Postdoctoral Fellowship in Religion and Health Full-time

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Religion and Health

The Department of Religious Studies at the University of Texas at Austin seeks to appoint a one-year postdoctoral fellow for the 2026-2027 academic year. We seek early career scholars with a specialization in Religion and Health. The fellow may specialize in any contemporary religious or secular tradition and any methodological approach. They will engage broadly in religious studies and secular studies through expertise on topics such as: Anthropocene studies; environmental health; artificial intelligence; bioethics; contemplative science; healing; medicine; science and technology studies; histories of science, religion, and atheism; death and dying, psychedelics; or public health.

Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in Religious Studies or a related field. ABD applicants must complete all requirements for the Ph.D. before the appointment begins in August 2026. Ph.D. must have been received no more than three years prior to the start date. Besides a competitive stipend, this position includes support for relocation, research expenses, and organizing a research symposium or conference.

Review of applications will begin December 1, 2025. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

To conduct postdoctoral research in the field of religion and health.

Responsibilities:

• Perform research on topics related to Religion and Health with the intent to publish
• Teach an undergraduate course in the area of religion and health in Fall 2026 (e.g., Religion and Biomedical Ethics).
• Organize and execute an interdisciplinary conference or research symposium on campus that involves collaboration with other programs and units, such as the Humanities, Health & Medicine Program, the Dell Medical School, and the College of Natural Sciences.
• Present at a departmental colloquium.
• Participate in departmental grant-writing efforts.
• Participate in department and university intellectual communities and programs concerning religion and health.

Required Qualifications:

Ph.D. in Religious Studies or a related field received no more than three years prior to the start date (all requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed prior to the start date).

Salary Range: $65,000

Working Conditions: Typical office environment

Required Materials:

• CV
• The names of 3 academic references with their contact information
• Letter of interest
• A brief writing sample (no more than 12,000 words)
• A syllabus for an undergraduate course

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

Employment Eligibility: Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Retirement Plan Eligibility: The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks: A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer: The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency: The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification: If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-Verify: The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

Compliance: Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.