JOB OPPORTUNITY
Job title: Postdoctoral Research Associate – Bridge to Faculty in Political Science (Univ of Illinois at Chicago)
Hiring institution: University of Illinois at Chicago
Location: Chicago, Illinois | United States
Application deadline: 01/16/2024
Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate – Bridge to Faculty in Political Science
Hiring Department: Political Science
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Requisition ID: req7841
Posting Close Date: 1/16/2024
Desired Start Date 8/16/2024
Position Summary
The Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) invites applications for the position of Bridge to Faculty (B2F Postdoctoral Research Associate) in Political Science, open subfield, two years beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year (August 16, 2024), subject to budgetary approval.
Duties & Responsibilities
The Bridge to Faculty Scholars program seeks to advance diversity on the permanent faculty level by encouraging the recruitment, retention, and promotion of outstanding scholars from different backgrounds, with an emphasis on attracting individuals from groups who have been historically underrepresented in the discipline of Political Science. The program seeks to transition recruited scholars to tenure-track positions after two years of successful work during which the scholar will be provided with adequate time, resources and mentorship to focus on research activities and scholarly publications. The position is designed to allow the candidate to prepare and submit publications from their PhD dissertation and to develop a post-dissertation research program that will allow them to position themselves in the field. Teaching responsibilities will not exceed a total of one course each year for the duration of the two-year B2F postdoctoral period. In addition to their mentorship within Political Science, the postdoctoral scholar will benefit from a cohort-based mentoring experience through the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, along with other B2F Scholars. Successful postdocs in the Bridge to Faculty program have the opportunity to transition to tenure-track faculty at UIC starting in the 2026-2027 academic year (August 16, 2026). More information on the B2F program can be found at: https://diversity.uic.edu/faculty/bridge-to-faculty/.
Qualifications:
We seek candidates with a PhD in Political Science or a related discipline who exhibit a promising research trajectory and a strong commitment to teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Candidates must have received a PhD in Political Science or a related discipline no earlier than August 16, 2019 and no later than August 16, 2024.
We especially encourage applications from those whose expertise and interests fit broadly in one or more of the following areas:
Urban politics (ideally with some focus on Chicago politics); neighborhood and community development; metropolitan governance and political economy; sustainable urbanism and planning; social movements and the right to the city; race, ethnicity and inequality; migrant and diaspora politics; comparative urbanism.
The successful candidate will bring to their research perspectives on political science that incorporate the experiences of underrepresented groups in the US as well as on social groups underserved by academic research and teaching. Priority will be given to candidates with demonstrated ability to effectively work with diverse student populations at a university in the United States.
About the Political Science Department
The Political Science Department, located in a vibrant US metropolis, has strengths in urban politics, political institutions, comparative politics, and political behavior, and promotes research deploying a plurality of methods that engages urban, regional, national, and transnational communities, and the linkages among them.
About the University of Illinois Chicago
UIC is among the nation’s preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation, and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert with civic, corporate and community partners worldwide. By emphasizing cutting-edge and transformational research along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodies the dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent “Best Colleges” rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. UIC has nearly 260,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the city of Chicago.
The University of Illinois at Chicago is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer, dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching, researching, and working in a multicultural environment and strongly encourages applications from underrepresented populations. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, Veteran or disability status.
The University of Illinois may conduct background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4292&pageId=1411899
To apply, complete an on-line application at https://jobs.uic.edu , and include the following: 1) the names and email addresses for three or more references, 2) full curriculum vitae, 3) two writing samples totaling no more than 100 pages, and 4) a cover letter that highlights the candidate’s commitment to diversity, and explains how the candidate’s research and teaching qualifications complement and augment the hiring department’s faculty expertise.
Questions about the position can be directed to Prof. Cedric Johnson, the chair of the search committee, at cedjohns@uic.edu. The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and continue until the position is full. For fullest consideration, applications should be completed by January 16, 2024.
