About this role
Position Summary:
The Medical Humanities Research Institute (MHRI) at Rice University seeks to appoint one postdoctoral associate with a PhD in the Humanities for a two-year appointment from 2027-2029 in the field of medical ethics. At MHRI, the Dr. Richard Whittington Postdoctoral Fellow in Medical Humanities will join faculty and fellows from diverse fields in the humanities, social sciences, engineering, and the arts, and collaborators from numerous institutions in the Texas Medical Center and the broader Houston community. The postdoctoral associate will work within this dynamic environment at Rice to further MHRI’s focus on medical ethics and equitable care and access.
The postdoctoral associate will teach two courses per year in the Department of Philosophy and/or Program in Medical Humanities on a topic related to medical ethics. In addition, they will participate in planning the annual Baruch A. Brody lecture in Bioethics, in collaboration with faculty in the Rice department of Philosophy, Baylor College of Medicine, and Houston Methodist Hospital. The remaining time will be dedicated to developing their own research, mentoring undergraduate students on medical ethics research projects, and supporting MHRI research in relevant fields. The postdoctoral associate will attend key MHRI and medical ethics events, participate in collaborative research, present their research at public events, develop collaborative and single-author publications, and mentor student research assistants. The Institute will provide multidisciplinary mentoring and opportunities for professional development.
The postdoctoral associate will be selected based on the relevance of their work to the Institute’s objectives and the focus area of medical ethics, potential for outreach with local health and community-based organizations, scholarly record of publications and presentations, readiness to teach undergraduate courses on topics related to medical ethics, and interest in collaboration. Ability to teach “Introduction to Medical Humanities” and/or “Medical Ethics” is desired.
This position is in the Rice University Medical Humanities Research Institute for the period from July 1, 2027-June 30, 2029. This is a full-time, residential postdoctoral position teaching 1 class each semester during the academic year and is benefits eligible.
Special Instructions to Applicants:
All interested applicants should attach a resume (Resume section) and the required application materials (Cover Letter section) in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.
Three letters of recommendation are also required for the application. The recommenders should email the letters to the MHRI office by the application deadline.
More information about the required application materials and letters of recommendation can be found below.
Ideal Candidate Statement:
The ideal candidate has a PhD in the humanities, conferred between June 29, 2023 and June 30, 2027. The candidate should have evidence of strong humanities-based research skills and experience in, or interest in developing research projects in medical humanities, medical ethics, or health equity. Demonstrated ability to work in an organized, detailed, and collaborative manner is important. Preference will be given to candidates who are ready to take advantage of opportunities afforded by Rice and the Texas Medical Center.
Workplace Requirements:
This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. The position is located in TMC Helix Park with teaching on the Rice campus. The postdoctoral associate is expected to work in the office 3 days per week. Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.
Hiring Range:
The postdoc will receive an annual salary of $70,000 plus benefits, a $2,500 annual stipend for research, and up to $3,000 for relocation to Houston. The position is renewable for a second year pending successful completion of the first year.
*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.
This position is funded by a grant, soft and/or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of funding.
Minimum Requirements:
- Ph.D. in the Humanities, conferred between June 29, 2023 and June 30, 2027
- Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills, as well as oral presentation skills
- Ability to work in a team environment, to participate actively, to collaborate and to motivate others
- Ability to work independently and professionally with minimal supervision and direction
- Excellent time management skills
Preferences:
- Research and/or teaching focused on medical humanities
- Research and/or teaching focused on medical ethics and/or health inequities
Essential Functions:
- Publishes and/or presents their research in academic venues
- Participates in regular meetings and activities related to the Institute and Department of Philosophy
- Participates in collaborative MHRI research on medical ethics and communicates research findings through presentations and publications/reports
- Mentors, oversees, and/or trains junior research team members (such as post-baccalaureate and undergraduate students)
- Teaches two courses/year in the Medical Humanities Program and Department of Philosophy
Additional Functions:
- Some research-related travel, as well as event attendance and engagement with the Institute and Medical Humanities Program
- Performs all other duties as assigned
Required Application Materials:
- Cover letter connecting your work with medical ethics
- Curriculum Vitae
- Writing sample (approximately 25 pages)
- 1,000-word project proposal for your research work to be completed during the postdoctoral appointment, including discussion of the collaborative and outreach potential of the project
- Evidence of teaching effectiveness
- Two-page course proposal for a 14-week undergraduate course on a topic related to medical ethics or medical humanities
Please combine all materials into one PDF and upload them in the Cover Letter section of the online application. If all the materials cannot be combined into a single file, additional files may be sent to [email protected] (please reference the Postdoctoral Associate - Medical Humanities Research Institute 6308 job requisition).
Letters of Recommendation:
Three letters of recommendation are also required for the application. Please ask your recommenders to email letters by the application deadline to Tiffany Morgan at [email protected] , and use the subject line “MHRI Postdoc LOR.”
Deadline for online applications is February 1, 2027.
Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits
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Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at [email protected] for support.
If you have any additional questions, please email us at [email protected] . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.