About the Department:

The Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) is a research center at George Mason University. IIR conducts original, multidisciplinary research to produce information about the contributions of immigrants and immigration to the United States. It fosters a society where attitudes, policies, and rhetoric about immigrants and immigration are based on data, reason, and global contexts.

About the Position:

This position takes leadership and supports IIR’s efforts to build an arts, culture, and storytelling emphasis within the institute. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow’s areas of specialization includes some combination of immigration, forced displacement, arts, culture, storytelling, quality of life, and the overall issues related to immigration experience and policy. The Fellow works collaboratively to develop innovative and impactful research and programming to further IIR’s objective to provide a comprehensive picture of the realities faced by immigrants and a broader view of immigrants’ vital economic and societal contributions to specific regions within and to the United States as a whole.

Responsibilities:

• Pursues independent research relating to broad IIR mission, publishes in academic venues, and presents at academic conferences and other professional gatherings;
• An integral part of developing projects, writing grants, and organizing programing related to migration, arts, storytelling, and culture;
• Mentors and supervises graduate and undergraduate students in skill development, research, and presentations;
• Represents the IIR with various publics, to include collaboration with the Immigrant Learning Center of Malden, MA, the publication of research in public venues, and responding to media inquiries; and
• Plays a vital role in the IIR activities including colloquia, programming, and networking.

Required Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in a related field;
• Ph.D. completed within the past five years and by August 24, 2025, in folklore, ethnomusicology, anthropology, oral history, or allied field;
• Considerable qualitative research experience (ideally ethnographic) with immigrants in the U.S. (if experience is abroad, demonstrated evidence of knowledge about immigration in the U.S.);
• Extensive experience interacting with people from different cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds;
• Demonstrated understanding of U.S. immigration systems, history, policies, and issues;
• Demonstrated technical competency to learn and adapt to new technologies;
• Some demonstrated ability to manage/oversee projects; and
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in a related field;
• Some experience beyond personal dissertation research with immigration;
• Creative and innovative ideas about how to build arts and cultural focus of IIR;
• Experience programming arts and culture events, exhibits, or symposia;
• Experience with mentorship and supervision;
• Experience with displaced people/refugees; and
• Proficiency in a foreign language.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the The Shrivastava Family Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Immigration Research at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and CV for review.

Posting Open Date:  June 10, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  June 24, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes