and staff are assured of participation in university programs and in the use of facilities without such discrimination. Emory University complies with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act, and applicable executive orders, federal and state regulations regarding nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action (for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities). Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to the Emory University Department of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance, 201 Dowman Drive, Administration Building, Atlanta, GA 30322. Telephone: [phone] (V) | 404-712-2049 (TDD).

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