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2024-25 Research Associateship

Position Number: 4727212
Location: Northampton, MA
Position Type: Laboratory and Research

2024-25 Research Associateship
Five Colleges, Inc.

Location: Amherst, MA
Open Date: Oct 23, 2023

Description:
The Five College Women's Studies Research Center announces a call for applications for the Research Associate Program for the 2024-25 academic year.

About the Center

Founded in 1991, the Five College Women's Studies Research Center is a vibrant site of local, national, and international engaged, critical feminist scholarship, cultural production, and activism from diverse perspectives. The Center has a rich history of supporting transnational work, with a recognition of the diverse pathways and plurality of forms that feminist creative and academic scholarship can take. Located on the campus of Hampshire College, the Center is supported by the Five College Consortium, which includes Hampshire College as well as Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Since 1966, the five institutions have been noted for their cooperation and innovation in higher education and boast one of the largest concentrations of women's and gender studies scholars anywhere in the world. Research Associates are encouraged to take advantage of Five College and surrounding area libraries, archives, and resources.

Opportunities & Expectations

The Center's hub at Hampshire College includes dedicated, quiet office space for Research Associates; a large seminar room; a community lounge; a flex office; and expansive outdoor space. Over the course of a semester or full academic year, Research Associates undertake their projects within an interdisciplinary feminist community, participating in regular weekly programming and special events across the Five College Consortium. Associates also share knowledge about their areas of specialization through workshops or symposia. An Associateship offers access to writing accountability groups; professional development workshops; networking opportunities with leading scholars and feminist makers; and surrounding area libraries, archives, and resources.

Research Associates are expected to establish the Center as their work-home for the duration of their appointment. A typical Research Associate week is as follows:

Monday/Wednesday: Morning co-working time with the FCWSRC Writing Community or Research Associate cohort; weekly Research Associate check-in and work-in-progress session

Tuesday/Thursday: Self-defined: work on-site, at local archives or libraries, attend events on other campuses, etc.

Friday: Reserved for workshops, time outdoors, and local excursions and/or independent research

Travel, housing and living expenses are the responsibility of Research Associates. While we are unable to provide funding, the Center is committed to supporting feminist scholars who are seeking funding to support their Research Associateship.

We recognize that travel or relocation for an extended period of time may not be possible for many different reasons. In addition to the Research Associate Program, the Center co-hosts scholars and creatives who are visiting the area to work with Five College faculty, conduct research using local resources, give guest talks, or collaborate with others in the area. We welcome inquiries about possibilities for shorter term visits at this form.

Important Dates

December 12, 2023, 1-2pm EST: Information session via Zoom with Director, Program Coordinator, and current Research Associates. Registration required.

January 23, 2024, 10-11:30am EST: Application office hours and consultations via Zoom, featuring individual conversations with the Director and Program Coordinator. Registration required.

February 1, 2024, 11:59pm EST: Priority deadline for 1) scholars applying for the 2024-25 academic year and 2) prospective 2025-26 Research Associates applying for funding for which a conditional acceptance or host invitation letter is required. Scholars requesting a letter of institutional support for a funding proposal after the priority deadline must contact the Center to arrange submission of the same application materials. Unfortunately, we cannot review materials from May to September.

March 15, 2024: Notifications of acceptance are distributed to applicants; in April accepted applicants attend a pre-orientation information session via Zoom.

Application Instructions:
To apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/134291

Be prepared to provide the following information via the online form:

Name and contact information
Current position/title and institution/organization (or indicate unaffiliated/independent status), as well as office contact information, if applicable
If you are an alum of the Center, please provide us with the year/semester of your Associateship
Desired time of residency (fall 2024 semester, spring 2025 semester, or full academic year)
Title of the project
Project abstract (under 150 words)
Key terms
A brief bio (under 150 words)
An explanation of sources of funding (grants, fellowships, self, etc.) and whether funding is confirmed or applications are in-progress
For scholars whose research involves collection of data from human subjects (via oral histories, interviews, questions, surveys, etc), please indicate whether the project has been approved by an appropriate ethics committee
Contact information for two professional references (references may be contacted following an initial review of applications, so there is no need for the applicant to refer references to Interfolio)
For international applicants who would require J-1 visa sponsorship:
- Country of citizenship
- How the English proficiency requirement for a U.S. visa will be met (documentation of a degree from an English language institution, TOEFL score, or anticipated interview with Center Director)
Any additional information that you would like to share with the selection committee

Applicants will also be asked to upload two PDF documents: 1) a curriculum vitae and 2) a project proposal of up to three pages in length, single spaced. The project proposal should describe:

the project in detail, including objectives, methodologies employed, and a breakdown of the work that the applicant plans to undertake at the Center;
the projects contribution to and significance in the fields of Women's and Gender Studies, Feminist Studies, and/or Queer and Trans Studies;
how undertaking the project while in residence at the Center would benefit your project and broader scholarship. Applicants might consider engagement with museum/archival resources, interactions with specific local networks of Five College scholars and collaborators, having dedicated space, time, and community, etc.
how you envision contributing to the feminist communities of the Center and across the broader Five College campuses. The Center is interested in cultivating a thriving network of feminist thinkers across generation, rank, institutional affiliation, field, and background, in both formal and informal capacities. Applicants may consider writing about potential intellectual contributions (ideas for workshops, reading groups, presentations, etc), informal contributions, or speak more broadly to their vision of feminist community.

Smith College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or veteran status in the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by all applicable laws and regulations. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.