The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) invites applications for paid and unpaid Postdoctoral Fellow / Visiting Scholar appointment(s) to conduct advanced historical research in Islamic art, architecture, material culture, and archaeology at Harvard University. We welcome applications from recent PhD graduates (as Postdoctoral Fellow) and mid-career scholars/senior scholars (as Visiting Scholar).

This is a full-time, immersion research appointment(s), to result in a lecture delivered to the AKPIA community, and a submission to the journal Muqarnas (published by Brill). Appointee(s) will be expected to meet periodically with the Director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture to discuss their research and to consider potential submission topics for publication. Research projects should be publishable in the annual journal of the Aga Khan Program, Muqarnas.

Appointee(s) will have an affiliation with Harvard University's Department of History of Art and Architecture (HAA), and are given access to all Harvard University libraries, museums, and facilities in furtherance of a well-defined, specific research project. Appointee(s) may participate in departmental symposia and they are also welcome to audit Harvard seminars and lecture courses, if they so choose (with instructor permission).

Appointee(s) will be expected to be in residence (Cambridge MA) and are expected to be active participants in the academic life of our program at Harvard University. They are encouraged to attend lectures hosted by AKPIA and HAA (the Department of History of Art and Architecture), and meet with faculty, students and other visiting scholars. If appointee(s) commute to Cambridge, they should plan to be on campus for a minimum of 3 weekdays each week.

Unpaid appointment(s): Scholars who have secured their own funding for 2025-26 are welcome to apply for the unpaid position.

Paid appointment(s): Subject to funding decisions yet to be finalized; if funded, the AKPIA Postdoctoral Fellow / Visiting Scholar position would carry a minimum stipend of $5,633.33 per month (pre-tax), for the duration of the appointment.

Please note: AKPIA does not allow appointee(s) to take on any other major responsibilities during their time at Harvard, including teaching jobs; AKPIA does not support professional design, conservation, or urban development projects; applicants who plan to spend a significant amount of time conducting travel research are not encouraged to apply; appointee(s) are responsible for arranging their own health insurance, which is required of all Massachusetts residents; appointee(s) are responsible for finding their own housing.

Basic Qualifications:

• PhD in Islamic Art History, Architectural History, Archaeology or related field

• Published in Islamic Art History, Architectural History, Archaeology or related field

• Demonstrated experience in Islamic Art History through teaching, museum curation, or other demonstrable close study and engagement

• Excellent research skills

• Excellent command of the English language (both the AKPIA lecture and the submission to Muqarnas will be in English)

• (Unpaid appointment only) confirmation of funding in the form of a fellowship, grant or paid sabbatical leave

Additional Qualifications:

• Experience in a research library, archive, special collection, museum, or comparable environment.

• Ability to work independently

• Ability to participate in the academic life of the AKPIA program at Harvard University; available to attend lectures and other events

• Residence in Cambridge MA for the duration of the appointment

Using the application portal, applicants should submit their Cover letter, Curriculum vitae, a Statement of Research, two writing samples, and two references’ names/contact information. The research statement should indicate desired start and finish dates for the appointment in the 2025-2026 academic year. Applicants for the unpaid position should detail source(s) of funding in their research statement. The duration of AKPIA Fellowships are usually a minimum of 3 months (occurring between September and May) and a maximum of 12 months. Review of applications will begin on February 20, 2025 and will continue until position(s) are filled (paid positions are subject to AKPIA budget approval). Applicants should notify their reference letter writers right away, as completion of application will trigger a letter request email.

For more information, please visit the AKPIA website https://agakhan.fas.harvard.edu/academics-fellowships or contact Cecily Pollard, Program Administrator, at [email protected]

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Apply here for the Paid Fellowship

Apply here for the Unpaid Fellowship

Application deadline: 27 April 2025

More details on the role are available here