Job Description
About Columbia World Projects
Columbia World Projects mobilizes the university’s researchers and scholars to work with governments, organizations, businesses and communities to tackle global challenges. Columbia World Projects is a major, university-wide initiative that aims to forge a closer and more useful connection between Columbia University’s vast research capabilities and the needs of the world.
Columbia World Projects is part of Columbia Global, which brings together major global initiatives from across the university to advance knowledge and foster global engagement. In addition to World Projects, those initiatives include the Columbia Global Centers, the Committee on Global Thought, and the Institute for Ideas and Imagination.
Columbia Global’s mission is to address complex global challenges through groundbreaking scholarly pursuits, leadership development, cutting-edge research, and projects that aim for social impact.
Position Summary
Columbia World Projects is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Scholar (PRS) to join its Research and Engagement team beginning July 1, 2025. The PRS will play a significant role supporting one or more of CWP’s program areas, most notably on democracy or urbanism, while pursuing their own research and publication goals.
While the PRS’s research agenda can focus on a range of relevant issues, we are particularly interested in candidates whose research might support, amplify, and extend existing initiatives on and have practical applications for democratic institutions, political behavior and norms, or digital platform governance, with attention to public impact. Candidates may work in a variety of scholarly fields, including (but not limited to) the social sciences, including history and political philosophy, and legal or policy studies.
The PRS will have a strong research background on democracy questions and experience engaging practitioners and public audiences. Key activities are to conduct research, help convene and support an advisory committee of Columbia faculty for CWP’s programming, design convenings, draft concept notes on relevant topics and, as appropriate, produce public facing reports and scholarly publications. When relevant, the PRS will also participate in bridge-building efforts between the research community and the worlds of practice and policy.
As a member of the Columbia World Projects intellectual community, the PRS will likely engage with scholars and practitioners in academia, foundations, community organizations, and the private sector. They will join workshop discussions and make contributions across CWP’s range of research projects and activities. The PRS will be mentored and supervised by senior leadership in the Research and Engagement team, and work closely with a Project Officer.
Qualifications
PhD degree required.
Salary Range
The salary range for this position is $71,050 - $75,000 per year. This is a one-year appointment with the possibility of renewal. Only complete applications submitted via the process outlined below will be considered.
Application
Interested applicants should submit the following materials via Submittable:
- Cover Letter describing your research interests, relevant experience mobilizing networks of researchers and practitioners, and how the position would advance both intellectual and professional aspirations;
- Curriculum Vitae;
- Documentation of PhD conferment, or timeline for obtaining degree;
- Writing sample consisting of a single journal article, essay, or chapter (published or unpublished); applicants may also include op-eds, policy briefs, or similar written pieces;
- Contact information for three references, including a doctoral supervisor.
Key Deadlines
All application materials must be received no later than January 31, 2025 at 5:00pm. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2025.