Postdoctoral Fellows Program

The Watson Institute offers a range of postdoctoral opportunities for outstanding young scholars in the social sciences. The aims of the program are to support participants in their own research, enhance their interdisciplinary literacy and contribute to meaningful and enduring collaborative exchange.

The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University aspires to promote a just and peaceful world through research, teaching, and public engagement. Central to this mission is the Watson Postdoctoral Fellows Program, which supports young social scientists conducting research related to the Institute’s three core thematic areas: development, governance, and security. Participants in this program will join an interdisciplinary community of scholars engaged in theoretically and substantively important research addressing the most pressing global issues of our time. 

Applying to the Program

The deadline to apply for the Watson Institute Postdoctoral Fellows Program 2024-2026 is October 18, 2023.

Full application details, and the application itself can be found on Interfolio here: http://apply.interfolio.com/130655

The fellowship competition is open to candidates from the social sciences, including anthropology, economics, history, political science, and sociology. The selection process, open with regard to nationality and geographic area of research, is highly competitive and typically generates over 400 applications for 4 or 5 places. Scholars who have received their PhDs within two years of the application deadline are eligible to apply.  Individuals who are currently – or have previously been – postdoctoral fellows in other programs are not eligible to apply.  Fellows will receive an annual stipend of $75,000, for this benefits-eligible position.  Additional funding will be made available for research expenses and research-related programming on campus.  Candidates selected for the Postdoctoral Fellows program who have not completed their dissertations by July 1, 2024, will be paid a reduced salary until their dissertation is defended.

To receive full consideration, the following materials should be submitted by October 18, 2023 to the application portal http://apply.interfolio.com/130655

  • A cover letter stating the applicant's academic field, status of their dissertation, and proposed research to be conducted during their fellowship period. The cover letter should not exceed 2,000 words and should make clear where in the Institute's core areas of security, development, or governance the proposed research best fits. Please also include a statement about teaching in a diverse and inclusive classroom.
  • An up-to-date curriculum vitae.
  • A copy of each graduate transcript. 
  • A writing sample.
  • Three letters of recommendation from scholars familiar with the applicant’s research. 

Review of applications will begin on October 18; to receive full consideration applications should be received by that date.  Awards will be announced in January 2024.

For further information regarding the Watson Institute Postdoctoral Fellows Program, please contact:

A number of Watson faculty published books in 2023 on a wide range of topics from domestic violence laws, immigration, school reform, and political backlash in the United States to the sociology of development, the holocaust, and the politics of Brazillian crime film. Explore books published by Watson faculty in 2023 below.
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Current Fellows

  • Laura Acosta

    Laura Acosta

    Postdoctoral Research Associate in International and Public Affairs
    Areas of Expertise Ethnic Conflict & Civil War, Social Movements
  • Volha Biziukova

    Volha Biziukova

    Postdoctoral Fellow in International and Public Affairs
  • Foroogh Farhang

    Foroogh Farhang

    Postdoctoral Fellow in International and Public Affairs
    Areas of Expertise Ethics, Gender, Human Rights, Immigration, Displacement & Borders, Inequality & Poverty, International Institutions, Political Economy, Social Movements
  • Gabreélla Friday

    Gabreélla Friday

    Postdoctoral Fellow in International and Public Affairs, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Race and Ethnicity
    Areas of Expertise Criminal Justice, Gender, Law Enforcement & Policing, Race, Identity & Ethnicity
  • Valerie Michelman

    Valerie Michelman

    Postdoctoral Fellow in International and Public Affairs
    Areas of Expertise Education, Inequality & Poverty, Labor, Technology & Innovation
  • Sonia Planson

    Sonia Planson

    Postdoctoral Research Associate in International and Public Affairs and Sociology
    Areas of Expertise Children & Families, Education, Immigration, Displacement & Borders, Race, Identity & Ethnicity
  • Blair Sackett

    Blair Sackett

    Postdoctoral Fellow in International and Public Affairs
    Areas of Expertise Bureaucracy, Immigration, Displacement & Borders, Inequality & Poverty, International Institutions
  • Aalyia Sadruddin

    Aalyia Sadruddin

    Postdoctoral Fellow in International and Public Affairs, Postdoctoral Fellow in International and Public Affairs, 2020-2021, Assistant Professor of Cultural Medical Anthropology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Areas of Expertise Children & Families, Ethnic Conflict & Civil War, Gender, Global Health, Immigration, Displacement & Borders, Political Economy
  • Catherine Sirois

    Catherine Sirois

    Postdoctoral Fellow in International and Public Affairs
    Areas of Expertise Bureaucracy, Children & Families, Criminal Justice, Health & Welfare, Inequality & Poverty
  • Latoya M. Teague

    Latoya M. Teague

    Postdoctoral Fellow in International and Public Affairs, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Simmons Center
    Areas of Expertise Children & Families, Education, Gender, Human Rights, Race, Identity & Ethnicity
  • Yan Xu

    Yan Xu

    Postdoctoral Fellow in International and Public Affairs
    Areas of Expertise Entrepreneurship, Political Economy, Science & Technology Policy, Supply Chains, Technology & Innovation