Postdoctoral Fellowship in Computing and Society, Vanderbilt University
Dear SHOT community,
Laura Stark, Vanderbilt U., has brought a postdoctoral position opening to our attention. Please see below for details.
The program in Computing + Society (C+S) at Vanderbilt University invites applications for two Postdoctoral Fellowships in social or humanistic studies of computing. Fellows are appointed for three years within the College of Connected Computing (CCC). Early career scholars from any theoretical and disciplinary perspective in the humanities, social sciences, and arts are invited to apply. All methodological backgrounds are welcome.
Fellowships are twelve-month appointments to begin July 1, 2026. Fellows are expected to be in residence for the duration of the appointment.
About C+S:
C+S is a new research area within the CCC. The CCC was launched in 2024 with the mission to support interdisciplinary approaches to computing across research, teaching, and organizational design. C+S is an institutional bridge between the CCC and Vanderbilt’s existing colleges, including the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S).
C+S is defined by the study of computing as an object of analysis and is anchored by four thematic pillars:
1. Culture: social networks, mis/dis-information, social relationships, media landscapes, creative industries
2. Organizations & Institutions: law, medicine, education, military, labor and work, surveillance and automation
3. Policy & Governance: data privacy, regulation, democracy, legislation, global and industry rulemaking, social movements
4. Engineering & Infrastructure: energy and environment, social factors in design, supply chains, data centers and material infrastructures
Responsibilities:
C+S Fellowships are designed to support the educational and research mission of the CCC and wider university community. Fellows will be expected to:
- Pursue an active research agenda: peer-review articles, book manuscripts, and/or grant submissions
- Teach one course in their first Fellowship year and one course per semester in their second and third years
- Organize one scholarly and/or public-facing event per semester
- Attend weekly C+S related seminars
- Be in residence and actively engaged in campus life
Salary and Benefits:
Each position carries a twelve-month salary of $70,000 with $4,000 per year in research funds, office space, health insurance, and eligibility for other benefits. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/postdoc/faqs/
Minimum Qualifications:
Applicants must have a PhD or equivalent advanced degree in hand by August 15, 2026 and not prior to July 1, 2022. Vanderbilt University is required to follow current federal visa requirements.
Vanderbilt University:
Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with full consideration guaranteed to applicants who submit by May 10, 2026. Please email application materials to computingsociety@vanderbilt.edu. Applications should include:
- Cover Letter (no more than 2 pages)
- CV (no more than 5 pages)
- Research statement (up to 1,000 words) demonstrating commitment to and experience with interdisciplinary research on computing and society
- One-page timeline outlining the major scholarly activities to be pursued over the course of the three-year Fellowship (e.g., book manuscript, articles)
- Course proposal (up to 500 words)
- Names of three references
Letters of recommendation will be requested for finalists only. Finalists be asked to provide teaching evaluations, if applicable, and a sole authored writing sample under 30 pages.
Contact
With questions, please reach out to C+S Co-Directors Jenny Davis and Laura Stark: computingsociety@vanderbilt.edu
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/postdoc/prospective-postdocs/current-opportunities/?id=906