Fellowship Opportunity

From Susan Sage Heinzelman

Law & Society Post-doctoral Fellowship
2010-11 Academic Year
Institute for Legal Studies – University of Wisconsin Law School
~~~ Application Deadline: January 8, 2010 ~~~

Eligibility: While non-U.S. citizens may apply, this fellowship is intended for early career scholars who plan to compete for a University teaching position in the U.S. market.

About the Fellowship: The Institute for Legal Studies of the University of Wisconsin Law School will appoint a post-doctoral fellow for the 2010-11 academic year. We invite applications from scholars who are in the early (pre-tenure) stage of their career or scholars whose careers have been interrupted or delayed. Eligibility is limited to humanities or social science scholars who work in the law and society tradition, for example, anthropologists, economists, historians, political scientists, and sociologists. Advanced ABD graduate students may apply, but the PhD must be completed before beginning the fellowship. The stipend will be $25,000, plus a research allowance of $5,000 and a benefits package that includes health insurance.

The fellowship is designed to support a scholar at an early stage in his or her career when, under prevailing circumstances, career pressures or teaching responsibilities might divert the individual away from research. At the Institute, the Fellow will be able to devote most of his or her time to research and writing and will find a sympathetic and critical audience to support that work. Fellows are expected to be in full-time residence in Madison, to organize and lead a colloquium for graduate students, and to actively participate in the intellectual life of the Institute, which includes lectures, workshops, conferences and colloquia.

Deadlines: The Institute for Legal Studies holds one post-doctoral fellowship competition per year. Completed applications, including letters of reference, must be received by January 8, 2010, in order to ensure full consideration. The award will be announced around March 1, 2010.

How to Apply: Application materials must be submitted by mail; materials sent by electronic mail or fax will not be considered. In evaluating applications, the Institute will focus on the potential contribution of the candidate to the intellectual life of the Institute; the originality and significance of the candidate’s proposed research project; the candidate’s scholarly promise, achievements, and ability to complete the project; and the likelihood that the finished product will advance basic understanding of the topic. A complete application consists of the following:

• Curriculum vitae (with address and complete contact information).

• Official transcripts (graduate level only).

• Three letters of recommendation (to be sent separately).
If the dissertation has not been completed, one of the letters must confirm the expected completion date.

• A research proposal (8-12 double-spaced pages).
It is essential that the proposal situate the research in the existing literature and that it address relevant methodological issues, including sources of data. The proposed work may be in any of the social science or humanistic traditions associated with law and society scholarship, and may use any form of data; the project will be evaluated on its merits, in reference to the tradition in which it is situated.

Address/Contact: Applications should be mailed to: Law & Society Fellowship Program; Institute for Legal Studies, UW Law School, 975 Bascom Mall, Madison WI 53706-1399. Questions may be addressed to Pam Hollenhorst, Associate Director of ILS, at pshollen@wisc.edu.

Information about the Institute for Legal Studies and its activities can be found at http://law.wisc.edu/ils/