Senior Adjunct Research Fellow/Postdoc

Call for Applications

Senior Adjunct Research Fellow/Postdoc

CONFINED Fellowship on Confinement, Refugee Governance, and Global Orders in Crisis

Hosted by the Institute for Migration Studies, Lebanese American University in cooperation with The Center for the Study of Coercion and Accountability at Aalborg University and The Fletcher School at Tufts University

Supported through ERC-funded CONFINED Project

Application Deadline: September 30, 2026

Start Date: as soon as possible

Duration: up to 2 years

About the Fellowship

The Institute for Migration Studies at the Lebanese American University in collaboration with CECA at Aalborg University and The Fletcher School at Tufts University invite applications for a Senior Adjunct Research Fellow position affiliated with “CONFINED: Unpacking Confined Lives—Generating a Global Research Agenda on the Intersection of Urban Marginality, Displacement, and Incarceration,” a Horizon Europe-funded collaborative research project coordinated by Aalborg University.

This fellowship seeks a scholar whose work advances critical inquiry into confinement, displacement, governance, and social justice, and who will contribute substantively to shaping an emerging collaborative research agenda within the project.

A core component of the fellowship will be intellectual leadership in the development of a major collaborative scholarly output: either an edited volume or special journal issue (to be finalized in consultation with project partners), as well as sustained engagement with the broader CONFINED consortium through research collaboration, publication, and conceptual development.

Thematic Focus

Applicants should engage with at least two of the following themes:

• Refugee governance in a multilateral order under strain

• The impact of externalization migration  policies on border regimes and their contestation (with focus on the Euro-Mediterranean/MENA border regimes)

• The political economy of aid and humanitarian governance

• The nexus between conflict, humanitarianism, and refugee protection in the Levant

• Confinement, mobility control, and practices of marginalization

• Comparative and critical approaches to displacement, social exclusion, and global inequality

Applicants working through decolonial, feminist, abolitionist, political economy, or critical migration lenses are particularly encouraged to apply.

Role and Responsibilities

The Fellow will:

• Contribute intellectually and collaboratively to the CONFINED research agenda

• Help conceptualize and co-develop a collaborative edited volume or special issue emerging from the fellowship and wider project network

• Produce original research aligned with the fellowship themes

• Contribute to co-authored scholarly publications and policy outputs with project partners

• Participate in regular engagement with the international CONFINED consortium, including workshops, seminars, and collaborative exchanges

• Support theoretical innovation and comparative dialogue across project sites

• Contribute to mentorship, scholarly exchange, and public engagement activities affiliated with the fellowship

Qualifications

Applicants should possess:

• PhD (or MA with at least 5 years of working experience) in Migration Studies, Political Science, International Relations, Anthropology, Sociology, Law, Geography, or a related discipline

• Strong publication record and demonstrated scholarly leadership appropriate to career stage

• Expertise relevant to one or more of the fellowship themes

• Experience in collaborative or comparative research projects

• Demonstrated interest in co-authorship and collaborative publication

• Excellent written and spoken English

Desirable qualifications:

• Experience with international or multi-sited research collaborations

• Prior editorial or special issue/book project experience

• Regional expertise on Lebanon, the Levant, or comparative displacement settings

• Additional relevant language skills

Fellowship Structure

• Duration: up to 2 years (Possibility of full time or part-time employment)

• Location: Hosted through LAU with a possibility of a visiting stay at the Fletcher School at Tufts University; hybrid arrangements may be possible

• Appointment subject to institutional hiring procedures and Horizon Europe grant compliance requirements.

Application Materials

Applicants should submit:

1. Cover letter outlining interest in the fellowship and fit with the thematic agenda

2. Curriculum vitae, max 3 pages

3. Research statement (2-3 pages), including ideas for contributing to the collaborative publication agenda

4. Two writing samples (working papers, reports, chapters, or journal articles)

5. Names and contact details of three referees

Applications should be sent to: Dr. Jasmin Lilian Diab jasminlilian.diab@lau.edu.lb; Dr. Tamirace Fakhoury tamirace.fakhoury@tufts.edu with the subject line: “CONFINED Fellowship”

Equal Opportunity and Transparency

This recruitment is conducted through an open and transparent process in accordance with Lebanese American University personnel policies and Horizon Europe requirements governing recruitment and working conditions for researchers.

LAU is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and welcome applications from scholars from historically underrepresented backgrounds.