Postdoctoral Associate / Dr. Richard Whittington Postdoctoral Fellow in Medical Humanities

Job Description

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 mhri@rice.edu (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 mhri@rice.edu , 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
facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at
jobs@rice.edu . Thank
you for your interest in employment with Rice University.