The Humanities Research Center (HRC) at Rice University seeks a one-year postdoctoral fellow to take part in a Mellon-Sawyer seminar on “Cultures of Energy: Global Economies and Local Communities” during the academic year 2012-13.  The fellowship and seminar are designed to incubate multi-disciplinary humanistic collaboration and scholarly inquiry on issues of energy and energy transition.  Applicable fields include, but are not limited to, history, philosophy, languages, literature, linguistics, religious studies, art history and the arts.  Proposals employing humanistic approaches to energy are also welcome from anthropology and other social sciences, natural sciences, music, architecture, and engineering.

This fellow will teach one course in Spring 2013 on “Cultures of Energy” and is expected to make significant progress in his or her research.  The fellow meets with other HRC affiliates regularly to share works in progress and otherwise participate in the intellectual life of the Center.  The fellow receives $50,000 salary per year plus benefits and up to $2000 in relocation and research funds and is eligible for university benefits.

Eligibility
– Applicants must have received the PhD between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2012.
– Fellowship recipients cannot have accepted or currently hold a tenure-track position.

Deadline 
The application and letters of reference must be received by 5:00 p.m. central standard time November 30, 2011.  After that time, we will no longer accept applications.

Applicants will be notified of decisions in February 2012. Selected fellows begin their appointment July 1, 2012.

Application 
Apply online at https://jobs.rice.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp.  Please include in you application:
1. Letter of interest
2. CV
3. 1000-word research project description plus one-page bibliography, in language appropriate for a multi-disciplinary panel of non-specialist readers. Please double-space and use 12-point type.
4. 250-word statement of the project’s potential intellectual contribution to the Mellon-Sawyer seminar working group
5. A brief course proposal for a one-semester undergraduate course on energy and the humanities 
6. Letters of reference: Three letters of reference must be solicited by the applicant and sent by a dossier service (such as Interfolio) directly to the HRC.  (If you cannot use a dossier service, please contact the HRC at the number listed below.)  The most effective letters show a detailed knowledge of the candidate’s past work and address both the importance of the proposed project and the candidate’s qualifications to pursue it.

Dossier services should use the following address:
Cultures of Energy Postdoctoral Fellowship
Humanities Research Center – MS 620
Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston TX 77005

Alternatively, dossier services may send reference letters electronically to laurenk@rice.edu.

For inquiries regarding the mailing of your recommendation letters only, please contact the HRC at 713-348-2770.  For all other inquiries, please contact Human Resources at jobs@rice.edu  or 713-348-4074.