Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Legal Exceptionalism
About The Position
The University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs invites applications for a one-to-two year postdoctoral research fellowship, commencing Fall 2026. We seek a talented scholar to work on a theory-generating project related to legal exceptionalism: territories and subjects that have special status and are exempt from the normal operation of the law in a given country (examples include diplomatic legal exemptions, special economic zones, territories with exceptional status, etc.). The successful candidate will build a dataset of cases of legal exceptionalism worldwide. There will also be the possibility of working on a South Asia-focused case study. The successful candidate will join the large community of political scientists at the Keough School of Global Affairs and in the Department of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame and will be expected to lead and collaborate on research as a member of Professor Susan Ostermann’s research team. This is not a remote role, with the exception of fellowship-related fieldwork. Half of the postdoctoral fellow’s time will be committed to research on the legal exceptionalism project, while the remainder will be devoted to the fellow’s own research and career advancement. Successful candidates will clearly identify in their application how their own research relates to the priority areas described above. The fellowship will be based in the Keough School, which promotes interdisciplinary and policy-relevant research on critical issues in global affairs, transformative educational programs, and partnerships for global engagement. The Keough School approaches global affairs and development through a focus on integrated human development, which is also central to the University of Notre Dame’s mission. The successful candidate will also be affiliated with Notre Dame’s Liu Institute for Asia / Asian Studies.
Requirements
- PhD in hand or expected immediately
- Demonstrated ability to formulate and complete innovative and rigorous quantitative social science research projects
- Familiarity with qualitative approaches
- Training in comparative politics
Nice To Haves
- Area studies knowledge related to South Asia is desirable.
Responsibilities
- Build a dataset of cases of legal exceptionalism worldwide.
- Lead and collaborate on research as a member of Professor Susan Ostermann’s research team.
- Conduct research on the legal exceptionalism project.
- Devote time to own research and career advancement.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
