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Title Inequality in America Initiative Postdoctoral Fellowship

School Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Department/Area Center for Race, Inequality and Social Equity Studies (CRISES)

Position Description

The core mission of the Center for Race, Inequality and Social Equity Studies ( CRISES ) is the scholarly analysis of contemporary ethno-racial inequality, especially as articulated with class-based and gendered social conditions, through rigorous methodologies, theory-driven insights, and empirically grounded research. The social scientific research conducted by CRISES will inform the vision and attainment of a world without invidious social conditions that are rooted in historical, institutional, and systemic ethno-racial, gender, and economic inequality. Through its research, collaborations across FAS and Harvard, convenings and residency of scholars, activists and students, CRISES envisions collective healing and a liberated society.

We are accepting applications for a one-year residential postdoctoral fellowship to study inequality in America. The Fellow will be selected based on their potential to make important contributions to the understanding of, and potential solutions to, systemic inequality in the United States. We are particularly interested in scholarship at the intersection of race, gender, family, and opportunity. Ideal candidates will have received (or be in the final stage of obtaining) a PhD in sociology, social psychology, economics, demography, political science, public health, gender studies, ethnic studies, or a related area in the social sciences.

Applications from scholars who are just completing their PhD, as well as from new junior faculty members who may be able to combine the fellowship with an early career leave, are welcome.

Expectations and Conditions

+ Fellowship-related activities are expected to represent the fellow’s primary responsibility during the year.

+ The fellow is expected to be in residence at Harvard for the duration of the fellowship, as regular interactions with the CRISES director, staff, and affiliated faculty will be a critical component of the fellow’s mentorship.

+ The fellow may begin their appointment prior to defending their dissertation provided that: they are able to be in residence at Harvard, all other aspects of their PhD program are complete, and their degree is expected in the 2026 calendar year.

The Award

The fellowship consists of annual stipend of $87,500. The fellow will be eligible for Harvard’s subsidized, comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. (Most of the benefit plans require a contribution from participants for coverage.) The fellow will also receive a research and travel allowance up to $5000 annually, and office space within the Center.

Basic Qualifications

Applicants must have received a doctorate or terminal degree no earlier than 2021; applicants without a doctorate or terminal degree must demonstrate that they will receive such a degree no later than December 2026.

If you have not completed your graduate program, please still make sure to include your doctorate and anticipated degree date in the Educational Background section.

Additional Qualifications

Internal (Harvard-affiliated) candidates please note: Those who received terminal degrees from Harvard, and postdocs currently on a one-year term at Harvard, are eligible for the fellowship but must propose new projects that are significantly distinct from their current research and that are intended to forge new connections within the University. Harvard candidates should not propose to continue to work with the same advisors or research groups with whom they are currently associated. No candidate should propose to work extensively with his or her thesis advisor.

Special Instructions

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Application review will begin in January and will continue on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

The application must include the following in order to be reviewed:

+ A curriculum vitae

+ A 2- to 4-page (<2000 words) research proposal that includes a brief description of your dissertation or other recent research and a more detailed proposal for the project(s) you will pursue during the fellowship, including an explanation of the broader impacts of your research.

+ One chapter- or article-length writing sample, no more than 25 pages. The writing sample may be an excerpt from a longer work, and may be published or unpublished, but should relate to your proposed topic and be clearly identified (i.e., if it’s an excerpt, please note the source and list any co-authors).

+ The names and email addresses of 2 referees, who will be asked via a system-generated email to upload their letters of recommendation once the application has been submitted. Two letters of recommendation are required, and incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Please make sure you have supplied current and accurate email addresses for your referees, and please monitor your application (https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/ariesmainportal/how-do-i-check-status-my-references) to make sure the letters have been submitted. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we do not have time to track down missing letters.

You may use Interfolio. Interfolio provides you with a unique email address for each letter of recommendation. You need to obtain that address from Interfolio and enter it in the section of your application that requests your reference provider’s email address. (Once again, please double-check this email address for accuracy.) Complete instructions are available at the Interfolio Help Center (https://product-help.interfolio.com/en\_US/managing-letters-and-requests) .

Contact Information

Meenakshi Verma-Agrawal, Director of Administration and Operations

Center for Race, Inequality, and Social Equity Studies

William James Hall

Harvard University

Cambridge MA 02138

Contact Email [email protected]

Salary Range

$87,500

Minimum Number of References Required 2

Maximum Number of References Allowed 2

Keywords

race, gender, inequality, social equity, work, family, opportunity

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard’s academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity (https://hr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum6281/files/2025-04/reaffirmation\_statement.pdf) policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university’s non-discrimination policy (https://provost.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3356/files/2025-07/non-discrimination\_and\_anti-bullying\_policies.pdf) . Harvard’s equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.

Supplemental Questions