Cornell University – Society for the Humanities – Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Africana Studies
With the sponsorship of the Society for the Humanities, the department of Africana Studies & Research Center invites applications for a two-year Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship position beginning August 1, 2023. The fellowship offers a stipend of $56,000/year.
Applicants should be working in the field of contemporary, Afro-Diasporic (outside of the United States) culture (music and religion, especially), and African American religion and music. Preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate a solid grasp of their methodology for both research and teaching.
The successful candidate should be prepared to teach the following two courses: (1) a 2000-level, introductory course that would describe, define, and interrogate the Black Atlantic from the perspective of Afro-Diasporic history and culture so as to propose and evaluate the phenomena of the global African world or a Survey of African American Music or Religion; and (2) a 4000-level course that focuses on the methods and theories that the postdoctoral fellow employed in his or her dissertation; in addition to the examination of the key theoretical concepts or theoreticians that enabled the dissertation, the course should also provide case studies or illustrations of methodology for student discussion and analysis.
The department is particularly interested in a Fellow who will provide significant opportunities for research, scholarly dialogue, and teaching in conjunction with faculty and students in programs, such as Latin American Studies, American Studies, and departments such as Music, Anthropology, Philosophy, Romance Studies, and Performing and Media Arts. As a research center and beyond the question of coverage, Africana is interested in welcoming a Fellow whose work transcends positivist descriptions and taxonomies and who can provide the Cornell community with theoretically engaging and sophisticated critiques of their fields of expertise and their methodologies. The ideal candidate should be able to provide a promising concept or argument from the dissertation that can be tested, elaborated, and strengthened during their time at Cornell.
Fellows spend their time in research and writing during the residential fellowship, and are required to participate in a weekly Fellows Seminar with other Fellows at the Society for the Humanities workshopping each other’s projects.
2 years
$56,000 stipend per year
Applicants eligible for the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years include those who have received the Ph.D. degree after September 1, 2017 and no later than June 30, 2023. Applicants who do not have the Ph.D. in hand at the time of application must include a letter from the committee chair or department stating that the Ph.D. degree will be conferred before the term of the fellowship begins. International applicants are welcome to apply, contingent upon visa eligibility.