Posting date: February 14, 2024
The Department for the Study of Religion (DSR) and the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Centre for Buddhist Studies (Ho Centre) at the University of Toronto invite applications from recent holders of a PhD (2022 and onward) in the Study of Religion (or cognate field) for a postdoctoral fellowship in the interdisciplinary field of the study of Buddhism. We welcome applications from scholars engaging in a diverse range of methods and time periods, including those working in the study of Buddhism and its intersections with race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. We also welcome candidates who are familiar with or willing to engage in digital humanities projects and/or public outreach. The postdoctoral fellowship is a one-year position, from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, with the possibility of a one-year renewal.
In addition to conducting research in their area of expertise, the responsibilities of the postdoc include: teaching 1.0 FCE (2 courses) per year in the DSR; the Fellow is also expected to contribute to Ho Centre initiatives (pedagogy projects or public outreach, etc.) and to organize and host a public event/program/conference of their design in keeping with the Ho Centre mission. The theme and format of this event will be determined at the beginning of the Fellow’s term, together with the Ho Centre Director.
The Fellow will be provided with workspace, library privileges, and full access to the university’s electronic resources. Postdoctoral fellows are expected to be in residence and to contribute to the intellectual life of the DSR and the Ho Centre through active participation in seminars, workshops, and other events. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be jointly supervised by a DSR faculty member in their research area (appointed by the Chair) and the Ho Centre Director.
The Department for the Study of Religion is located at the University of Toronto, one of the world’s leading research universities. Building upon the expertise of our faculty and the extensive resources of the university, the Department for the Study of Religion is uniquely positioned to nurture critical scholarship and teaching. We draw students from across the world and are situated in one of the most diverse metropolitan regions in North America, on the traditional lands of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit River.
The Ho Centre promotes excellence in research and teaching of Buddhist Studies across all three University of Toronto campuses and is housed administratively within the Department for the Study of Religion. The Ho Centre’s programs and events explore the way Buddhist traditions have grown and developed, how they have been understood and transformed, and how we can think about them with discipline in our religiously plural environment.
Salary: $63,000 (plus benefits)
Application deadline: February 29, 2024.
To apply, please send your application with the following information (in a single PDF document) to Tanya Proulx, Chair’s Assistant and Office Administrator, via email: tanya.proulx@utoronto.ca:
• Statement of interest describing your professional and academic experience and specifying your proposed research project and your possible idea for a public-facing event/program/conference sponsored by the Ho Centre
• CV
• List of DSR courses interested in teaching, and one sample syllabus
• Teaching statement of no more than 2 pages
• Two letters of recommendation (to be sent directly to tanya.proulx@utoronto.ca). If candidate is currently ABD, please make sure the letter specifies a projected dissertation completion date.
Employment as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto is covered by the terms of the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement. The normal hours of work are 40 hours per week for a full-time postdoctoral fellow (pro-rated for those holding a partial appointment) recognizing that the needs of the employee’s research and training and the needs of the supervisor’s research program may require flexibility in the performance of the employee’s duties and hours of work. The award is open to both domestic and international candidates. Successful international candidates must meet all Canadian immigration requirements.
The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.
