Arts Impact Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow

The Arts Impact Initiative—housed within the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—seeks to hire a Post-Doctoral Research Associate Fellow. The full-time fellowship will be a 12-month appointment during the 2022-23 academic year, commencing in mid-August 2022.

The Arts Impact Initiative (AII) fosters understanding of the roles of art and artists in community development and promoting social well-being in order to guide both arts practice and policy.

AAI accomplishes its work through three primary approaches:

By translating an evolving understanding of art and artists into actionable strategies for enhancing how we work and live locally, regionally, and nationally

• By partnering with practitioners, communities, and policymakers to identify and inform key information and knowledge needs
• By advancing research and innovative methods in support of these

The Arts Impact Initiative seeks a fellow to help advance its approaches in part through analysis and interpretation of data from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP, snaaparts.org). Through the Arts Impact Initiative, the College of Fine and Applied Arts, is an institutional partner in SNAAP, which seeks to maximize the success and impact of creatives in society by driving evidence-informed change in training and illuminating the value of arts and design education. SNAAP addresses key information needs about artist training, work, and quality of life, and is a leader in enabling scholarship and insights for bolstering the lives and careers of arts graduates. SNAAP will administer its next national survey in Fall 2022. The upcoming survey is being redesigned to have a greater emphasis on matters of belonging and inclusion, to better understand artists’ training needs in context of the impacts of the pandemic, and to be administered in a manner that is more inclusive of the array of higher education institutions that award arts and design degrees. This timing offers a unique opportunity for the Post-Doctoral Fellow to be involved with related research, to utilize the new survey data, and to be involved in broader SNAAP activities.

This search is open to scholars in all social sciences, education, institutional research and planning, and other relevant fields, whose research interests contribute to the mission of the Arts Impact Initiative, and who have a strong interest in applied research. The Post-Doctoral Fellow will work collaboratively with faculty and research teams on ongoing or newly developed projects within the Arts Impact Initiative and/or SNAAP; will independently and collaboratively conduct research and develop publications; and is invited to participate in a growing community of practice in the College of Fine and Applied Arts around the intersection of arts practice, policy, and pedagogy. It is expected that the successful candidate also will engage with the campus-wide postdoctoral community through various professional development opportunities offered by the Graduate College.

This position can be remote. The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Scholars who identify as BIPOC, minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO To learn more about the University’s commitment to diversity, please visit http://www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu 

 The fellow will receive:

• • salary (with benefits including health, dental, vision, )
  • research funds
  • travel support for two campus visits during the academic year, one visit in 2023 for the purpose of presenting research to the College of Fine and Applied Arts and its broader community

Salary is competitive with College of Fine and Applied Arts Postdoctoral Hires and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

 Required qualifications include:

• doctorate degree completed by August 1, 2022, and within the last 3 years
• demonstrated research interest in research on art-relevant labor and the career trajectories of artists
• strong interest in applied research
• collaborative approached to research

Preferred qualifications include:

• facility with and interest in mixed-methods studies, including experience analyzing survey data
• research agenda that contributes to and can be advanced by the alignment of the Post- Doctoral Fellowship opportunity and research efforts of the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project

This Arts Impact Initiative is supported by Investment for Growth funding from the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

To apply, submit the following by Wednesday, November 17th at noon (CST) to Dr. Carolyn Randolph-Kato, Visiting Associate Director, Arts Impact Initiative at crandol2@illinois.edu

• Cover letter that includes brief overview of research agenda
• CV

• Research or writing sample

References and letters of recommendation are not needed at this time. Please provide name, affiliation and emails of 3 references that may be contacted at later stages of the hiring process.