Call for Applications: Two Postgraduate Positions at the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice

We are pleased to announce a call for applications for two postgraduate positions. The announcement is available below, and as a PDF.

The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice, an interdisciplinary human rights center housed in the School of Law at the University of Texas at Austin, seeks applications for two postgraduate fellowship positions to begin July 1, 2022. Applicants from all countries and relevant disciplines are welcome to apply for one or both positions.

We are particularly interested in applicants whose intellectual interests and commitments are aligned with the Rapoport Center’s ongoing work on the gendered and racialized dimensions of worker precarity, especially in the context of informal and migrant labor, as well as on social reproduction, livelihoods, and innovative forms of worker organizing. In addition, we welcome applications from individuals whose scholarly work reflects the Center’s emerging priorities, including those of the new Sissy Farenthold Fund for Peace and Social Justice: peace, environmental and climate justice, and reproductive and sexual rights.

Postgraduate Fellowship

The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at the University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a postgraduate fellowship. The postgraduate fellowship is designed for recent master’s or doctoral (PhD or JD) graduates interested in working at the intersection of academic administration and social justice and human rights advocacy. The fellow will provide both intellectual and operational leadership on a variety of projects and events, working collaboratively with the Center’s faculty co-directors Karen Engle and Neville Hoad, as well as staff and student teams. Individuals interested in gaining experience in developing innovative programming, research, fundraising and grant-writing, and managing the operations and budget of an academic center, while benefiting from the support of a creative and engaged team, are especially encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities may include:

  • Collaborating and engaging with stakeholders and advocacy and academic partners, on and off campus;
  • Supervising student team members on academic, advocacy, and organizational projects related to the work of the Rapoport Center;
  • Assisting in fundraising, grant writing, and budget management;
  • Organizing lectures, workshops, or other events;
  • Researching and writing white papers, policy reports, and scholarly publications;
  • Teaching or assisting with a class or seminar.

Ideally, the appointment will begin July 1, 2022 but the start date is negotiable. Fellows will receive a competitive stipend commensurate with education and experience, as well as health insurance, full use of UT facilities, and office space at the Law School. Fellows are required to be primarily in residence in Austin and may not hold any other appointment during the fellowship period. To meet the needs and goals of the Center, fellows will be expected to work and be available within normal business hours. Fellows will also be encouraged to participate in the intellectual life of the UT Austin campus, attending symposia and events, liaising with faculty and students, and contributing to Rapoport Center meetings and discussions.

The position is a one-year fellowship with the possibility of evolving into something more permanent, based on mutual agreement and according to the policies of the University of Texas.

Required qualifications:

  • Master’s or doctoral degree (JD or PhD in a relevant field)

Application packages should include the following materials:

  • Cover letter; CV; graduate transcripts (unofficial and scanned are acceptable); personal statement; writing sample (no more than 7,000 words); and a list of three references who will be submitting letters of recommendation, preferably within a week of your application submission. The personal statement should outline professional goals; areas of research and advocacy background and interest; experience working collaboratively on advocacy, research projects, or scholarship; experience organizing conferences or other events; and any other information relevant to the fellowship position (no longer than 1,000 words).

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Any questions, and all materials (in PDF format), should be sent to Nina Ebner, nebner@utexas.edu.

Postdoctoral Fellowship 

The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at the University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship. The fellowship is designed to support early-career academics with scholarly agendas that closely reflect some of the current intellectual priorities of the Rapoport Center. The fellow will work closely with faculty co-directors Karen Engle and Neville Hoad, as well as faculty affiliates, student team members, and academic and advocacy partners on and off campus. In addition to pursuing their own research and writing, the fellow’s primary responsibilities will revolve around facilitating collaborative research, writing, and advocacy projects as well as relevant programming.

Responsibilities may include:

  • Authoring and editing scholarly publications;
  • Working on a proposed research or advocacy project with students;
  • Teaching or co-teaching a seminar;
  • Researching and writing white papers and policy reports;
  • Organizing lectures, workshops, or other events;
  • Networking with academics, activists, and policymakers in multiple regions;
  • Supervising student research.

Ideally, the appointment will begin July 1, 2022 but the start date is negotiable. Fellows will receive a competitive stipend commensurate with experience, as well as health insurance, full use of UT facilities, and office space at the Law School. Fellows are required to be primarily in residence in Austin and may not hold any other appointment during the fellowship period. To meet the needs and goals of the Center, fellows will be expected to work and be available within normal business hours. Fellows will also be encouraged to participate in the intellectual life of the UT Austin campus, attending symposia and events, liaising with faculty and students, and contributing to Rapoport Center meetings and discussions.

The position is a one-year fellowship, with possible renewal depending on funding.

Required qualifications:

  • PhD, JD, or other doctoral degree by the start date of the fellowship

Application packages should include the following materials:

  • Cover letter; CV; graduate transcripts (unofficial and scanned are acceptable); writing sample (no more than 7,000 words); and a list of three references who will be submitting letters of recommendation, preferably within a week of your application submission. The personal statement should outline professional goals; completed research (including dissertation) and work in progress; experience working collaboratively on advocacy, research projects, or scholarship; experience organizing conferences or other events; and any other information relevant to the fellowship position (no longer than 1,000 words).

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Preference will be given to applicants who have received a PhD, JD, or equivalent law degree by the start date. Any questions, and all materials (in PDF format), should be sent to Nina Ebner, nebner@utexas.edu.

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