Carter G. Woodson Institute for African American and African Studies Post-Doctoral Research Associate

The Carter G. Woodson Institute for African American and African Studies invites applications for residential post-doctoral Research Associates, beginning in July 2027 (must have PhD in hand by June 2027). The program welcomes applications from candidates across all disciplines of the humanities and social sciences whose work focuses on African American and African Diasporic Studies, including but not limited in geographic scope to the U.S., the Caribbean, Latin America, the Africa subcontinent, and/or the Diaspora. Individuals selected for the fellowship will hold the title of Research Associate and will be required to relocate to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia for the duration of the fellowship term.

This is a twelve-month appointment, renewable for a second year. The rate of pay is $53,000 in year one with an increase in the second year. All research associates receive full-time benefits and may be eligible for a one-time relocation reimbursement of $1,000. Additionally, research associates receive an allowance for research and travel-related expenses (up to $2,000, annually). Selected applicants are required to teach one course per academic year in the Department of African American and African Studies (AAS) in the fall or spring semester, engage in regular manuscript workshops (about twice monthly) with an interdisciplinary cohort of other scholars, and make at least one formal presentation of their research to the University community during the academic year.

Applicants for the post-doctoral fellowship must have their PhD in-hand by no later than June 15, 2027. As this is an early-career opportunity, post-doctoral applicants must have received their Ph.D. no earlier than six-years prior to the application deadline.

Application Timeline:

Applications must be received by December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time. Letters of recommendation must be received by December 8th.

Review Period

• December 2026 - January 2027

Notification of Awards

• March 2027

Fellowship Residency Begins

• July 2027

How to Apply

Please apply online , by searching for requisition number R00XXX . Complete an application with the following documents:

• C.V/Resume (file naming protocol: LastName_CV)
• Cover Letter (file naming protocol: LastName_Cover Letter)
• Writing Sample 1 (file naming protocol: LastName_Sample1)
  • Please submit 1 attachment containing the following information
    • Project title
    • Abstract or short-description of project (should not exceed 50 words)
    • Project description (should not exceed 7 double-spaced pages or 1,750 words)
• Writing Sample 2 (file naming protocol: LastName_Sample2)
  • Please submit 1 attachment containing the following:
    • Bibliography (should not exceed 4 double-spaced pages)
    • Syllabus for a previously taught or prospective course
• 3 Letters of Recommendation by persons qualified to evaluate the proposals for which support is being sought
• N.B.: The application does not require an additional academic writing sample (a paper or dissertation chapter). The review committee will assess the abstract and project description as an example of one's writing.

Upload materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.

Letters of recommendation should be sent separately to the following email address: woodsonfellows-recommendation-letters@virginia.edu.

Please note: Individuals may not apply for the Woodson pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships at the same time.

This position is open to qualified candidates without restriction as to citizenship or current residence.

Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment.

Recruiter Contact

For questions about the application process, please contact Melanie Sponaugle, unw5dq@virginia.edu .

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment .