Postdoctoral Scholar of International Relations-Research Associate

The Center for International Studies in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at the University of Southern California (USC; Los Angeles, California) invites applications for a one-year postdoctoral fellowship in the 2021–22 academic year.

We seek applicants with (a) a strong research profile in comparative and/or international political economy, with a preference for security or climate change expertise; and (b) a demonstrated commitment to conducting cutting-edge research targeted at the top journals and university presses in political science and/or international relations.

The Center has a preference for selecting candidates who have an interest in engaging affiliated faculty in USC’s Department of Political Science and International Relations (POIR, https://dornsife.usc.edu/poir), including scholars specializing in:

• The international political economy of security, broadly defined
• Environment, inequality, and redistributive conflicts in global comparative perspective; climate change policy preferences; political economy of state capacity with relation to climate issues

Postdoctoral fellows will also have an option to affiliate with one of two labs within POIR. USC’s Security and Political (SPEC) Lab, which conducts interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research on issues at the intersection of climate change, security, and economic development. This lab applies the Stewardship Model of Mentoring to providing experiential research education to undergraduate students and works particularly hard to recruit first-generation college students, minority students, and other members of other underrepresented groups. Alternatively or additionally, the fellow will also have the option to affiliate with a newly forming Inequality Lab with Professor Allison Hartnett.

If a postdoctoral fellow is interested in affiliating with the SPEC Lab and engaging in mentorship, the Lab is prepared to fund a team of undergraduate research assistants supporting the fellow’s research.

During their year at USC, the postdoctoral fellow will pursue their own research agenda, but we are seeking to recruit an emerging scholar whose research interests are such that mutually beneficial collaboration with POIR faculty and/or doctoral students will yield the following benefits:

• One or more co-authored papers with POIR faculty and/or doctoral students
• Broad intellectual engagement and knowledge transfer between the postdoctoral fellow and the CIS/POIR research community
• Strong research productivity and professional growth for the postdoctoral fellow

Applicants must be junior scholars who have received a PhD within the last three years (and no later than August 1, 2021).

Applications should be complete by March 15, 2021, to receive fullest consideration. Applicants are required to complete the online application process (with few exceptions—such as published books—materials submitted by regular post will not be accepted).

Follow this link or paste it in a browser: http://bit.ly/usccispostdoc

Required materials include a letter of interest, a one-page proposal for collaboration with USC faculty, curriculum vitae, research sample, three reference letters and official graduate transcripts. Inquiries may be sent to cis@dornsife.usc.edu.

This is a one-year fixed term position.