The Department of Government at Colby College invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Public Policy to begin August 1, 2026. This is a one-year appointment with the possibility of a renewal for up to three years, based on performance and programmatic needs. The position is housed in the Department of Government and is closely integrated with Colby’s new Public Policy Lab, an initiative focused on applied policy research and immersive student learning.

Colby’s Labs are cross-disciplinary academic initiatives that integrate teaching, research, and applied work around real-world problems. They are designed to support experiential learning through practicum courses, faculty-led research, and sustained partnerships with external organizations, while remaining fully embedded in the liberal arts curriculum. The Public Policy Lab follows this model, providing an institutional home for applied policy projects, student mentorship, and collaborative work with government agencies, nonprofits, and community partners. The fellow will co-teach a practicum course within the lab each semester as part of the Lab’s instructional team, helping to support ongoing partnerships with state agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations. In addition, the fellow will teach two courses per year, developed in consultation with the Government Department Chair and the Lab Director.

Fellows are expected to maintain an active research and publishing agenda and will have opportunities to contribute to applied projects emerging from the Lab’s Workbench model. Up to 20 percent of the position is devoted to Lab-related responsibilities, including student mentorship, project coordination, and support for ongoing operations. The fellow will also have the opportunity to participate in the Lab’s new public policy colloquium series and will receive structured professional development and mentoring.

Areas of specialization are open. We welcome applicants from Political Science/Government, Public Policy, Sociology, Economics, or related social science fields. Candidates must be able to teach policy-relevant research methods and thrive in an interdisciplinary, applied research environment. A Ph.D. must be in hand no later than September 1, 2026.

A complete application includes:

Curriculum vitae
Cover letter describing research, teaching experience, and approach to applied pedagogy
Representative sample of scholarship
Three letters of recommendation

Please submit all materials via Interfolio: apply.interfolio.com/181811.

Review of applications will begin March 15, 2026, and continue until the position is filled.
Questions about the position may be directed to the Director of the Policy Lab: Professor
Nicholas Jacobs, nfjacobs@colby.edu

Colby is a private, coeducational liberal arts college that admits students and makes personnel decisions on the basis of the individual’s qualifications to contribute to Colby’s educational objectives and institutional needs. The principle of not discriminating on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, caste, national or ethnic origin, marital status, genetic information, political beliefs, veteran or military status, parental status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, physical or mental disability unrelated to the job or course of study requirements is consistent with the mission of a liberal arts college and the law.

About Colby College

One of the finest liberal arts colleges in the United States, Colby has an increasingly global reach and an international reputation for excellence. Faculty scholars from around the world and intellectual students from more than 70 countries are drawn to the scenic Mayflower Hill campus and to Maine’s unique environment. More than 260 faculty members and approximately 640 other employees work together to connect students with global experiential learning opportunities and provide academic, administrative, and support services. One of central Maine’s largest employers, Colby aspires to be the best workplace in the state and in the higher education sector.

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