Post Doctoral Fellowship

Stanford PACS is currently accepting applications for postdocs. Please view postdocs specific to the Digital Civil Society Lab, here.

The postdoctoral fellowship will be for the academic year 2018-19. Applications will be accepted through January 8, 2018. 

The Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS) at Stanford University is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join a research project examining civic life in Shenzhen, China. This is part of a cross-national comparative project to advance the understanding of the role of civil society organizations and nonprofits in different global cities located on four continents. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary and international team of faculty, postdocs, and PhD students, and will contribute substantively to all aspects of research design and implementation for the China portion of the study, including fieldwork, data analysis, writing, and publication.

We invite applicants from any relevant social science field, including but not limited to sociology, political science, business, public administration, or policy. Candidates are required to have a PhD by June 30, 2018, and should have demonstrated the promise of excellence in research. Successful candidates will need considerable fieldwork experience, some quantitative skills, and Chinese language proficiency. Prior experience in conducting surveys and interviews is preferred, as the research will involve conducting interviews in Shenzhen.

The position provides ample time for the fellow to pursue her/his current line of scholarship, in addition to collaborating with the team members on the Civic Life of Cities project. Professor Walter W. Powell will serve as lead mentor, and he will work closely with Professor Yan Long of Indiana University who is leading the China portion of the research.  The postdoctoral fellow will be located at the PACS Center at Stanford, and will participate in the intellectual life of the Center, including the PhD/postdoc workshop. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will be appointed for a one-year term beginning in September 2018, which is renewable contingent on mutual interest.

This is a full-time position with a salary of $63,000, plus health insurance.  Other standard benefits that postdoctoral fellows at Stanford University receive will be available, including travel funds to professional meetings and for the research in China. The program falls under U.S. Immigration J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa activities.

How to apply

Application materials should be submitted to the Stanford University Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society via email to vdao@stanford.edu using the subject line “PACS Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2019.” The deadline to submit is January 8, 2018.

Please include the following information in electronic format:

1. Cover letter detailing the reasons for the applicant’s interest in joining the project and coming to Stanford
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Research proposal detailing the research that the fellow would undertake while at Stanford (five page limit)
4. Writing sample consisting of either a dissertation chapter or a recent published paper
5. Graduate Transcript with proof that applicants have completed all the requirements for the PhD, or a letter from their PhD advisor stating they will do so by June 2018
6. Two Letters of Recommendation

To assume a Post-Doctoral Fellowship, you must have a PhD in hand by June 30, 2018.

Stanford University stipulates that postdoctoral fellows must have received their PhD within the past four years. Scholars whose degrees were received before September 2014 are not eligible.

Questions about the application process or requirements should be directed to Valerie Dao, at vdao@stanford.edu.