Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, History and Cultures of U.S. Democracy and Civic Knowledge

Position description

The History Department at the University of Montana invites applications for a two-year Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in the History and Cultures of U.S. Democracy and Civic Knowledge to begin August 1, 2025. Chronological and thematic areas of research and teaching expertise are open, but we are especially interested in applicants whose scholarship and/or teaching addresses the circumstantial conditions that have animated American democracy over the past 250 years and who have an interest in developing curriculum related to civic education, broadly construed. The postdoc will be expected to offer courses on topics related to the history and cultures of U.S. democracy 1776-present and play an active role in developing a Democracy Studies Program at the University of Montana. As part of this work, the postdoc will join an interdisciplinary team of faculty engaged in research, teaching, and program-building to advance our collective understanding of American democracy past, present, and future. For example, the postdoc will help develop and pilot a first-year seminar on “The Challenge of Citizenship,” which will serve as a gateway course for the new Democracy Studies curriculum and a planned First-Year Civics Initiative. 

The postdoc will be expected to teach three courses (including one section of “The Challenge of Citizenship”) in the first year and four courses (including one section of the “The Challenge of Citizenship”) in the second year. They will also be expected to maintain an active research agenda and give a public lecture based on their research.

The University of Montana is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five priorities for action: Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always”; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.

Position Details

• Position is full-time (1.0 FTE) 12-month Letter of Appointment (renewable for a second year, contingent upon satisfactory performance) with a salary of $60,000, comprehensive and competitive benefits packageincluding insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, and wellness program.
• As a member of the University of Montana community, the postdoc will also have full access to campus resources as well as career and professional development support from the Office of Organizational Learning and Development.
• In addition, $2000 is available to cover relocation costs and $2000 is available for research travel during the appointment.

Qualifications

• Applicants must hold a PhD, or be ABD, in United States History or a related field. To be eligible for the fellowship, applicants must have their degree conferred by June 30, 2025. Applicants who do not have a PhD in hand at the time of application must include a letter from their committee chair or department stating that their degree will be conferred before the term of the fellowship begins.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Research and/or teaching interests that address the circumstantial conditions that have animated American democracy over the past 250 years; interest in developing curriculum related to civic education, broadly construed.

Application instructions

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