Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics, AY 2027-2029

Cornell University, United States

Updated: about 22 hours ago
Location: New York City, NEW YORK

Position Description

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Linguistics
Academic Years 2027-2029
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY


With the sponsorship of the Society for the Humanities, the  Department of Linguistics  invites applications for a two-year Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship position beginning August 1, 2027. The fellowship carries a stipend of $68,000/year.


The Department of Linguistics seeks applications for a postdoctoral fellow from scholars who take a linguistic approach to problems of broad humanistic significance. Applicants might have expertise in any number of subfields including historical linguistics, semantics, syntax, pragmatics, computational linguistics, phonology, or sociolinguistics. We would like to see candidates who can communicate with and learn from both linguists and scholars in other fields, including philosophy, literature (critical theory, poetics, metrics, gender studies), history (post-colonial studies, prehistoric archaeology, human population genetics) and anthropology (language documentation, endangerment and revitalization, globalization studies).

Postdoctoral Fellows teach one course per semester. Candidates should propose an introductory, 2000-level course designed to appeal to students from across the University, and an upper, 4000-level course designed primarily for Linguistics students and advanced undergraduates in related fields. These courses should be conceived of as smaller seminars and their topics should directly relate to the candidate’s research and integrate linguistic methods in the subfields of either historical linguistics, semantics, syntax, pragmatics, computational linguistics, phonology or sociolinguistics with topics of more general humanistic import.


Applicant Eligibility Requirements


Applicants for the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 academic years must have received the Ph.D. degree after August 1, 2023, and before June 30, 2027. Applicants who do not have the Ph.D. in hand at the time of application must include a letter from the committee chair or department stating that the Ph.D. degree will be conferred before the term of the fellowship begins. International scholars are welcome to apply, contingent upon visa eligibility.

Application Procedures

 

The following application materials must be submitted via Academic Jobs Online position # 32526  by October 15, 2026.

  • Information Cover Sheet (will be generated via your AJO account):
    (a) Full name and home institution
    (b) Date (or expected date) of Ph.D.
    (c) Research interest(s)
    (d) Referees’ names and emails
  • Cover Letter
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Detailed statement of research interests (1,000 – 2,000 words)
  • Course proposal with sample syllabus for introductory, 2000-level course
  • Course proposal with sample syllabus for upper, 4000-level course
  • One writing sample [30-page limit]
  • Diversity statement [optional – submit a separate statement or embed the information into other parts of your application materials]
  • Letter of degree conferral (only for applicants who do not have the Ph.D. in hand by January 4, 2027)
  • Three letters of recommendation.  Please ask referees to upload their letters directly through the link provided by Academic Jobs Online. Letters must be received on or before October 15, 2026. 

    • For further information:
    Phone: 607-255-7989
    Email: [email protected]   


    Society for the Humanities


    The Society for the Humanities was established at Cornell University in 1966 to support research and teaching in the humanities. It is intended to be at once a research institute, a stimulus to educational innovation, and a continuing society of scholars. The Society and its Fellows have fostered path-breaking interdisciplinary dialogue and theoretical reflection on the humanities at large.


    Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows are invited to attend all of the Society’s events, and are expected to participate in the Society’s weekly Wednesday Fellows Seminar and luncheon.


    societyhumanities.as.cornell.edu


    Employment Assistance:

    For specific questions about the position or application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or for general questions email [email protected] .

    If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell Office of Civil Rights at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at [email protected] .

    Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. 

    Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here . This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.

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    Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of “... any person ... any study.” No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. 

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    Pay Ranges:

    The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

    • Prior relevant work or industry experience.
    • Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
    • Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary)
    • Unique applicable skills.


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