Have you completed your Ph.D. in one of the social sciences and aren’t sure what’s next? This list of postdoctoral fellowships will help you figure that out! These fellowships provide opportunities all over the world for social scientists. Some of the programs are based around research that happens in the context of a university, while others offer positions in government, independent libraries, nonprofits, or humanitarian organizations. In this list, the fellowships are divided into two categories, starting with programs in the U.S. and ending with those taking place internationally. If one of the fellowships catches your eye, be sure to bookmark it to your ProFellow account!
U.S. Fellowships
CDC Evaluation Fellowship Program
CDC Evaluation Fellows work under the leadership of CDC’s Chief Evaluation Officer; they will be matched with CDC host programs in Atlanta to work on program evaluation activities for/with those programs for two years. Fellows are PhD or master’s degree professionals with backgrounds in evaluation, behavioral and social sciences, public health, and other disciplines relevant to CDC’s work. Successful applicants also typically have significant experience in applied evaluation projects. Fellows are typically based in Atlanta, although we have had some Fellows at CDC Centers in Washington, DC. Fellows receive a monthly stipend depending on education level and experience. Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply.
Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Fellows Program provides innovative postdoctoral scholars with the opportunity to build a foundation in one of the core disciplines represented within the Earth Institute (i.e., any of the social sciences, earth sciences, biological sciences, engineering sciences and health sciences), and cross-disciplinary expertise related to sustainable development and reducing environmental degradation, poverty, hunger and disease. Earth Institute fellowships will ordinarily be granted for a period of 24 months and includes a $12,000 research allowance for the two year appointment, and carries an annual salary of about $61,800.
Government Accountability Project International Research Fellowship
The Government Accountability Project (GAP) is offering a three-month fellowship in summer to research issues related to corruption and/or illegality and whistle blowing at the international level. Eligible candidates include faculty member with a current teaching/research position at a Washington, DC area college or university in the social sciences, who will conduct quantitative and/or qualitative research on the topics identified above. Doctoral candidates will be considered eligible. The Fellow will be paid a stipend of $7,500 over a period of 10 weeks.
Kluge Fellowships
The Library of Congress invites qualified scholars to conduct research in the John W. Kluge Center using the Library of Congress collections and resources for a period of up to eleven months. Scholars who have received a terminal advanced degree within the past seven years in the humanities, social sciences or in a professional field such as architecture or law are eligible to apply. Fellows receive a stipend of $4,200/month.
History of Science Fellowships
The Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry at the Science History Institute, an independent research library in Philadelphia, accepts applications for short- and long-term fellowships in the history of science, technology, medicine, and industry. The center supports 20 fellows a year whose work is in some way tied to the history of materials and materiality, chemistry, and related sciences. Applications come from a wide range of disciplines across the humanities and social sciences. Short-term fellowships are $3,000; dissertation fellowships are $26,000; and postdoctoral fellowships are $45,000.
Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows Competition for Recent PhDs
The ACLS Public Fellows program allows PhDs to gain valuable, career-building experience in fields such as public policy, international aid, conservation, arts and culture, and digital media. The program will place up to 22 recent PhDs from the humanities and humanistic social sciences in two-year positions at partnering organizations in government and the nonprofit sector. Fellows will participate in the substantive work of these organizations and receive professional mentoring. Fellows receive a stipend of $65,000 per year, as well as individual health insurance. Applicants must possess US citizenship or permanent resident status and have a recent PhD in the humanities or humanistic social sciences.
National Humanities Center Fellowships
The National Humanities Center in North Carolina will offer up to 40 residential fellowships for advanced study in the humanities for September through May. In addition to scholars from all fields of the humanities, the Center accepts individuals from the natural and social sciences, the arts, the professions, and public life who are engaged in humanistic projects. The Center is international in scope and welcomes applications from scholars outside the U.S. Applicants must have a doctorate or equivalent scholarly credentials. The Center seeks to provide at least half salary and covers travel expenses for Fellows and dependents.
NEH-Hagley Postdoctoral Fellowship on Business, Culture, and Society
An in-residence postdoctoral fellowship at the Hagley research library to perform historical research on business and its impact on the world. Scholars can connect their research to other topics in the humanities and social sciences to explain the impact business has had on them and all of the library’s resources will be available for the fellow to aid their research. Fellows must be U.S. citizens or a foreign national who have lived in the U.S. for at least 3 years. The fellowships are for either 4 or 8 months and include lodging, a stipend of $4,200/month and an office space.
Omidyar Fellowship at the Santa Fe Institute
The Omidyar Fellowship at the Santa Fe Institute is unique among postdoctoral appointments. The fellowship offers transdisciplinary collaboration with leading researchers worldwide with up to three years residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Institute has no formal programs or departments. Research is collaborative and spans the physical, natural, and social sciences. Most research is theoretical and/or computational in nature, although some research includes an empirical component. SFI averages 15 resident faculty, 95 external faculty, and 250 visitors per year. Applications are welcome from candidates from any country and any discipline.
Presidential Scholars in Society and Neuroscience
Columbia University offers three interdisciplinary postdoctoral positions in the Presidential Scholars in Society and Neuroscience program for researchers who have earned the doctorate, or its equivalent, in (1) a humanities, arts, or social science discipline and who have extensive acquaintance with, and critical understanding of, neuroscience research; OR (2) neuroscience or a related discipline in the natural sciences and who have extensive acquaintance with, and critical understanding of, another discipline in the arts, humanities, or social sciences. The appointments are three years, $80,000/year.
Princeton Society of Fellows
The Princeton Society of Fellows is an interdisciplinary group of scholars in the humanities, social sciences, and selected natural sciences. Postdoctoral fellows are appointed each year for three-year terms in residence to pursue research and teach half-time in their academic host department. Fellows are provided with a salary of $88,800 per year, benefits, a $5,000 research account, access to university grants, a shared office, a personal computer and other resources. Fellows are expected to reside in or near Princeton during the academic year in order to attend weekly seminars and participate fully in the intellectual life of the Society.
International
APS/Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities Fellowship for Research in Edinburgh
In collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh, the APS offers a visiting fellowship of between 2-4 months for research in Edinburgh in any aspect of the humanities and social sciences. This award includes travel expenses between the United States and the United Kingdom, a private office, library and research facilities at the IASH, and a monthly subsistence paid by the APS. Travel expenses and the monthly subsistence amount will not exceed a maximum of $6,000.
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program provides funding to the very best postdoctoral applicants, both nationally and internationally, who will positively contribute to Canada’s economic, social and research-based growth. Fellows can pursue research in health, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities-based topics. The award is for 2 years and awardees receive $70,000 per year. This program allows applicants to launch a successful research-intensive career while working on a project that aligns with the host institution’s strategic priorities. All applicants must be endorsed by a Canadian research institution.
CAORC Multi-Country Research Fellowship Program
The Multi-Country Fellowship Program supports advanced regional or trans-regional research in the humanities, social sciences, or allied natural sciences for U.S. doctoral candidates and scholars who have already earned their PhD. Preference will be given to candidates examining comparative and/or cross-regional research. Scholars must carry out research in two or more countries outside the United States, at least one of which hosts a participating American overseas research center. Approximately eight awards of up to $10,500 each will be given each year.
Einstein Fellowship
The Einstein Forum and the Daimler & Benz Foundation are offering a fellowship for outstanding young thinkers who wish to pursue a project in a different field from that of their previous research. The fellowship includes living accommodations for 5-6 months in the garden cottage of Einstein’s summerhouse in Caputh, Brandenburg, a stipend of EUR 10,000 and reimbursement of travel expenses. Candidates must be under 35 and hold a university degree in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences. At the end of the program, the fellow must present their project in public lectures at the Einstein Forum and the Daimler & Benz Foundation.
Max Weber Fellowships
Max Weber fellowships are designed for junior post-docs who would like to pursue an academic career, concentrate on their own research and enhance their academic practice in a multidisciplinary environment. Max Weber Fellowships are for 1 or 2 years and are open to candidates who have received a doctorate in the social sciences (economics, law, political science, sociology, history and related fields) within the last 5 years. 55-60 fellowships are awarded annually. The basic grant is €2,000 per month and Fellows are required to live in Florence, Italy for the duration of their Fellowship.
Newton International Fellowships
The Newton International Fellowship selects the very best early stage post-doctoral researchers from all over the world and offers support for two years at UK research institutions. It is for researchers in the fields of physical, natural, clinical and social sciences and the humanities. They provide grants of £24,000 per annum to cover subsistence and up to £8,000 per annum to cover research expenses, plus a one-off relocation allowance of up to £2,000. In addition, Newton International Fellows may be eligible for follow-up funding of up to £6,000 per annum for up to 5 years following the completion of the Fellowship.
Title VIII Research Scholar Program
The program offers support for graduate students, faculty, Ph.D. candidates, post-doctorate, and independent scholars to conduct policy-relevant research for 3-9 months in Central Asia, Russia, the South Caucasus, Ukraine, Southeast Europe and Moldova. The total value of Title VIII Research Scholar fellowships ranges from $5K to $25K each. Typical awards include: international roundtrip airfare from the scholar’s home city to his/her host city overseas, academic affiliation at a leading local university, visa(s), opportunity for housing with a local host family and a living stipend. Scholars in the social sciences and humanities are eligible.
University of Manitoba Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship
Recognized as Western Canada’s first university and located in the city of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba is committed to advancing Indigenous research and achievement, recognizing the significant contributions of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program provides funding to the very best postdoctoral applicants who will positively contribute to Canada’s economic, social and research-based growth. Fellows can pursue research in health, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities-based topics. The award is for 2 years and awardees receive $70,000 per year.
Wallenberg Academy Fellows
The purpose of the Wallenberg Academy Fellows program in Sweden is to give young researchers working conditions that enable them to focus on research and tackle difficult, long-term research questions. The program addresses young researchers in medicine, natural sciences, engineering and technology, humanities and social sciences. Swedish universities are invited to nominate candidates for the program. The Swedish Academies will evaluate and select the most promising researchers and the universities will then take long-term responsibility for these individuals. Fellows will receive grants for 5 years of SEK 1,000,000 – 2,000,000/year.
© Victoria Johnson 2018, all rights reserved