The Borders and Boundaries Project is concerned with boundaries between organized human communities, broadly understood. International borders, border regions and border crossings have multiple significance as designations of state authority, security buffers, expressions of social meaning and opportunities for economic integration.
Border regions and activities speak to national and local encounters with neighbors and the rest of the world. This project is concerned with how humans demarcate the space between “us” and “them.” It contextualizes border architecture, infrastructure and institutions as expressions of various social, political and economic opportunities and anxieties associated with globalization. This research team will concern itself with a broad range of questions relating to international bordering and its consequences. The project team is run by Professor Beth Simmons, Andrea Mitchell University Professor in Law, Political Science, and Business Ethics.
Applicants with an interest in territorial politics; migration and movement across borders, especially in the context of climate change; development in and across border regions; border-related law and human rights, cooperation, and institutions; transnational crime, human trafficking and law enforcement across borders; and related issues are welcome to apply.
The postdoctoral fellow will split their time between their own research and Borders & Boundaries project research. Postdoctoral fellows will be expected to work 25% of their time on project research. There are no mandatory teaching responsibilities. Postdoctoral fellows will be expected to give a presentation during the academic year in the Perry World House Seminar Series, engage with Perry World House’s Undergraduate Student Fellows, and attend regularly scheduled seminars. Perry World House will also introduce each postdoctoral fellow to related faculty and leaders of centers and institutes at the University of Pennsylvania.
Applications are welcome from scholars who have received their Ph.D. or equivalent degrees since June 2025, or who expect to complete their degree by June 2027. Theoretical thinking is highly valued. Skills in empirical spatial analysis, GIS technologies, mapping technologies, experimental analyses, computerized textual and imaging analyses, and similar technologies are a plus, as are computer programming skills and experience using large computer databases and statistical software.
Upon provision of and contingent upon proof of conferral of the Ph.D. degree, all postdoctoral fellow positions pay a stipend of $75,000 plus relevant fees and health insurance. The position also provides $4,000 in research support.
Applications will be reviewed starting December 1st, 2026. To receive full consideration, applications and letters of recommendation should be received by that date. Applicants will be asked to complete a short form as well as upload a cover letter, CV/resume, one-page research statement, writing sample, unofficial Ph.D. transcript (only required for current graduate students), and the name of one or more faculty members at Penn whom you would be interested in having as a mentor. We will also ask for the name and email address of two letter writers who can submit a letter of recommendation.
If you have questions, please email worldhouse@pwh.upenn.edu.
The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
