Cornell University Postdoctoral Associate in Political Economy and Technology 2026/2027: PhD Research Opportunity in Communication, AI and Technology

Overview

Cornell University's Department of Communication, within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is recruiting a Postdoctoral Associate in Political Economy and Technology. The post is in Ithaca, New York, and is aimed at recent PhD graduates in fields such as communication, science and technology studies, social science, history or political economy. The appointee develops an independent empirical study on how technology reshapes political and economic systems and joins the research team led by Dr. danah boyd. Applicants should be ready to set aside their dissertation project and pursue a new, original research question.

What the role involves

About 50 percent of the time goes to the appointee's own research, including fieldwork, interviews, data collection and coding, analysis, writing papers and giving talks. About 25 percent supports Dr. boyd's research through editing, project development, grant writing and ongoing work, with possible co-authorship. The appointee also mentors graduate students and takes part in the department's intellectual life. Questions of interest include who controls emerging technologies, how technology companies influence institutions, how AI transforms industries and how technology redistributes power.

What you get

The salary is $64,000 to $70,000 per year. The appointment lasts one year with a possible renewal of up to one more year. The start date is flexible but no later than August 30, 2027.

How to apply

Applications are made through Academic Jobs Online under Position ID Cornell-Department of Communication-POLECONOMYTECHPOSTDOC [#32502].

Key dates

Review of applications begins on October 16, 2026. The deadline is November 1, 2026 at 03:59 AM GMT.