Geiss Hsu Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ming Studies

Application deadline: January 15, 2025

Date of posting: November 15, 2024

Call for Applications: Geiss Hsu Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ming Studies at the University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver campus, invites applications for the Geiss Hsu Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ming Studies, starting September 1, 2025. This two-year fellowship will support a scholar in any discipline who studies the Ming Dynasty or a closely-related field, including research that connects the Ming with other time periods and studies of Ming relations with other regions. The fellow will be housed in and supported by the Department of Asian Studies but may be sponsored by a faculty member in any department.

UBC has a long tradition of advanced training in Ming Studies. The China History research cluster hosts a regular work-in-progress series for scholars of Chinese history, which alternates fortnightly with the Ming & More text-reading group that focuses on primary material in Literary Sinitic from the Ming and other periods and regions. The Centre for Chinese Research, part of the Institute for Asian Research, supports interdisciplinary and public-facing scholarship on China.

Fellowship Terms

The fellowship will run from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2027. The fellow will receive a salary of $80,000 (all amounts in Canadian dollars) and extended health and dental coverage. Up to $5,000 in relocation costs may be reimbursed. The fellow will also have access to $5,000 in research funds each year. No teaching is required, but fellows are eligible to apply to teach one or more courses in a relevant department at UBC. The fellow is expected to give at least one public presentation about their research and to organize a workshop, small conference, or similar event in the second year of the fellowship. Up to $20,000 will be provided to cover the cost of this event. The Centre for Chinese Research will provide workspace and research assistant support.

For general information about postdoctoral fellowships at UBC, see https://www.postdocs.ubc.ca/.

Selection Criteria

The position is open to scholars who have received their PhD (or equivalent degree such as DPhil) on or before July 1, 2025, or up to five years earlier (not earlier than July 1, 2020), with allowances for career interruptions due to personal circumstances. The degree may be from any recognized institution other than UBC. There is no citizenship requirement, but non-Canadian applicants must be able to meet all immigration requirements to be eligible for employment in Canada. A sufficient command of English is expected.

Application Process

This position was made possible in part by an award from the James P. Geiss and Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation. It is also supported by UBC’s Department of Asian Studies and Centre for Chinese Research.

Contacting a UBC faculty member who can act as a sponsor is highly recommended. Faculty working in Ming studies and adjacent fields include:

  • D. Alison Bailey (Asian Studies)
  • Nam-Lin Hur (Asian Studies)
  • Ross King (Asian Studies)
  • Julia Orell (Art History)
  • Bruce Rusk (Asian Studies)
  • Leo K. Shin (History/Asian Studies)
  • Shoufu Yin (History)

All applications must be submitted via the application form by January 15, 2025. Please provide the following documents:

  • Cover letter
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Research plan (up to five pages, double-spaced)
  • Writing sample (up to 30 pages)
  • Confirmation of PhD (or DPhil), or supervisor/department confirmation of expected completion date
  • Explanation for career interruption (if applicable; up to one page)
  • Names and contact information for three references

Applicants are encouraged to complete the voluntary and anonymous Equity Survey linked at the bottom of this page. Please direct any inquiries to asia.jobsearch@ubc.ca.

Applicants should provide names and contact information for three references willing to submit a confidential letter of recommendation. We will request letters directly once the application is submitted, and referees should send letters to asia.jobsearch@ubc.ca by the application deadline.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

Apply Here | Equity Survey