With the support of the Mellon Foundation's Sawyer Seminar program, the Center for Latinx and Latin American Studies and the Center on Science, Technology, and Public Life at the University of Southern California seek applications for a one-year position as Postdoctoral Fellow in the Politics of Environmental Knowledge. The fellow will play a leading role in organizing, administering and participating in a Mellon Sawyer seminar entitled "Precarious Ecologies: Science and Social Justice in the Production of Environmental Knowledge." We seek scholars whose research focuses on the intersections of science, social justice, and the production of environmental knowledge. The seminar will gather humanities scholars, activist groups, policymakers, and environmental scientists to discuss how the politics of social justice interact with practices of scientific inquiry in shaping the production of authoritative knowledge. Specific cases from Southern California’s urban and agricultural regions will serve as test beds for considering these broader questions.

The Fellowship carries a nine-month appointment beginning August 2022 and a stipend of $70,000 plus benefits. To apply, candidates must have completed all requirements for their doctoral degree after June 30, 2017 and before July 1, 2022. Applicants may come from any discipline in the humanities or humanistic social sciences, including history, American studies, ethnic studies, anthropology, communication, geography, sociology, and science and technology studies.

The fellow will be required to be in residence for the 2022-2023 academic year. The fellow is expected to be an active participant in all aspects of the seminar. Primary responsibilities will be to conduct original research on a topic related to the seminar theme; to attend and participate in the seminar meetings and other activities; to lead a monthly working group for graduate students and interested faculty members; and to assist as needed with the coordination of events.

Applicants should submit a cover letter describing their interest in and qualifications for the position, including a plan of research for the fellowship period; a CV; a short writing sample (such as a journal article or dissertation chapter); and two letters of recommendation. All materials must be submitted via our online portal at: For more information about the seminar please send your questions to stpl@usc.edu

The deadline for applications is December 1, 2021.

Fill out the application form here.

Find out more details about the Sawyer Seminar here.