Civic Teaching Postdoctoral Fellow – FORGE

Position Title:

Civic Teaching Postdoctoral Fellow – FORGE

Compensation:

$62,500

Department:

Educational Studies_A

About this opportunity:

The Civic Teaching Postdoctoral Fellow will provide academic and
instructional support for FORGE’s (Foundations of Representative
Government and Engagement) work with educators, teacher candidates,
schools, and regional partners. The Fellow will help translate
project content and professional learning into high-quality
instructional practice by developing curriculum and professional
learning resources; supporting Constitutional Inquiry Cycles and
other classroom implementation activities; coaching participating
educators; and mentoring teacher candidates engaged in civic
instructional design and field-based experiences.

The Fellow will also contribute to the collection and analysis of
project evidence, preparation of scholarly and
practitioner-oriented products, conference presentations, and
development of open-access resources. The Fellow will work closely
with the Principal Investigator, Project Director, faculty leads,
Indiana Bar Foundation, participating educators and schools, and
the project’s research and evaluation team.

Candidates for searches must have current authorization to be
employed in the U.S. without employer sponsorship.

This position is grant funded and is designated as an at-will
assignment.

What you'll do and what you'll bring:

Position Function:

Support the development, implementation, study, and dissemination
of FORGE (Foundations of Representative Government and Engagement),
a statewide civic education initiative administered through Ball
State University’s Center for Economic and Civic Learning (CECL).
Supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s American History
and Civics–National Activities program, FORGE strengthens teaching
and learning in American history, civics and government, geography,
and constitutional literacy. The Civic Teaching Postdoctoral Fellow
will work at the intersection of educator professional learning,
curriculum and instructional development, teacher preparation,
classroom implementation, and applied research. The Fellow will
support practicing educators and teacher candidates, develop and
refine instructional resources, contribute to research and
evaluation activities, and help disseminate project findings and
resources for use by educators, schools, and educator preparation
programs. This is a full-time, grant-funded postdoctoral position.
Continued appointment is contingent upon available funding and
university appointment terms.

Job Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Develop, adapt, and refine FORGE curriculum,
instructional materials, professional learning resources, and
open-access teaching resources focused on American history, civics
and government, geography, constitutional literacy, founding
documents, and evidence-based civic instruction.

2. Support the design and implementation of Civic Humanities
Institutes, Constitutional Literacy and Applied History Labs,
Constitutional Inquiry Cycles, regional professional learning
activities, and other FORGE instructional experiences.

3. Provide instructional coaching and implementation support
to participating educators as they design, implement, assess, and
refine project-aligned instruction in their classrooms.

4. Mentor participating teacher candidates in civic content,
instructional design, field-based implementation, and professional
portfolio development.

5. Work with educators to collect and examine
student-learning evidence, instructional artifacts, assessments,
student work, and implementation documentation and use evidence to
support instructional improvement.

6. Collaborate with the Principal Investigator, Project
Director, faculty leads, project partners, and external evaluator
to support implementation fidelity, continuous improvement, and
achievement of FORGE objectives and performance measures.

7. Contribute to applied research associated with FORGE,
including literature review, instrument and protocol development,
data collection, analysis, interpretation, and preparation of
research and evaluation products consistent with approved
university and project procedures.

8. Develop scholarly and practitioner-oriented products
arising from the project, including manuscripts, conference
presentations, research briefs, instructional resources,
implementation guides, and other dissemination products.

9. Help organize, document, and disseminate FORGE resources
for voluntary adoption by schools, districts, educator preparation
programs, and civic-learning organizations.

10. Participate in project team meetings, professional
learning activities, regional events, and continuous-improvement
processes and contribute academic and instructional expertise to
project planning and implementation.

11. Maintain appropriate project records and follow
university, grant, research, and data-management procedures in
consultation with the Principal Investigator and appropriate
university offices.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Earned doctorate (PhD, EdD, or equivalent terminal degree) in

education, history, political science, civic education, social
studies education, American studies, philosophy, public policy, or
a closely related field by the date of appointment.

• Evidence of scholarly or professional expertise related to

American history, civics and government, constitutional studies,
democratic institutions, civic learning, or a closely related
area.

• Experience conducting research, developing educational

resources, or translating scholarly knowledge for educational or
public audiences.

• Demonstrated interest in applying scholarship to civic

education, educator professional learning, K–12 schools, or
community-based civic initiatives.

• Evidence of ability to conduct scholarly or applied research

and contribute to academic or professional publications and
dissemination.

• Strong written, oral, organizational, and interpersonal

communication skills.

Additional Position Requirements:

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across

university, school, and community settings; manage multiple
instructional, research, and dissemination responsibilities; and
meet project deadlines.

• Requires travel to participating schools, regional hubs,

professional learning activities, and other FORGE events throughout
Indiana. NOTE: Must hold a valid driver's license and be
insurable under the university's auto fleet policy.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Research or teaching expertise in civic education, social

studies education, American history, civics and government,
constitutional studies, geography education, or related
fields.

• Experience designing or facilitating professional learning for

practicing educators.

• Experience with inquiry-based instruction, primary-source

pedagogy, historical thinking, constitutional inquiry, geographic
reasoning, disciplinary literacy, or evidence-based
discussion.

• Experience mentoring preservice teachers or supporting

field-based teacher preparation.

• Experience conducting classroom-based, mixed-methods,

implementation, or program evaluation research.

• Experience analyzing educational data and translating findings

for practitioner and scholarly audiences.

• Record of scholarly publication, conference presentation, or

development of publicly accessible educational resources.

• Experience collaborating with schools, community organizations,

civic institutions, or multidisciplinary project teams.

• Interest in pursuing an independent program of scholarship

connected to civic learning, teacher education, or educational
implementation.

How to apply:

For information about this opportunity, please

contact:

Dr. David J. Roof, Principal Investigator, at djroof@bsu.edu.

Important:

Please follow upload instructions for attaching all required
documents listed below. Only complete applications will be
considered.

REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae (Do not use the Autofill resume

feature.)

References:

Within the application, please provide the names and contact
information for three (3) professional references.

Application Deadline: January 15, 2027

What we offer:

At Ball State University, we understand the importance of balancing
professional responsibilities with personal well-being. That's why
we offer paid 24 vacation days, 12 sick days and 10 holidays a
year. Plus, our paid parental leave (6 weeks) is there for life's
most significant moments. We offer affordable health and dental
insurance, robust long-term disability and life insurance plans, as
well a range of retirement benefits to provide financial security
to you and your family. These benefits ensure that you can focus on
your work and personal growth without worrying about the
unexpected.

When you work for us, you are family. And to show our support of
your family, we will cover 90 percent of your child's (or
children's) undergraduate college tuition at Ball State. We do the
same for you. In fact, we'll cover 100 percent of the tuition costs
for you to earn your undergraduate degree and 80 percent of your
graduate tuition. This offer is good from the very first day you
start. It's just one way we do our part to uplift you.

Let's fly together toward a secure and prosperous tomorrow.

Curious about our excellent benefits package?

We have developed a calculator that shows you the value of our
core benefits. Select the Total Compensation Calculator -
Professional and download the spreadsheet. If you are applying
for a 10-month position or one with Burris or Indiana Academy,
please select the corresponding calculator.

Relocation Program: MakeMyMove

Looking for a place where your career, community, and quality of
life can grow together? Muncie and Delaware County offer the
advantages of a university community with the accessibility and
affordability of a mid-sized city—short commutes, local arts and
culture, parks and trails, educational opportunities, healthcare,
athletics, and a strong sense of connection.

Through the City of Muncie’s
MakeMyMove program, eligible new residents may access
relocation incentives, university-related benefits, co-working
options, and community-building opportunities designed to help them
get settled and connected.

Current benefits for eligible participants may include:

• Up to $5,000 cash for relocation
• Co-working space courtesy of The Innovation Connector
• Access to the Ball State University Library
• One-semester Rec Fit pass at Ball State University
• Discounted Ball State Athletics tickets
• Help desk for connecting to local resources
• Opportunity for board participation
• Six-month YMCA membership

Relocation programs on MakeMyMove have specific eligibility
requirements, and benefits may vary by program. Applicants should
review the current MakeMyMove page to confirm eligibility,
available benefits, and program status.

Ball State’s support for relocation resources and community
partnerships aligns with Destination 2040:
Our Flight Path , the University’s strategic plan. The plan
calls our University to work with community partners to promote
talent attraction and retention, foster economic growth in East
Central Indiana, and strengthen the economic and social vitality of
the communities we serve.

Explore the program and check your eligibility through
MakeMyMove .