Job position at Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA . Deadline is on December 16, 2023
Associate Director of Research Initiatives
Fellowship Management, Archival Research
Job summary
Reporting to the executive director and in close consultation with the faculty director (and associate faculty director), the Associate Director of Research Initiatives (ADRI) will oversee multifaceted research projects at CMES. The ADRI will work with the Faculty Director, Associate Director, and CMES-affiliated Faculty to define research priorities and goals. They will collaborate with the Executive Director on budgeting, hires, grant applications, fundraising opportunities, and compliance with university policies.
On a day-to-day basis, the ADRI will help shape new projects, supervise established projects, recruit student and outside workers, and assist in hiring technical specialists as needed. In addition, they will identify grants and help prepare grant applications. They will also manage and coordinate the postdoctoral fellow and visiting researcher programs and special events at CMES. The ADRI will update the ED, Fac Director, Fac Assoc Director and various CMES committees on the progress of all initiatives and will write periodic progress reports for internal and external constituents (for example, CMES web pages, newsletter, and reports to sponsors and CMES Executive Committee, funder progress reports).
Position Description
- Manages and updates CMES visiting researcher program consisting of fellows, postdocs, and scholars around coherent CMES research priorities and in alignment with FAS Faculty Affairs divisional requirements. Delivers robust fellowship experience for the annual cohort of scholars, fellows and postdoctoral fellows through the management of ongoing programmatic events such as mandatory orientation activities, weekly fellows colloquiums series, writing workshops, and team building activities. Identifies new opportunities for fellows to share their interests across the Harvard University community. Handles all communication with fellows. Advises on housing, insurance, and other necessities. Leads and implements the procurement of visas for international scholars joining the program. Works closely with the Harvard International Office. Develops guidelines, policies, and procedures necessary for the smooth running of the fellowship program. Oversees application process including assembling and directing faculty committee. Prepares initial review of applications for selection committee. Ideates, conducts, and evaluates fellowship application process and conduct climate and exit surveys. Leads all aspects of on-boarding for fellows. Directs fellows to resources for housing, insurance, and other necessities. Fosters social and intellectual engagement of fellows. Serves as point of contact between the CMES and other University and academic institutions for joint programming and collaborative research opportunities. Maintains social media platforms. Develops and manages budget for fellowship program within CMES funding resources. Works with CMES leadership to build an academically comprehensive fellowship cohort despite the challenges imposed by restrictive funding sources. Creates reports on outcomes.
- Manages CMES Research Projects including multi-year, interdisciplinary projects such as the new CMES Disaster Studies Initiative which will bring together postdocs, student researchers and technical staff (to be hired) in the development of an innovative new project on the history of seismicity and other aspects of the emerging field of disaster studies. Responsible for the application process for the selection of researchers, hiring, orienting, and on-boarding the fellows and serving as the point of contact between the researchers, affiliated faculty members and the CMES Executive Committee. Serves as the project manager for these research initiatives, and will be responsible for liaising with project members, helping to secure funding via internal and external sources, tracking spending and projections, helping to promote the project via social media and other on-line platforms, organizing topical events, talks and workshops along thematic lines that engage internal and external scholars. Investigates best platforms for the digital dissemination of research results, including websites and other digital repositories. Serve as liaison between project leaders and various Harvard offices.
- Coordinates a CMES writer/artist/scholar in residence program that will bring academics and practitioners to campus for short-term stays (2-6 weeks). Duties include posting applications, coordination of application review, integration of visitor into CMES events and organizing “master” classes and public events related to the scholar’s stay.
- Manages special events at CMES including conferences, colloquia related to research projects and manages all aspects of larger-scale topical art and musical performances for internal and external stakeholders. Responsible for all aspects of these events including negotiating with performers, arranging event venues, and insuring necessary legal and insurance agreements are in place, designing publicity and dissemination strategies and writing performance reports.
Bachelor’s Degree in related field and five years of relevant experience in fellowship management and research project management.
Additional Qualifications and Skills:
Must have Turkish language and/or Arabic language expertise. Master’s Degree or Ph.D. in Middle Eastern Studies desirable as is a working knowledge of archival research methods and archival holdings in the ME, with a working knowledge. Experience in managing digital humanities projects would be an asset.
Working Conditions:
Additional Information:
This is a three-year term position with the possibility of renewal.
We regret that we will not be able to provide visa sponsorship for this position.
All formal written offers will be made by FAS Human Resources.