Postdoctoral position at Vanderbilt University with the Critical Design Lab

The Critical Design Lab (https://www.mapping-access.com/) seeks applications for a postdoctoral scholar position in the areas of critical disability studies of design and technology, critical access studies, and/or critical design studies. This position begins in June 2024 and continues until July 2025. The ideal candidate is an interdisciplinary scholar who uses critical disability theory to study design at any scale, including media, technology, products, architecture, and public spaces. They will have strong skills in collaborative work, written communication, and project management. Experience with research-creation, design practice, media production, and related methods is preferred but not required. Interdisciplinary candidates completing PhDs (and/or PhD specializations) in fields such as Disability Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Science and Technology Studies, Digital Humanities, Design Studies, Architecture, Computer Science, Engineering, and related fields are encouraged to apply. Candidates identifying with disability and disability communities are encouraged to apply.

This postdoctoral position is part of a collaborative project, Labs for Liberation, funded by the Mellon Foundation. Labs for Liberation brings together the Critical Design Lab with Northwestern University's Digital Apothecary, directed by Dr. Moya Bailey. Labs for Liberation explores the laboratory form and structure as a space for integrating value-explicit research and research-creation, drawing from methods from disability culture and community organizing. Postdoctoral fellows will work collaboratively with members of both labs, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and community fellows (including artists and community organizers).

Responsibilities include:

1. Carrying out a full-time active research program focusing primarily on critical disability studies, critical access, design, technology, research-creation, and related practices, including working on book and article manuscripts, solo publications, and/or collaborative publications with members of the Critical Design Lab.
2. Attending regular meetings of the Critical Design Lab and Labs for Liberation project teams.
3. Working collaboratively with Community Fellows to mentor graduate and undergraduate research on Labs for Liberation projects, including curriculum, podcasts, zines, and social media content.
4. Helping to coordinate two summer institutes on disability and design (July 2024 and July 2025)
5. Guest lecturing in courses related to disability studies and design

The Critical Design Lab, directed by Dr. Aimi Hamraie, uses methods from critical design and disability culture to study and practice accessibility. Members of the lab include researchers, designers, and artists whose work contributes to disability culture and community. Our work pivots around the concept of access: access is our ethic, our creative content, and our methodology. Lab projects have included participatory accessibility mapping, podcasting, art curation, collective access events, community archiving, and digital media design. Our projects have been funded by the Mellon Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the United States Artists Fellowship, the Social Science Research Council, the National Humanities Alliance, and others.

The postdoctoral fellow will be supervised by Dr. Aimi Hamraie (Associate Professor of Medicine, Health, & Society and American Studies at Vanderbilt University, United States Artist Fellow, and public member of the U.S. Access Board). They will also work with Dr. Moya Bailey and the Labs for Liberation team at Northwestern University, which will also include a postdoctoral scholar and two community fellows.

The one-year postdoctoral fellowship will begin on 6/1/2024 with an end date of 8/31/2025. The position carries a salary of $66,748, office space, health insurance, and eligibility for other benefits (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/postdoc/faqs/). This is a full-time position that requires a physical presence in Nashville for the term of the fellowship. The postdoctoral fellow will also have access to an additional $30,000 project budget, which reimburses allowable research expenses (https://as.vanderbilt.edu/internal/policies/research-funding-guidelines.php).

Applicants should provide a cover letter, a CV, a writing sample and three references at: http://apply.interfolio.com/125959. Cover letters should include information about candidate qualifications and research interests, interest in working with the Critical Design Lab and Labs for Liberation project, future research plans, and experiences with disability culture (if any). For full consideration, applications are due December 1, 2024.

Vanderbilt University is committed to recruiting and retaining an academically and culturally diverse community of exceptional scholars. Women, minorities, and members of other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Vanderbilt University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer.

Ph.D. in fields specified above in hand no later than May 31, 2024.

Applicants should provide a cover letter, a CV, and three references at: http://apply.interfolio.com/125959. Cover letters should include information about candidate qualifications and research interests, interest in working with the Critical Design Lab and Labs for Liberation project, future research plans, and experiences with disability culture (if any). For full consideration, applications are due December 1, 2024.

In compliance with federal law, including the provisions of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, Executive Order 11246, the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 as amended by the Jobs for Veterans Act, and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, as amended, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, Vanderbilt University does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of their race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, military service, covered veterans status, or genetic information in its administration of educational policies, programs, or activities; admissions policies; scholarship and loan programs; athletic or other university-administered programs; or employment. In addition, the university does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of their gender expression. Requests for information, inquiries or complaints should be directed to these offices: 

• Complaints of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and related retaliation, should be directed to the university's Title IX Coordinator in the Title IX Office: Telephone 615-343-9004; email [email protected]; online reporting form; additional information: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/title-ix/
• Student Access receives student requests for accommodations: Telephone 615-343-9727; email [email protected]; online https://www.vanderbilt.edu/student-access/index.php

The Equal Opportunity and Access Office (EOA) receives all other complaints of discrimination, harassment, retaliation and requests for accommodations: Telephone 615-343-9336; email [email protected]; online reporting form; additional information: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/eoa/