Apply Now: Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Civitas Institute,
University of Texas-Austin
The University of Texas at Austin’s Civitas Institute invites early career scholars without ongoing positions to apply for appointments as Postdoctoral Fellows for the University of Texas at Austin for the 2023-2024 academic year, with the possibility of a one-year renewal.
The Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin is a community whose members study the foundations of the American constitutional republic to advance human flourishing in a free society. The Institute forms thoughtful leaders through a civic education that prizes careful study of the American story as well as wisdom for how to live a good life. While political polarization threatens American civic life, Civitas advances the virtues of civil discourse. The Institute organizes its work around three pillars of the American constitutional republic: liberty and civic virtue, constitutionalism and the rule of law, and markets and enterprise and values reasoned deliberation, intellectual curiosity, and free speech.
The Civitas Postdoctoral Fellowship supports scholars who pursue projects that advance Civitas’s key themes, thoughtful analysis, and clear writing. As a Civitas Postdoctoral Fellow, you will devote most of your time to your proposed research and will normally teach one course each semester, pending Department approval; you will be in residence for the duration of your appointment. You will also to contribute to the Civitas intellectual community by attending or participating in Civitas programs such as public lectures and colloquia. In addition, Civitas Fellows participate regularly in Fellows’ gatherings. Civitas offers professional development for Postdoctoral Fellows, with an emphasis on the wide array of applications for higher education.
Postdoctoral fellows with a background in the great books are welcome to become affiliates of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas and to take part in the Jefferson Center’s book club and other events.
Fellows are invited to propose courses that align with the Civitas Institute’s mission. The institute has particular need for instructors in the following:
Constitutional Principles: Core Texts, an introductory American government course that includes readings from John Locke, the American Founders, Alexis de Tocqueville, and African American political thought; the history of economic thought.
You may not be employed by another institution during the term of your University of Texas at Austin appointment. The postdoctoral fellow position is:
12-month appointment
Full time/40 hours per week
FLSA Status: Exempt
Regular Benefits Eligible (Fixed Term)
Salary: $70,000
Qualifications:
- To apply, you must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree, or be able to prove that you have completed all requirements for the same.
- To apply, you must have received a Ph.D. no more than three years prior to start date.
- A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
- If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.
Application Instructions:
Applicants should submit:
- a cover letter including a reflection on how—and why—you connect with Civitas’s mission;
- a writing sample from within the last three years;
- a curriculum vitae;
- a project proposal divided into
- a narrative of 1500 words or less that explains the aim and value of your project to scholars, general audiences, or both; explains what prepares you to take up this project; clearly explains any technical terms
- a work plan of 500 words or less that addresses the state of the project, timeline, and reasons to expect success
- unofficial transcripts;
- contact information for three references;
- and, optionally, a course proposal – in one page or less, describe the course and the texts you propose to teach.
Please address inquiries to:
Sarah Beth V. Kitch
Associate Director
Civitas Institute
University of Texas at Austin
Email: sb.kitch@utexas.edu
For priority consideration, submit your application materials by 11:59 pm Central Time, Wednesday, March 15, 2023. The fellowship committee will review applications until positions are full.
From the program
Launched in the summer of 2022, the Civitas Institute is a community of scholars committed to exploring the ideas and institutions that sustain a free society and enable individuals to flourish. We value independent thought, civil discourse, free speech, reasoned deliberation, and intellectual curiosity. Our programs facilitate inquiry into the foundational principles of a free and enduring society: individual rights and civic virtue, constitutionalism and the rule of law, and free enterprise and markets.
Learn more about the Civitas Institute >>
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