Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Material History Lab
The Material History Lab in the Department of History at Northwestern University invites applications for a full-time one-year postdoctoral research fellow. Applications are particularly encouraged from recent PhDs interested in material-centered approaches to historical inquiry. The successful candidate will work with Dr. Akin Ogundiran on research questions that focus broadly on domesticity, household organization, and the history of the everyday in the Yoruba region of West Africa from the Early Iron Age through the Early Modern Period (ca. 400 BCE – 1800 CE). The assignments will include research, lab management, and supervision of three to four highly motivated undergraduate students.
A PhD in history or related fields, including archaeology, anthropology, art history, Black Studies, and African Cultural Studies, is required. Skill in any branch of material science or digital history is a plus. Irrespective of academic background, each application will be assessed based on the candidate’s demonstrated commitment to using unconventional sources to evoke disciplined historical imagination and participating in broad conversations about historical methodology.
The successful applicant is expected to actively participate in the Department of History events, including those organized by the Chabraja Center for Historical Studies. They are expected to be in residence for the full year from the beginning of September 2025 to the end of August 2026.
Applications are due by Monday, July 7, 2025. Please submit the following via the application link right here:
1. Letter of Application
2. A short research statement (1-2 pages), showing prior experience and fitness for the position.
3. Current curriculum vitae
4. One article or chapter-length writing sample
5. In addition, please have two recommenders send letters by the deadline.
For more information about the NU Department of History and the Material History Lab, visit https://history.northwestern.edu/. Inquiries may be directed to Dr. Akin Ogundiran at ogundiran@northwestern.edu.
Salary
The expected base pay range for this position is $62,000 - $67,000.
This base pay range is for a nine-month academic appointment, does not include summer salary, and is subject to negotiation.
Northwestern University has provided a pay range representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for the position. The pay offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors including (but not limited to) the experience and qualifications of the selected candidate including years since terminal degree, training, and field or discipline; departmental budget availability; internal comparators; and external market pay for comparable jobs.
Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern’s non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.