invites applications for a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Associates. This is a one-year
appointment with a start date of August 16, 2025, and is renewable for an additional year,
contingent on satisfactory performance review, funding, and unit needs.
Applicants must demonstrate promise for a tenure-track appointment at a research college or
university, and their primary research focus must be in or related to African American Studies.
We look to recruit a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of African American Studies, with a
preference for a social scientist (i.e., political science, anthropology, sociology, psychology, or
related field). Proposed research projects should have the potential to make a significant
contribution to the field.
The postdoctoral research associate will be housed in the Department of African American
Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and will also be provided opportunities to
build a supportive on-campus community with the associates from American Indian Studies,
Asian American Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies and Latina/Latino Studies.
The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and
hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity, age, national origin, disability or veteran status. For more information,
visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.
Qualifications
The candidates must have attained a Ph.D. within the past 5 years or have completed this
requirement by August 15, 2025.
This is an external appointment. Current University of Illinois faculty members and graduate
students at the Urbana-Champaign campus are not eligible to apply. Scholars who received
their Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are also not eligible for these
appointments.
Salary and Appointment Information
This is a one-year appointment that is renewable for an additional year, contingent on
satisfactory performance review, funding, and unit needs. The appointment has a target start
date of August 16, 2025, and is for a nine-month period, August 16, 2025 – May 15, 2026.
Recipient may not hold other postdoctoral positions, fellowships, or awards during the
appointment period. The postdoctoral research associate is expected to be in residence for the
duration of the appointment (August 2025 – May 2026).
The postdoctoral research associate will be expected to participate in research and teaching.
While research and participation in the intellectual life of the program is the primary
responsibility, the postdoctoral research associate will be expected to teach one course in the
Department of African American Studies. The specific teaching duties will be decided in
consultation with the Executive Officer of the Department of African American Studies.
The salary is $59,404 paid over a 12-month period (August 2025 – August 2026) and includes a
comprehensive benefits package. A research budget of $5,000 will be provided. The program
will provide the postdoctoral research associate with office space.
Employee benefits are competitive and include those in recognized marriages or civil unions
(for same-sex and different-sex partners). Please reference:
https://humanresources.illinois.edu/employees/new-hires/benefits.html
We welcome and encourage applicants who have had non-traditional pathways to academia,
including taking time off to care for loved ones, single parenting / guardianship, and individuals
who have excelled in the arts, community organizing and advocacy, or professional service.
The strength of the department can only be enhanced by scholars, staff, and faculty who are
committed to continuing to transform the world through the ethics of justice, diversity, equity,
and inclusion.
Application Procedures and Deadline Information
To apply, create your candidate profile through https://jobs.illinois.edu and upload your
application materials:
· Cover letter
· Curriculum vitae
· Two scholarly writing samples
· Contact information for three professional references
To apply, please visit https://illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/12510?c=illinois.
To guarantee full consideration, application materials should be submitted by 6 pm CST on
January 17, 2025.
For further information on African American Studies, please visit our website:
https://afro.illinois.edu/
Please direct your questions regarding the postdoctoral research associate positions to the
search committee chair, Erik S. McDuffie; emcduffi@illinois.edu. Questions regarding the
application process, please contact 217-333-2137 or lascollegehiring@illinois.edu.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
The Department of African American Studies is made up of a dedicated faculty, a diverse
student body, and a commitment to our motto, “Academic Excellence and Social
Responsibility.” In our teaching and research, we are dedicated to producing and transmitting
knowledge of the history and contemporary situation of African Americans, who in turn form a
key part of the greater United States population, the diaspora of people of African descent, and
the global community.
The program integrates courses and research from the social sciences and humanities in the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with other academic areas throughout the university such
as fine arts, education, journalism, and law. Twelve core faculty members and more than thirty
faculty affiliates from throughout the University participate in the department’s activities.