Job Description

** _ We would like to clarify that this_ _ Postdoctoral & Post-MFA Fellowships are_ _ being managed through a separate application system. The posting on the ND Careers site is intended to increase visibility and accessibility only. To be considered for this fellowship, you must submit your application materials through** _ Interfolio ** _ _.__**

The Notre Dame Arts Initiative invites applications for postdoctoral and post-MFA fellowships in the arts. These fellowships are two-year residencies at Notre Dame designed to advance emerging scholarship and artistic practice in the visual, spatial, literary, and performing arts. Fellows will be funded to contribute to the interdisciplinary research, creative practice, and curricular goals of the initiative, with special consideration given to candidates whose work aligns with one or more of the initiative’s current research and creative practice priorities:

• Arts in Action advances socially engaged research and creative practice, with an emphasis on the role of the visual arts, performing arts, literature, and architecture in producing more just and equitable societies.
• Sense and Transcendence centers on the production and study of sacred images, objects, spaces, texts, and performances and examines their uses in ritual and devotional practice, evangelization, instruction, and community-building.
• Techne Futures promotes experimental inquiry and modes of making at the intersection of the visual, literary, and performing arts, design, science, and technology.

In addition to their primary focus on research and/or creative practice, fellows will teach one undergraduate course per year that fulfills the Fine Arts and Literature requirement of the Core Curriculum, give one public presentation of their work in the second year, and participate in the intellectual life of the university.

Fellows will hold a primary affiliation with the Arts Initiative and may have opportunities for additional affiliations with relevant units across campus. Applicants interested in specific secondary affiliations should detail their interest, qualifications, and project’s alignment in their application materials. Possible secondary affiliations include, but are not limited to,:

• Departmental and programmatic affiliations in the arts (Art, Art History and Design; Creative Writing; Film, Television, and Theatre; Music; Sacred Music)
• Departmental and programmatic affiliations connected to the Arts Initiative’s research priorities (such as those within the College of Arts and Letters, the College of Engineering, the College of Science, and the School of Architecture). You can learn more about Notre Dame’s academic units here.
• Center or Institute affiliations (see the full list of Centers and Institutes here)

Fellows are expected to be in residence at Notre Dame during the entire fellowship period. The position is anticipated to run from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2028. Fellows will receive a stipend of $65,000, plus benefits, along with an annual research and creative practice fund of $5,000.

Qualifications

• Applicants must hold either a PhD, DFA, DMA, or MFA in a relevant discipline (received within the last five years).
• Applicants with a doctoral degree must have an established research agenda, and applicants with an MFA must have an established artistic practice.
• Teaching experience at the undergraduate level is highly desirable, as is relevant experience with (or interest in) community engagement and public scholarship.

Additional Information

** _ We would like to clarify that this_ _ Postdoctoral & Post-MFA Fellowships are_ _ being managed through a separate application system. The posting on the ND Careers site is intended to increase visibility and accessibility only. To be considered for this fellowship, you must submit your application materials through** _ Interfolio ** _ ._ _________________________________________________________________________________________**

Application Platform: All materials must be submitted via Interfolio
Application Deadline: February 1, 2026

Postdoctoral Applicants — Required Materials

1. Cover letter
2. Current CV
3. 1–2 page (single-spaced) research proposal 1. Project to be completed during the fellowship 2. Interdisciplinary projects aligned with the Initiative’s research priorities are strongly encouraged 3. May include creative practice
4. 1-page (single-spaced) undergraduate course proposal 1. Semester-long course taught during the fellowship 2. Must connect to at least one of the Initiative’s three research priorities 3. Must align with the Fine Arts & Literature Core Curriculum requirement
5. Writing sample (maximum 7,500 words )
6. Optional: Digital portfolio of relevant artistic work 1. Especially encouraged if the research includes creative practice 2. Creative writers may submit one complete work (e.g., poetry collection, novella/novel, short story collection, play(s), screenplay(s)) 3. Upload under Additional Documents in Interfolio
7. Three confidential letters of recommendation 1. Recommender contact information submitted at application 2. Letters must be received via Interfolio by the deadline

Post-MFA Applicants — Required Materials

1. Cover letter
2. Current CV
3. 1–2 page (single-spaced) creative practice proposal 1. Project to be completed during the fellowship 2. Preference given to projects aligned with the Initiative’s interdisciplinary research priorities
4. 1-page (single-spaced) undergraduate course proposal 1. Practice-based course 2. Must connect to at least one Initiative research priority 3. Must align with the Fine Arts & Literature Core Curriculum requirement
5. Artist statement (maximum 500 words )
6. Digital portfolio of artistic work 1. Creative writers submit one complete work (same formats listed above) 2. Upload under Additional Documents in Interfolio
7. Three confidential letters of recommendation 1. Submitted via Interfolio by the deadline

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.