2025-26 Hou Family Postdoctoral Fellowship in Taiwan Studies at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Job Description:

Harvard University


Title: 2025-26 Hou Family Postdoctoral Fellowship in Taiwan Studies

School: Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Department_Area: Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies

Position Description: The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University is pleased to announce the 2025-2026 competition for the Hou Family Fellowships in Taiwan Studies.

The Hou Family Fellowships in Taiwan Studies sponsors one Postdoctoral Fellow who recently graduated or is currently teaching to pursue Taiwan-focused research in humanities and social sciences for six to twelve months between August 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025. Residence at the Fairbank Center for the full academic year is encouraged.

The Hou Family Postdoctoral Fellow will have the opportunity to engage with the Fairbank Center's interdisciplinary community of scholars and will have access to Harvard's world-class libraries and other resources. In addition to maintaining their own research agenda, the Hou Family Postdoctoral Fellow will contribute to the Fairbank Center community in ways that could include the following:

• Presenting research to the Center's Taiwan Studies Workshop series, or to other Fairbank Center events and audiences,
• Participating in professional development workshops and serving as a mentor for current graduate students,
• Attending seminars and academic events and participating in community building activities.

The Hou Family Postdoctoral Fellow is expected to be in residence full-time at the Fairbank Center for six months (minimum) to twelve months (maximum) between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026.

Total Hou Family Postdoctoral Fellowship stipend: $67,600 for one year, plus up to $3,000 in research support funds. The Postdoctoral Fellow position is eligible for Harvard University's subsidized comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and other benefits.

The Fellowship will be subject to all rules and regulations of Harvard University.

Basic Qualifications: A strong working knowledge of English and Chinese or Taiwanese is required.

A doctoral degree in a relevant field is required. The doctoral diploma or Registrar's certificate of degree completion will be required by one month prior to the start of the fellowship (before July 1, 2025).

Fellows are expected to reside in the Greater Boston area for the duration of the fellowship.

Additional Qualifications: Applications are invited from recent PhDs in a relevant discipline of the humanities or social sciences whose research focuses on Taiwan.

Applicants may not be more than five years beyond the receipt of their PhD degree at the start of the fellowship. Priority will be given to applicants with no previous postdoctoral fellowships.

Harvard University doctoral degree recipients are not eligible for this fellowship.

Candidates must provide confirmation of successful completion of their terminal doctoral degree, in the form of a diploma, certificate of completion from the degree-granting institution or a letter from the institution's Registrar, by July 1, 2025, at the latest.

Applicants must notify the Fairbank Center of any changes to the information provided in their application that may impact their eligibility. Failure to communicate such changes may result in disqualification.

Special Instructions: To apply, you are required to submit:
• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover letter
• Research proposal and plan for the fellowship period (no more than five pages, double-spaced)
• Writing sample (academic paper or dissertation chapter)

• Doctoral diploma, if available

In addition, two to three letters of recommendation must be submitted directly by your references. When you submit your application, each of your references will receive an email from the application portal system with a link to upload their letter.

If you have not yet received your doctoral degree at the time of application, one of the letters must be from your PhD dissertation advisor.

In your application cover letter you may indicate if there are specific Harvard faculty members with whom you would like to work during the fellowship year. Please do not contact faculty directly at this stage.

All application materials must be in English.

Contact Information: Harriet Wong
Program Coordinator
Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies
Harvard University
(617) 495-4007

Contact Email: harrietwong@fas.harvard.edu

Equal Opportunity Employer: Harvard is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, protected veteran status, disability, genetic information, military service, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or other protected status.

Minimum Number of References Required: 2

Maximum Number of References Allowed: 3

Keywords: Postdoctoral fellowship in East Asian studies. Postdoctoral fellowship in East Asian studies. East Asia social sciences postdoc. East Asia humanities postdoc. Taiwan studies. Taiwan research. China and Taiwan studies. Taiwan social sciences. Taiwan humanities. History of Taiwan. Taiwan politics. Taiwanese culture. Republic of China. Greater China. Taiwan straits. Taiwan economy. Taiwan security.

Supplemental Questions: Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * Please indicate the month and year in which you received, or expect to receive, your PhD or equivalent terminal degree.
   (Open Ended Question)
2. * In what discipline did you complete your Ph.D.?
   (Open Ended Question)
3. * Please briefly identify your primary area of research (field and/or geographic specialization).
   (Open Ended Question)
4. * Please list those languages other than English in which you have fluency, specifying reading, spoken, or both
   (Open Ended Question)
5. * Please list your research interests (200 character limit)
   (Open Ended Question)
6. * Please briefly describe the specific research project(s) you wish to complete during the fellowship (500 words or fewer).
   (Open Ended Question)
7. If there are specific Harvard faculty members with whom you intend to work during the fellowship please provide their name/s and indicate whether you have been in contact.
   (Open Ended Question)
8. Dates of proposed fellowship period (6 months minimum, 12 months maximum. The standard fellowship period is one year August - July).
   (Open Ended Question)

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