What is a 'research program'? (Humanities-SocSci postdoc application)

[DogBarman]

Hello all,

Just wondering if anyone has an insight into the meaning of this phrase. The postdoc application I am working on, for an interdisciplinary post bridging the social sciences and humanities, calls for 'a description of [the applicant's] research program (no more than 1800 words and accessible to reviewers in other disciplines)'.

Does this mean a research proposal, such as I submitted for my PhD, or a research plan, i.e., a career-long roadmap of research interests and my overall direction of travel? Or something else entirely?

Thanks!

[Puget]

At least in my (science-social science) world, this is asking for a description of your program of research, past, present and future. That is, you need to be able to weave a narrative showing how all the work you have done, are doing, and plan to do fits together to address big and important questions in your field. For TT applications this would be called the research statement -- you could take a look at some examples of those in your field, thought they will be much longer and less generalist than what they are asking for here.

[Parasaurolophus]

Chiming Puget. For MII postdoc, though, you'll want to be able to articulate a particular project you'll undertake while there in addition to explaining what your research looks like more generally. And remember to emphasize its interdisciplinary impact, not just its interdisciplinary sources.

Don't skimp on your course proposal, either.

[DogBarman]

Fantastic, thanks both. I will poke around the internet for examples of other research plans, to get a general idea - although your description of the scope gives me a better sense of the task than I had before.

Don't skimp on your course proposal, either.

Sounds like you're familiar with MII, Parasaurolophus? I actually have similar questions about the 'seminar proposal' that they request (a brief proposal for a broadly encompassing interdisciplinary seminar in theory and methods). The description of the program implies that all of the postdocs are running this seminar together? Furthermore, the term 'broadly encompassing' is quite vague - hard to know if the scope should be broad (e.g., embodied ethnography) or very broad (e.g., the role of evidence in research).

I'd be curious what you (or anyone) has to make of these instructions.

[Parasaurolophus]

Sounds like you're familiar with MII, Parasaurolophus? I actually have similar questions about the 'seminar proposal' that they request (a brief proposal for a broadly encompassing interdisciplinary seminar in theory and methods). The description of the program implies that all of the postdocs are running this seminar together? Furthermore, the term 'broadly encompassing' is quite vague - hard to know if the scope should be broad (e.g., embodied ethnography) or very broad (e.g., the role of evidence in research).

I'd be curious what you (or anyone) has to make of these instructions.

I was a finalist a few years ago, but didn't get it.

IIRC, fellows teach their own course. It can be in your home department, but they obviously prefer interdisciplinary courses. I'd interpret 'broadly encompassing' in whatever way you need in order to pitch your course at a minimum of two disciplines. To take your examples, maybe something along the lines of "qualitative research methods" but focused on the role of ethnography plays in anthropology, communications studies, and sociology, or something of the sort. And I'd try to make it clear in my proposal which parts of the course concerned which discipline.

I mean, I don't know. Probably others know more and better than I do. But that's what I'd do.