Postdoctoral Research Associate in Religion and the Work of Repair

University of Notre Dame: Keough School of Global Affairs: Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion

Location

University of Notre Dame; Notre Dame, IN

Open Date

Oct 15, 2026

Deadline

Mar 31, 2027 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Description

The Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs invites applications for a one-year Postdoctoral Research Fellowship beginning in Fall 2027, with the possibility of renewal for a second year based on satisfactory performance and funding availability.

The Ansari Institute seeks a promising scholar whose research examines the role of religion in addressing the fragmentations that shape contemporary global affairs. The fellowship is part of the Institute’s emerging “integral repair” research agenda, which asks how religious traditions, communities, practices, and institutions contribute to—or complicate—efforts to repair the fragmentation of the human person, the relationship between humanity and the natural world, and polarization across political communities.

Applicants may work in any discipline or interdisciplinary field and may focus on any religious tradition, geographic region, or relevant comparative context. The position welcomes candidates who are knowledgeable of or interested in learning more about Catholic Social Doctrine. We are particularly interested in scholarship that engages one or more of three broad areas:

Religion and Integral Human Development: Questions of human dignity and flourishing, meaning and purpose, poverty and inequality, education, work, migration, technology and artificial intelligence, community and belonging, and the material and non-material dimensions of human development. A developing initiative in this area, Pedagogies of Muslim Humanities, seeks to bring Islamic theological and intellectual traditions into sustained conversation with the humanities, arts, sciences, and contemporary questions of human flourishing. Knowledge of or interest in Islamic intellectual traditions, Muslim education, the humanities, or related areas is welcome but not required.

Religion and Integral Ecology: The relationships among religion, ecology, climate, land, agriculture, sustainability, environmental justice, Indigenous knowledge, stewardship, reciprocity, and the moral and spiritual dimensions of humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Current work includes the SowingHope Research Platform and research connected to the Bethany Land Institute in Uganda, exploring how ecological restoration, regenerative agriculture, livelihoods, community, and spiritual formation can be understood together. Knowledge of or interest in religion and ecology, African contexts, sustainability, or related areas is welcome but not required.

Religion and Integral Politics: The role of religion in political and civic life, including democracy and authoritarianism, peacebuilding and reconciliation, nationalism, migration, diplomacy, religious freedom, political theology, multilateralism, social trust, and conceptions of the common good. A developing research initiative will examine the international politics and foreign policy of Pope Leo XIV, including Vatican diplomacy, the role of local churches and religious actors in international affairs, and the possibilities and limits of religious diplomacy and interreligious cooperation. Knowledge of or interest in the Holy See, religion and international relations, diplomacy, peacebuilding, or related areas is welcome but not required.

The Institute welcomes work that takes religious traditions seriously on their own terms while bringing them into conversation with the interdisciplinary study of global affairs. Particularly compelling projects will combine rigorous scholarship with attention to lived religious communities, institutions, practices, or public life and will contribute to Ansari’s larger inquiry into where and how the integral repair is taking place in a fragmented world.

Responsibilities

The appointment is designed primarily to provide the fellow with time and an intellectual community in which to advance their research to facilitate publication of the research through a manuscript or journal articles. The fellow will also be expected to support the implementation of a signature research project in one of the three broad areas outlined above; contribute, as appropriate, to public-facing activities related to the Institute’s research agenda; participate actively in the intellectual life of the Ansari Institute, its Contending Modernities research initiative, and the Keough School; present work in Institute seminars and workshops; engage with Ansari faculty, Faculty Fellows, visiting scholars, and students; and develop connections with University-wide initiatives such as the Global Catholic Research Initiative, Just Transformations to Sustainability, the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, and other relevant academic units.

Qualifications

Applicants must have received a PhD or equivalent terminal degree by the start of the appointment. Scholars from the humanities and social sciences in relevant disciplines are encouraged to apply.

• a strong record of, or clear potential for, innovative and rigorous scholarship;
• a research agenda that engages religion as a significant dimension of global affairs;
• a clear connection between their proposed research and at least one of the Institute’s three areas of inquiry;
• an interest in interdisciplinary and multifaith intellectual engagement;
• familiarity with or an interest in learning more about Catholic Social Doctrine
• an ability to contribute constructively to a collaborative intellectual community; and
• successful track record of planning and implementing programs.

Application Instructions

This is a full-time, in-person position with benefits, based at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. The salary range is $63,480 - $75,000, commensurate to experience. The start date is August 16, 2027. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2027. The position will remain open until filled.

Application Process

This institution is using Interfolio's Faculty Search to conduct this search.

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.

This appointment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Applicants will be asked to identify all felony convictions and/or pending felony charges. Felony convictions do not automatically bar an individual from employment. Each case will be examined separately to determine the appropriateness of employment in the particular position. Failure to be forthcoming or dishonesty with respect to felony disclosures can result in the disqualification of a candidate. The full procedure can be viewed at .