Moraga, California
Berkeley, California
Syracuse, New York
Wilmington, North Carolina
Warwick, Rhode Island
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Alfred, New York
East Bay, California
Posted: 29-May-26
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Internal Number: 278234
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. In addition, please include contact information for three individuals who can serve as references.
You have the option of providing a sample of previous work in any form that you see as relevant to this position with the Inclusive History Project. This may be a single-author or multi-author paper or publication, a digital humanities project you contributed to, an exhibition catalog, another public engagement project, etc. Please include the sample in the same file as your cover letter and resume, or for web-based resources, include a link in your cover letter. If your file size with the attached work sample exceeds the application system's limits, you may email it to inclusivehistory@umich.edu. Please note that the work sample must be received by the application deadline to be included with your application. This sample of previous work is optional and not required.
The Inclusive History Project (IHP) is seeking a Research Fellow to join our team on the Ann Arbor campus to work with research projects on the history of the University of Michigan, with a desired start date in August 2026.
The IHP is a multi-year presidential initiative studying and documenting a comprehensive history of the University of Michigan that stretches across its three campuses and Michigan Medicine. The IHP is working to engage the entire university and neighboring communities to better understand the institution?s full history, including its record of inclusion and exclusion, and to consider what actions this history demands in the present.
The Inclusive History Project has multiple large-scale, collaborative research project sites on the history of U-M underway, many of which will be completing their research in the coming year and producing public-facing outputs. These outputs may include publications, exhibitions, podcasts, digital platforms, teaching resources, public engagements of various scales and formats, and more.
Reporting to IHP Managing Director Jenni Brady, with a dotted line to IHP Research Director for the Ann Arbor campus Jay Cook, the Research Fellow will work closely with project site principal investigators and research teams to manage and support their work as they complete research and produce research deliverables. This person will make key contributions both as a project manager and a researcher across four IHP project sites. In particular, they will work closely with a new project site, the African American Student Project 2.0, which is launching in Summer 2026, as well as with Outsiders, Insiders, Radicals, and Reformers: A History of Jews at the University of Michigan. Some support of Beyond the Big House: Athletics Advocacy and Sports Culture at U-M and Towards Community-Based Shared Stewardship will also be part of this role.
As a project manager, the research fellow will collaborate with project PIs and help to develop and oversee plans for completing research agendas and producing engaging, public-facing outputs. As a researcher, they will be responsible for conducting historical research, preparing research findings to share with internal and external audiences, and leading and mentoring undergraduate and graduate student researchers.
The Research Fellow will join a dedicated and dynamic IHP central team that includes professional staff, other research fellows, and more. They will participate in additional IHP activities as needed.
The initial appointment will be for one year, with the potential for renewal for a second year based on satisfactory performance and funding availability.
This position is based in Ann Arbor, MI. Work will be hybrid, with regular in-person work required.
Research and professional development funds in the amount of $3,000 will be made available for research and scholarly travel expenses.
Project management (50%)
- Coordinate and run regular meetings with project site PIs, including setting agendas, facilitating meetings, designating action items, and following up as needed
- Develop plans, timelines, and structures for pursuing research agendas and creating public-facing deliverables for IHP research project sites, and monitor progress over time
- Perform administrative tasks to ensure the smooth operation of the project sites, including scheduling meetings, taking minutes, coordinating logistical details, and more
- Meet regularly with the Ann Arbor IHP Research Director to track and ensure progress on project site research agendas
- Work in collaboration with IHP staff, U-M colleagues in a range of units and programs, and community partners to coordinate and support the development, execution, review, and launch of research deliverables
- Identify and access campus resources to support research and the building of research deliverables, including campus libraries, IT services, and more
- Act as a liaison between research teams, the Ann Arbor IHP Research Director, and IHP central staff, ensuring regular communication and coordination as research proceeds
- Regularly collaborate with IHP staff on IHP-wide projects, including public programs and other initiatives
Research (50%)
- In consultation with PIs, help to shape research priorities and questions and oversee their implementation
- Conduct archival, primary, and secondary research that contributes to current project sites
- Provide training, coordination, and hands on mentoring for undergraduate and graduate student RAs, including assigning and supervising research tasks and conducting regular check-ins individually and in groups
- Coordinate the creation and maintenance of research records by the project sites collaborative research teams, including overseeing the centralized collection and data management of research by undergraduate and graduate student RAs
- Serve as an author/contributor for transforming project site research into published findings, which may include writing new articles on specific findings, producing digital exhibits and other online materials, generating content for the IHP website, and authoring papers for future IHP symposia or conferences
- Organize, prepare, and participate in public presentations that summarize, analyze, and synthesize findings for IHP leadership as well as campus and external audience
- PhD in History or a related humanities or social sciences field
- Experience working as part of a collaborative research project or team, ideally with some prior experience coordinating a research team, and/or in designing or contributing to public-facing research deliverables
- Experience with administration or project management, preferably in an academic setting
- Experience with digital humanities, such as contributing to or building digital platforms or projects
The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.
