Opportunity for Post-Doc Scholars

The Hoover Institution at Stanford University is seeking outstanding post-doctoral scholars for appointments at the rank of Research Fellow for the Hoover History Lab. The term of the appointment is one year from September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, and may be renewed for a second year.

The Hoover History Lab prioritizes war and diplomatic history, economic and financial history, political and institutional history, and science and technology history. We are open to any specific topic and to all regions of the world, including the United States.

Scholars will be associated with the Hoover History Lab’s project “Global Futures – History, Statecraft, System,” encompassing a history of the world from the 18th century to the present. Topics include but are not limited to the 18th century civic revolution, especially in the United States; the invention of the fiscal military state in the U.K. and elsewhere; the advent of a global economy; the eruption of modern populist politics in the guise of Napoleon III and the welfare state under Otto von Bismarck; technological disruption; the fall and rise of China; fossil fuels and the global energy system; global communications; world wars and regional wars; international relations; the GATT and the WTO; the EU, ASEAN, and the GCC; institutions and the challenges of governance in democracies and authoritarian regimes.

Successful applicants will pursue their own research within this framework, contributing to it and helping to teach in a course associated with it. We are particularly looking for scholars who work on political, economic, military, geopolitical, institutional, and technological history. The position is located at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University working for Senior Fellows Stephen Kotkin, Niall Ferguson, and Victor Davis Hanson.

About Stanford University’s Hoover Institution: The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace is a public policy research center devoted to the advanced study of economics, politics, history, and political economy—both domestic and foreign—as well as international affairs.

Founded in 1919 by Herbert Hoover before he became the thirty-first president of the United States, the Institution began as a repository of historical material gathered at the end of World War I. The library and archives have grown to be amongst the largest private repositories of documents on twentieth-century political and economic history. Over time the Institution expanded its missions from collecting archival material to conducting advanced research on contemporary history and economics and applying this scholarship to current public policy challenges.

With its eminent scholars and world-renowned library and archives, the Hoover Institution seeks to improve the human condition by advancing ideas and promote economic opportunity and prosperity while securing and safeguarding peace for America and all humanity.

Two unique resources frame this opportunity:

• The Hoover Library and Archives affords Fellows access to the richest private archive collections in the United States. With nearly one million volumes and more than six thousand archival collections from 171 countries, the Hoover Library and Archives is a national and international center for primary-source documentation and research on problems of political, economic, and social change.

• Research Fellows are able to draw on the experience of outstanding Senior Fellows, Research Fellows and scholars at the Hoover Institution and Stanford University.

Core Responsibilities:

• Serving as a teaching assistant in an undergraduate course
• Helping to organize and participate in conferences, workshops, and lectures
• Conducting your own research and writing

Apply Here

To Apply, Please Submit:

• A curriculum vitae
• A Cover Letter
• A research statement (two pages maximum)
• A teaching statement (one page)
• A writing sample (must show original research, 40 pages maximum)
• Three letters of recommendation

Requirements:

• Must have a Ph.D. or its equivalent by the time they start
• *Must be in residence (possible moving and research allowance)
• One-year commitment (September 2026-August 2027)
• Possibility of one-year renewal under strict circumstance

Please follow up with your letter writers as needed. All materials, including letters, must be submitted electronically by January 2, 2026.

The Hoover Institution is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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