Princeton Society of Fellows Associate Research Scholars 2026/29

The Princeton Society of Fellows, an interdisciplinary group of scholars in the humanities and humanities-related social sciences, calls for fellowship applications annually. All fellowships will be awarded to applicants in the disciplines represented in the Society who are at the beginning of their academic career. Selection is based on exceptional scholarly achievement and evidence of unusual promise, range and quality of teaching experience, and potential contributions to an interdisciplinary community. The Society of Fellows seeks a diverse and international pool of applicants.

Appointed as Associate Research Scholars in the Council of the Humanities for three years, fellows pursue their research, attend weekly seminars and teach in academic departments. In each of the first two years, fellows teach one undergraduate course per semester, pending approval by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty; in their third year, they teach only one course in either semester. When teaching, fellows will carry the secondary rank of Lecturer.

For the 2026-2029 fellowship competition, the Society of Fellows welcomes applications for the fellowship categories outlined below. Applicants may be considered for more than one fellowship category pertinent to their research and teaching.

1) Two or Three Open Fellowships in the Humanities and Social Sciences

These fellowships are open to applicants in all disciplines represented in the Society of Fellows. The fellowships' responsibilities include both research and teaching, one course each semester in the first and second years, one course in the third year. The fellows will either participate in team-taught courses or offer self-designed courses in the host department and/or an interdisciplinary program. In addition, fellows normally take on some advising in their specialty or related research areas.

2) One Fellowship in Humanistic Studies

This fellowship is supported jointly by the Council of the Humanities and the Society of Fellows and is open to candidates in the humanities disciplines represented in the Society. The fellowship’s responsibilities include research and teaching, one course each semester in the first and second years, one course in the third year. Courses are offered in a fellow’s host department and cross-listed with the Program in Humanistic Studies, possibly additional programs. In the spring semester of the first two years, the fellow will join a faculty team to co-teach in the Humanities Sequence, Interdisciplinary Approaches to Western Culture: From the Renaissance to the modern period. The fellow will be called upon to lead or contribute to occasional activities designed to build a sense of community among undergraduates in the Program in Humanistic Studies, which offers local and international field trips, an undergraduate society, workshops and other opportunities.

3) One Fellowship in East Asian Studies

This fellowship is supported jointly by the Department of East Asian Studies and the Society of Fellows and is open to candidates in the humanities disciplines represented in the Society whose research focus is East Asia. The fellowship’s responsibilities include research and teaching, one course each semester in the first and second years, one course in the third year. Courses are offered in the Department of East Asian Studies and can be cross-listed with other programs or departments. For one semester in each of the first two years, the fellow is expected to co-teach on of the following courses: East Asian Humanities I: The Classical Foundations (antiquity to ca. 1600), East Asian Humanities II: Traditions and Transformations (modern period to present), East Asia to 1600, or East Asia since 1800. In addition, fellows normally take on some advising in their specialty or related research areas.

Summary

1. Application Deadline: August 05, 2025
2. Category: Fellowship
3. Host Country: United States
4. School: Princeton University

Eligibility Criteria for Princeton Society of Fellows Associate Research Scholars 2026/29

Ph.D. Degree Requirements:

1) Applicants already holding the Ph.D. degree at the time of their application will need to have received their degree between January 1, 2024 and the application deadline, August 5, 2025. The receipt of the Ph.D. is determined by the date on which all requirements for the degree, including the defense and filing of the dissertation, were fulfilled. Priority will be given to applicants who have received no more than one year of research-only funding past the Ph.D. degree.

Applicants with a Ph.D. are asked to upload a document to the application site with evidence of completion of all requirements for the Ph.D. degree (either a formal Ph.D. certificate, an official transcript, or a degree confirmation letter by the individual’s dean, graduate school, or registrar).

2) Applicants who are ABD (All But Dissertation) at the time of their application: Applicants who do not meet the August 5, 2025 deadline for receipt of their Ph.D., but are expected to have fulfilled all conditions for the degree, including defense and filing of dissertation, by June 15, 2026, may apply for a postdoctoral fellowship, provided they have completed a substantial portion of their dissertation (at least half).

Applicants who are ABD need to upload an official letter by the Department Chair or Director of Graduate Studies confirming “progress to degree” as part of their online application.

ABD candidates who are awarded a fellowship will be asked to provide an official document from their institution’s Registrar or Dean of the Graduate School at the time of their appointment (no later than June 15, 2026).

Further Eligibility Criteria:

1. Applicants who have already applied to the Princeton Society of Fellows may not apply a second time. They therefore recommend that applicants wait to submit an application until they have completed a substantial portion of the dissertation (at least half).
2. Candidates for/recipients of doctorates in Education (Ed.D. or Ph.D. degrees), in Jurisprudence, the DMA, and candidates for/recipients of Ph.D. degrees from Princeton University are not eligible to apply.
3. The positions are subject to the University's background check policy.
4. Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Benefits of Princeton Society of Fellows Associate Research Scholars 2026/29

1. Expected Salary Range: $101,000 - $105,000
2. A $5,000 research account,
3. access to certain university grants,
4. a shared office, computer and other resources.
5. Fellows are expected to be on campus during the academic year in order to participate fully in the intellectual life of the Society and the wider University community.

How to Apply

1. The form below must be completed to submit your application for this position.
2. It is recommended that you read through the entire application and gather the required application materials before beginning your application. You will not be able to save or return to edit a partial application. Only complete applications will be accepted for consideration and the application form must be completed in its entirety before it can be submitted.
3. Upon submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email at the email address that you provide in your application. In some cases, your references may be contacted using the email address that you provide for them and may be asked to provide their recommendation via a web-based form similar to the application form.
4. Be sure to provide the correct email addresses for you and all of your references to ensure that communications from Princeton University are properly delivered.
5. For more information, send an email to fellows@princeton.edu.

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Application Deadline

05 August, 2025

Application Link(s)

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