Category: Postdocs

NYU: European and Mediterranean Studies Postdoctoral Fellowship (USA)

PostdocsFaculty Fellow in European and Mediterranean Studies, Center for European and Mediterranean Studies, New York University, NY, USA. Deadline: 7 December 2026.

The Center for European and Mediterranean Studies in Arts and Science at New York University (CEMS/NYU) invites applicants for a Faculty Fellow position in the field of European Studies. The initial appointment will be for one year beginning September 1, 2027, renewable annually for a maximum of three years, pending administrative and budgetary approval.
Qualifications

CEMS/NYU seeks a scholar whose research and teaching explores current or recent European affairs and who specializes in one of the following disciplines: comparative European politics, international relations, sociology, or contemporary European history. They are particularly interested in candidates whose research and teaching focus on the European Union; political, economic, and social developments in contemporary Europe; populist politics and democratic backsliding; European foreign affairs or Global Europe; or topics that expand the boundary of European Studies thematically or geographically. Experience advising student research is strongly preferred. Candidates should also demonstrate through their application materials a commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship and excellence in teaching. Candidates should have completed their Ph.D. no earlier than 2022 and no later than August 1, 2027.

Stanford U: The Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center Postdoctoral (and Other) Fellowships (USA)

PostdocsPostdoctoral and other fellowships, The Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford  University, Stanford, CA, USA. Deadline: varies by program; none earlier than 1 December 2026.

Stanford University’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) invites applications for multiple fellowships in contemporary Asia studies beginning in fall quarter 2027. APARC offers a postdoctoral fellowship on contemporary Asia, broadly defined, and, through its research programs, postdoctoral and visiting fellow positions focused on Asia health policy, contemporary Southeast Asia, contemporary Taiwan, and research tracks of the Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab. These include:

  • 2027-2028 Shorenstein Postdoctoral Fellowship on Contemporary Asia
  • 2027-2028 Asia Health Policy Program Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • 2027-2028 Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Fellowship on Southeast Asia
  • 2027-2028 Taiwan Program Kwoh-Ting Li Visiting Fellowship

There are also several Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab Postdoctoral and Visiting Fellowships:

  • 2027-2029 Next Asia Policy Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • 2027-2028 STINT-SNAPL Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • 2027-2028 Next Asia Policy Visiting Fellowship

 

European Commission: Additional Funding for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (Global)

Postdocs
Additional Funding for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026-27, European Commission.

Over €210 million boost for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions to support more researchers in Europe. The additional funding was announced as part of the Commission’s Choose Europe initiative. It will strengthen the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships and Doctoral Networks in 2026 and 2027 to enable more than 700 additional researchers to build their careers in EuropeAnnounced on 1 October 2026 at the high-level event marking the 30th anniversary of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, the additional funding forms part of the Commission’s broader Choose Europe approach to attracting and retaining research talent.

The top-up comes in response to record demand for opportunities to pursue research careers in Europe. The 2026 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call received 21,627 applications from researchers around the world. This is the highest number ever recorded for the programme and the highest number of proposals received for any funding action in more than 40 years of EU research and innovation framework programmes.

It will allow more researchers to benefit from MSCA opportunities and strengthen Europe’s capacity to attract and retain research talent. With more than €1.3 billion foreseen for the MSCA in 2027, the programme will continue to strengthen Europe’s research base, support the careers of world-class researchers and contribute to its long-term competitiveness.

The announcement follows the Commission’s adoption of the amended Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, which will provide the last MSCA funding opportunities under the current Horizon Europe 2021-27 Framework Programme.

2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). Since their creation in 1996, more than 150,000 researchers have participated in the programme, including 23 Nobel laureates. What began as a programme supporting around 800 researchers each year has grown into one of Europe’s flagship programmes for research careers, now supporting around 8,000 researchers annually.

Georgetown U: Africa-China Post-Doctoral Fellowship (USA)

PostdocsAfrica-China Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. Deadline: 15 November 2026.

The Africa-China Initiative (ACI) at the Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) at Georgetown University has partnered with The Center for African Studies (CAS) at Howard University to offer an 18-month (3 semester) Africa-China Post-Doctoral Fellowship. The purpose of the ACI Fellowship is to expand African scholarship, expertise, and perspectives on the study of Africa-China relations (and more broadly, Africa-Asia and Global South) by supporting research by an early-career scholar, and to elevate the teaching at Georgetown University and Howard University and across the Washington, DC area.

The ACI Post-Doctoral Fellowship is open to non-tenured and tenured holders of PhDs. They are particularly interested in early- and mid-career scholars with a broad range of international experience, and a strong Africa-China research record.

The ACI Post-Doctoral Fellow must be in residence in the Washington, DC area for at least 18 months, and will spend approximately half their time at Georgetown and half at Howard. These terms must be consecutive. The ACI Post-Doctoral Fellowship is funded through the ACI – Henry Luce Foundation grant and will be administered by Georgetown University. It will begin Spring Semester 2027 (January 2027) and end at the end of Spring Semester 2028 (June 2028).

Remuneration is at the rate of $72,000 a year, plus benefits. One round-trip domestic or international flight for the entirety of the fellowship period will also be provided. There may be opportunities for domestic travel (within the US) to at least one academic conference or workshop or other opportunities, if funds are available.

During the fellowship period, the ACI Post-Doctoral Fellow will split their time supporting the work of Georgetown University’s Africa-China Initiative (ACI) and African Studies Program at GU, and the Africa-China activities of Howard University’s Center for African Studies and African Studies Department. The ACI Post-Doctoral Fellow will be expected to deliver one public lecture at each of the two institutions, guest lecture on the Fellow’s areas of expertise in relevant courses, and speak with and mentor students, as possible. ACI Post-Doctoral Fellow is encouraged to take advantage of the Washington, DC location including, The Library of Congress, The National Archives, and meetings with experts and leaders in government, diplomatic missions, and at research centers and think tanks.

Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies Postdoctoral Fellowship (Japan)

Postdocs

Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies postdoctoral fellowship, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan. Deadline: 24 October 2026.

The Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS) invites applications for the KCJS Postdoctoral Fellowship for the academic year 2027-28, with the possibility of extension. Based at Doshisha University in Kyoto, KCJS is an undergraduate study abroad program governed by a consortium of twelve American universities and administered by the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement at Columbia University.

The KCJS Fellow is expected to engage in their own research and teach one course each semester in Kyoto. One course should be in the fellow’s own field of interest, while the second should be a broad introductory survey of Japanese civilization. Such a survey may be provided with a particular disciplinary emphasis, such as art, religion, literature or cultural studies. Both courses should be designed to appeal to a wide range of majors and take full advantage of KCJS’s location, preferably encompassing local excursions, hands-on demonstrations, and/or observations. Preference will be given to candidates with the capacity to deliver such courses and those who can demonstrate a commitment to delivering engaging, immersive learning experiences that are both rigorous and accessible.

Additional responsibilities include: assisting the resident director with academic planning and semester orientations; mentoring students on academic matters, career planning, and life in Japan; assisting the resident director in reviewing independent study proposals and summer research proposals; supervising independent studies; presenting their research regularly; and attending KCJS-sponsored curricular and extra-curricular events. These responsibilities and other professional development opportunities provide the Fellow with strong teaching experience and a broad overview into undergraduate global education. The Fellow is also expected to engage in the academic life of Kyoto through involvement in research study groups at Doshisha and other local institutions.

Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in a Japan-related field by the start of the fellowship. It is preferred that the candidate has relevant undergraduate teaching experience, previous experience living or studying in Japan, and Japanese language and cultural fluency.

European U Institute: Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellowships (Italy)

Postdocs

Max Weber postdoctoral fellowships, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence, Italy. Deadline: 16 October 2026.

The Max Weber Programme (MWP) at the European University Institute (EUI) is a unique postdoctoral programme in the historical, humanities and social sciences. It is open to applicants who are within 5 years from the completion of their PhD, from anywhere in the world, regardless of nationality. The Programme is highly selective, with an annual acceptance rate of <2%. A cohort consists typically of around 65 Fellows across the different academic units of the EUI (Economics, History, Law, Political and Social Sciences, the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies or the Florence School of Transnational Governance). Preference is given to applicants who have only just completed their doctorate and have not had a postdoctoral fellowship before. Selected Fellows will benefit from the stimulating combination of a global programme located in the heart of Europe offering a broad menu of multidisciplinary and disciplinary activities.

The Programme awards 1- and 2-year fellowships according to the hosting academic units. Only in exceptional cases, support is extended for a third year (e.g. Fellows in the Department of Economics may be eligible, as well as Fellows selected for the CIVICA exchange (see section on Special Fellowships)).

U Agder: Post-doctoral Research Fellow in European Languages in Post-Colonial Africa (Norway)

PostdocsPost-doctoral Research Fellow in European Languages in Post-Colonial Africa,  University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway. Deadline: 15 September 2026.

A fixed-term 100% position is available at the University of Agder, Faculty of Humanities and Education as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in European Languages in Post-Colonial Africa: Historical Perspectives (1950-1990), affiliated to the Department of Religion, Philosophy and History, for a period of 3 years. The position is located at Campus Kristiansand. The preferred starting date is the beginning of 2027.

The position is linked to UiA’s research groups “Claimed Pasts: Critical Knowledge and Heritage Production” and “Language and Power.”

Applicants are invited to suggest an empirically and theoretically sound research project which conceptualizes language, and specifically the role of European languages, as an historical object, heuristic device, and analytical lens for understanding African decolonization as a historical process. Their research project might, for example, address

  • the role language played for anticolonial mobilization or post-colonial nation- and state-building processes
  • the late- or post-colonial connections between language, education, and development
  • the role language played for inter- and transnational collaboration and institutions
  • language in relation to African subjectivities, collective identities, and social distinction

Ideally, gender should be a central analytical category rather than an add-on variable in the research project. If convincingly conceptualized, any geographic or linguistic area within Africa and its diaspora is pertinent. Projects that place their research topic in a comparative and connective context and converse with discussions in global history will be particularly relevant.

U Birmingham: Cadbury Postdoctoral Fellowship in African Studies (UK)

PostdocsCadbury Postdoctoral Fellowship in African Studies,  School of History and Cultures, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. Deadline: 1 September 2026.

The School of History and Cultures seeks to appoint a Postdoctoral Fellow in African History for an 18-month fellowship contributing to the University’s research environment and teaching provision. The Fellow will engage in a programme of research agreed with their mentor. They will also support the delivery of African Studies and History programmes in the School of History and Cultures. This post is funded by an endowment that enables members of staff at sub-Saharan African Universities to spend a period of time at the University of Birmingham. The post is therefore limited to applicants currently based on the African continent and affiliated with an African Higher Education Institution

U Edinburgh: Postdoctoral Research Associate: Muslim Societies in Latin America and the Caribbean (UK)

Postdocs

Postdoctoral research associate: Muslim Societies in Latin America and the Caribbean, School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures – Alwaleed Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. Deadline: 26 August 2026.

They are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate (0.8 FTE, fixed term for 24 months) to join the internationally funded research project ‘The Global Landscapes of Muslim Lives: Latin American and Caribbean Intersections’, led by Dr Kholoud Al-Ajarma (University of Edinburgh) and Dr Kenneth Chitwood (University of Bayreuth), and funded by the AHRC and DFG.

This is an exciting opportunity to develop and deliver an independent programme of ethnographic and qualitative research on contemporary Muslim communities in Latin America and/or the Caribbean. Working within the Alwaleed Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World, you will undertake original fieldwork, contribute to high-quality publications, collaborate with an international research team, and play a key role in shaping new understandings of Muslim lives, networks and institutions in an under-researched global context.

The postholder will also contribute to knowledge exchange and public engagement activities, and help organise international workshops and symposia that bring together scholars and stakeholders from across the globe.

This post is part-time (28 hours per week); however, they are open to considering alternative part-time or flexible working patterns. They are also open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working.

Charles U: Researcher in Comparative Area Studies, Focus on Africa (Czech Republic)

Postdocs

Postdoctoral researcher in Comparative Area Studies, with a Focus on Africa, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. Deadline: 14 September 2026.

The Faculty of Arts, Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic) is seeking a postdoctoral researcher in comparative area studies, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. As part of the project funded by Horizon Europe (ERA Chair in Multidisciplinary Area Studies, ERA-AREAS), this post holder will participate in the international research group under the newly established Center for Multidisciplinary Area Studies (CenMAS). The applicant will work closely with the ERA Chair Holder, Prof Mariana Llanos, and the research group leader, Dr. Mahmoud Farag.

The Faculty of Arts belongs among the largest and longest-established centers for area studies research and instruction in Central and Eastern Europe, covering all global regions in its research. By engaging in the ERA-AREAS project, the Faculty seeks to strengthen its area studies programs focused on non-European global regions and Eastern Europe. They invite applications from scholars within area studies whose research demonstrates strong regional expertise and a commitment to addressing globally significant issues through a social science lens. The ideal candidate will employ comparative methodologies and actively engage in disciplinary debates within area studies on critical current events from a comparative perspective. While the specific disciplinary focus of the applicants is secondary (gravitating towards the loosely defined core of sociology, political science, economics, contemporary history or anthropology), the researcher is expected to engage in research of the causes and consequences of contemporary crises in Sub-Saharan Africa which include, in particular, political crises, economic shocks, coups, democratic breakdowns, social protests, early government terminations, threats to democracies, and outbursts of political violence.