Career Center

Southeast Asia Social Science Initiative Post-Doctoral Fellow

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

The Southeast Asia Program (SEAP) at Cornell University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow. We are seeking an independent and highly motivated social scientist with fieldwork and area expertise on one or more Southeast Asian countries. Scholars from a range of social science fields including economics, sociology, demography, geography, data science, labor relations, planning, and political science are encouraged to apply. We especially welcome someone able to work across disciplinary boundaries and is interested in the intersections between research, public engagement, and policymaking in the Southeast Asian context.

Since its founding in 1951, SEAP has contributed to understanding Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei, East Timor, and Singapore in a comparative regional and global context, with a distinctive interdisciplinary program that spans the humanities, social sciences, and applied sciences. At present, Southeast Asia faces ongoing challenges, from environmental degradation and climate change to democratic backsliding, civil conflict, and inclusive economic growth. These challenges have practical significance for over the lives of over half a billion people in the region, and call for a renewed focus on how governments, citizens, and other actors must respond to them.

The most competitive candidates will have proficiency in one (or more) Southeast Asian language(s), and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary contexts. We strongly encourage scholars from Southeast Asia and underrepresented scholars who have been historically and structurally excluded from research and funding opportunities to apply. The Fellow will be housed in the Kahin Center for Advanced Research on Southeast Asia and, through SEAP, be part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. SEAP will also provide connections to the Brooks School for Public Policy, the Department of Global Development, and other Cornell units as relevant to the Fellow's research and teaching interests.

Roles

The Fellow will teach one class per year on a topic focused on Southeast Asia in a department closely related to their field of study. They will primarily contribute to SEAP's Southeast Asia Social Sciences Initiative by conducting independent research and disseminating their findings through presentations, publications, podcasts and public outlets such as the SEAP Bulletin and other forms of outreach. The Fellow is expected to be in residence at Cornell's Ithaca campus where they can take advantage of the Echols Collection on Southeast Asia in the library and participate in SEAP's weekly Gatty Lecture series as well as seminars and other programming in the Brooks School of Public Policy and/or the Department of Global Development.

Requirements

Awardees must have earned the doctoral degree within five years of beginning their fellowship. Candidates with more than five years of postdoctoral experience and those who received their Ph.D. from Cornell are not eligible. Awardees may not simultaneously hold any other paid or unpaid position during the term of the appointment. Before starting their fellowship, candidates will be asked to confirm that their doctoral degree has been conferred.

How to Apply

Salary and Appointment Details

• SASSI Fellow is provided an annual stipend based on NIH salary requirements and candidate experience. They will receive Cornell benefits for the duration of their post-doctoral fellow appointment.
• In addition to the annual stipend, Fellows receive an annual professional development fund of $2,000 per fellowship year. Fellows will also have the opportunity to apply for additional research funds through discussion with the SEAP faculty steering committee and the SEAP Director.
• Fellows are appointed for a one-year term with the potential for a second-year renewal. The SEAP Director will lead the second-year renewal process in consultation with the SEAP faculty steering committee.
• Fellowship start date is negotiable between July 1 and September 1, 2023.
• Candidates will be notified of selection decisions by April 15, 2023.

Supervision

Fellows will be housed within SEAP, part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, and will work closely with the SEAP Director Tom Pepinsky and other faculty involved in SASSI.

Employment Assistance:

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also visit the office of Workforce Recruitment and Retention Monday - Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. to use a dedicated workstation to complete an online application.

Notice to Applicants:

EEO Statement:

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University's heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations. Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose, and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement.