Yale University

The Yale Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS) invites postdoctoral students and junior scholars to apply for its Democratic Innovations Fellowship. Democratic Innovations is an interdisciplinary ISPS program that encourages social scientists from a variety of fields to think about the factors that affect government policy and decision-making and to analyze novel democratic institutions that might support improvements in representation, citizen inclusion, and government performance. To further the study and dissemination of novel ideas, the program will aim to answer questions such as:

• What changes to our political institutions will promote efficient, evidence-based decisions?
• What changes to our political institutions can make them more representative, inclusive, deliberative, and participatory?
• How do ideas and knowledge spread and what institutions can catalyze faster social learning and elevate fact over misinformation?
• How can we build democratic political institutions founded on a realistic view of citizen engagement?
• How can we attract dedicated and talented people to government and promote public engagement that contributes high-quality participation to the political system?
• What new possibilities for government, representation, and citizen participation are introduced by modern technologies, including artificial intelligence?
• What lessons can we learn about factors affecting government performance from history and social science?
• How can we test our ideas scientifically and how can we work to put proven good ideas into practice?

We are interested in theoretical and empirical scholars doing basic or applied research on these and related questions. We are also interested in scholars who are experts in novel systems of representation and decision making, especially any innovations in voting, citizens’ assemblies, or other political reforms that have been introduced recently and take advantage of advances in communication or computation.

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives.

Additionally, in accordance with this Policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions; race; color; national or ethnic origin; religion; age; disability; protected veteran status, or other protected classes as set forth in federal and Connecticut law.

Professional Conduct Review for New Faculty Hires

The final candidate, upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment/faculty appointment, may be required to disclose whether they are, or have been, the subject of any disciplinary proceeding (investigation, hearing, etc.) at previous institutions or employers, and may also be subject to a background screening. Candidates who materially misrepresent information on their resume or other application materials are ineligible for hire/appointment. Final candidates may also be required to sign a release to allow Yale to solicit information regarding any substantiated conduct violations from current and/or past employers.