General Description

The SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University is an academic and public forum dedicated to strengthening global democracy through civic engagement and informed, inclusive dialogue.

The SNF Agora Institute especially especially invites sociologists and economists to apply for its 2026-27 SNF Agora Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship. 

The postdoctoral program is a one-year program, starting on July 01, 2026, intended to support recent doctoral degree recipients whose scholarship engages with questions and topics directly related to the institute's mission. The SNF Agora Academy seeks two fellows who would engage actively with and benefit from a multidisciplinary scholarly community that enables them to extend their research and public engagement in new directions, with the active mentorship of SNF Agora Institute faculty.

The fellows will carry out their own research, while participating in seminars and being full members of the intellectual community. As part of their commitment to the institute, they are expected to participate actively in a research/practice project of the institute, reside in the Baltimore-DC area, and regularly engage in in-person institute activities, including weekly Tuesday and Thursday seminars.

One of the central goals of the SNF Agora Institute is to foster conversations and collaboration that don't happen elsewhere. The fellows must have a strong academic record and be on a trajectory to contribute to key disciplinary conversations, but also be excited about being part of a community that is not simply made up of academics, whether that helps them integrate other perspectives into their scholarship, employs their scholarship to help strengthen democracy in tangible ways, or both.  We strongly encourage applicants to think creatively about how their research interacts with scholars in other disciplines and efforts to strengthen democracy in the world and, thus, support the SNF Agora mission. Getting your work into the public domain is not the same as having impact. How do you hope to have impact? Are there civic and political entities, including movements, parties, governmental organizations, media, etc. that you could partner with? Do you have ideas that could contribute to public debates around democracy as well as academic ones? This work should be in addition to and not a replacement for a strong academic trajectory.

Compensation
Fellows will be appointed initially for a one-year term, and will have the opportunity to extend their fellowship for a second academic year. The fellowship includes an annual stipend of $70,000 and modest moving and research budgets. 

Qualifications

Applicants must have received a doctorate or equivalent terminal degree in May 2024 or later; applicants without a terminal degree must demonstrate that they will receive one by August 2026. Further, their scholarship, either in the field of sociology or economics, should engage with questions and topics directly related to the mission of the SNF Agora Institute. 

Application Instructions

Please submit the required documents via Interfolio: 

a) CV (up to date);
b) Research statement (max 1,500 words) proposing fellowship goals and activities, in light of your research and the mission and work of the SNF Agora Institute;
c) Writing sample of solo-authored work (max 10,000 words), which can be either an article or an extract from a dissertation or longer work; and  
d) (3) Confidential letters of recommendation. 

Salary Range

The referenced salary range represents the minimum and maximum salaries for this position and is based on Johns Hopkins University's good faith belief at the time of posting. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. The actual compensation offered to the selected candidate may vary and will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, internal equity, market conditions, education/training and other factors, as reasonably determined by the University.

Total Rewards

Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other legally protected characteristic. The university is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance and merit without regard to personal factors that are irrelevant to the program involved.

Pre-Employment Information

If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office at [email protected]. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations or accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, please visit accessibility.jhu.edu.

Background Checks

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check including education verification.

EEO is the Law:

https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf

Diversity and Inclusion

The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion.

Vaccine Requirements

Johns Hopkins University strongly encourages, but no longer requires, at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine does not apply to positions located in the State of Florida. We still require all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Exceptions to the COVID and flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. This change does not apply to the School of Medicine (SOM). SOM hires must be fully vaccinated with an FDA COVID-19 vaccination and provide proof of vaccination status. For additional information, applicants for SOM positions should visit https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/ and all other JHU applicants should visit https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/covid-vaccination-information/.

The following additional provisions may apply, depending upon campus. Your recruiter will advise accordingly. The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.