Review of Applications will begin December 1, 2023. Applications will be received until the position is filled.
The Center for Presidential History (CPH) at Southern Methodist University invites applications for a three-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Oral History, with potential for renewal or extension, to begin in May 2024 (or earlier, if candidate is available).
The CPH welcomes applicants from all fields, topics, and time periods in U.S. History, particularly those with academic and practical expertise in the field of oral history. The successful candidate will exercise a leadership role for the CPH’s research and work in the fields of oral history, documentary history, and digital history initiatives. In its first decade (2012-2022), the CPH has accomplished its work in these fields primarily through its Collective Memory Project, a filmed oral history of the life and times of the George W. Bush presidency. In its next decade, the CPH seeks to expand this work. This Fellow will play a leading role in organizing and shaping this future work, and will have the opportunity to build on already-existing partnerships with professors, librarians, and students with the Voices of SMU Oral History (https://blog.smu.edu/voicesofsmu) project and in the Clements Department of History (https://www.smu.edu/dedman/academics/departments/history).
Responsibilities will span the breadth of CPH oral history initiatives, including design, management, recording, web-based presentation, and preservation. The Fellow will have CPH support to pursue their own research and publishing agenda, and will be expected to participate in the general academic and public life of the CPH. The CPH is home to a vibrant postdoctoral fellowship program, supports research within and outside of SMU and pursues ongoing public engagement through events, podcasts, and educational partnerships. Fellows seeking teaching experience may have opportunity to offer courses through the SMU History department in their field of expertise. SMU is a nationally-ranked, private, non-sectarian research institution located in one of the nation’s fastest growing metropolitan areas. Our colleagues are part of an inclusive and intellectually vibrant community of internationally recognized scholars across the humanities, social sciences, mathematical sciences, engineering and business. SMU offers excellent benefits including full same-sex domestic partner benefits. The City of Dallas is one of the nation’s most cosmopolitan commercial and cultural centers, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is the fourth largest in the U.S. To learn more about Dedman College and SMU, please visit https://www.smu.edu/dedman and https:/www.smu.edu.
Qualifications
The Fellow will receive a competitive salary and benefits, annual funds to support research and conference travel, and opportunity to host a workshop for their book manuscript. Fellow must be in residence at SMU during the term of the fellowship and must have successfully defended their doctoral dissertation before the appointment begins. Preference will be given to applicants who have broad experience in the field of oral history, can independently work with interview subjects and our center’s broader community, and for whom additional time and resources will culminate in the completion of a publishable book-length manuscript.
Application Instructions
Applications must be submitted electronically via interfolio https://apply.interfolio.com/127660 and should include:
- Cover letter outlining applicant’s research agenda and experience in the fields of oral, documentary, and/or digital history
- Complete curriculum vitae
- Three letters of reference
