Education & Training

Postdoctoral Fellowships

The Berman Institute’s wide and growing array of postdoctoral fellowships are helping launch the careers of the next generation of bioethics scholars.

The Berman Institute’s flagship postdoctoral program is the Hecht-Levi Fellowship, offering a two-year program of study and experiential learning in bioethics. Although an extensive background in bioethics is not required, priority will be given to applicants with at least some exposure to bioethics during their education. The selection process is highly competitive, with up to two Fellows accepted into the program each year. Additionally, we are recruiting candidates for the Ruth Faden Scholars Program (described in greater detail below).

Additional postdoctoral fellowships with a specific focus include:

All Berman Institute postdoctoral fellows are considered members of the Hecht-Levi Fellows cohort and are expected to participate in the Hecht-Levi Fellows activities described below.

Learn more about resources for Postdocs at Johns Hopkins University.

Hecht-Levi Fellowship

Hecht-Levi Fellows participate in weekly seminars or discussions, pursue their own scholarship in bioethics, and collaborate with faculty on selected projects in bioethics. Each Fellow designs an individual program tailored to her or his particular goals, interests, and background. The Berman Institute’s fellowships offer a considerable amount of protected time for research and publication.

Hecht-Levi Fellows have access to a wide range of benefits and activities in multiple schools at Johns Hopkins, including:

  • Weekly seminars, presentations and discussions with leading academic and policy makers;
  • Individualized research program;
  • Bioethics coursework through the Berman Institute’s Master in Bioethics program;
  • Post‐doctoral mentoring in bioethics;
  • Professional development training;
  • Participation in the Berman Institute’s outreach efforts via social media;
  • Teaching opportunities (commensurate with experience and background);
  • $60,000 per year, plus health and other benefits;
  • $2,000 per year for travel/lodging and registration at relevant conferences.

The application window for the Fall 2021 Hecht-Levi Fellowship opens Oct. 19, 2020. Applications are due on Friday, December 18, 2020 and must be uploaded via Interfolio.
Please be prepared to submit the following documents:

  • Cover Letter
  • Personal statement
  • CV
  • Copy of Graduate Transcript(s)
  • Writing Sample
  • Three Letters of Reference

Ruth Faden Scholars Program

Faden Scholars are a subgroup of Hecht-Levi postdoctoral fellows who have demonstrated scholarly interests in and potential for leadership in bioethics and public policy. Faden Scholars will participate in a number of activities in addition to those provided by the Hecht-Levi post-doctoral program, including:

  • Leadership training;
  • Introduction to directors of other bioethics programs, and networking visits to bioethics programs at other Institutions;
  • Opportunities to observe leadership in action at meetings of the Berman Institute Advisory Board and the Association of Bioethics Program Directors;
  • Regular meetings with Professor Ruth Faden, founder of the Berman Institute;
  • Opportunities for internships in health policy settings with bioethics focus in the Washington, DC area.

Although all Hecht-Levi Fellows have access to mentorship with Dr. Faden, what distinguishes Faden Scholars from other Hecht-Levi post-doctoral fellows is the additional focus of their training on future leadership in the field of bioethics. We will recruit one or two Faden Scholars per year from among eligible Hecht-Levi applicants. No separate application is required, but Hecht-Levi applicants interested in applying to be a Faden Scholar should include in their personal statements both a description of their research interests and an additional short paragraph addressing the following questions:

  • What is the most significant leadership experience you have had in your life (not limited to bioethics leadership) and how has it shaped you?
  • What kinds of leadership experiences do you hope to gain as a Faden Scholar?

For more information on the Hecht-Levi Fellowship or the Faden Scholars programs, please contact the Director of Education Initiatives, Professor Gail Geller, at ggeller@jhu.edu.

NOTE: Applicants for postdoctoral fellowships with a specific focus are not eligible to be considered for the Faden Scholars Program.

Joint Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ethics and Infectious Disease

Call for Applications (Click here to download)

The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities at the University of Oxford have established a Collaborative Bioethics Research and Training Program with support from the Wellcome Trust.  Through this partnership, we have created joint post-doctoral training opportunities.  We arepleased to invite applications for two uniquely qualified fellows (one at each Institution) who are committed to interdisciplinary and transnational collaboration and who have a particular interest in exploring ethical issues at the intersection of global health and infectious disease.  This two-year fellowship will begin in September 2021.

See full information below. To apply: The application window will open on October 19, 2020. Applications are due on Friday, December 18, 2020 and must be uploaded via Interfolio. 

Full Information on the Fellowship in Ethics and Infectious Disease

Qualifications, Responsibilities and Opportunities:

  • Doctoral-level degree in bioethics, philosophy, public health, law, medicine, social science, history or other relevant discipline, with fewer than five years of post-PhD research by the start date.
  • Scholarly interests in ethical issues at the intersection of global health and infectious disease.
  • Residency requirement at the partner institution. Exact nature and timing of this requirement is flexible. Fellows are expected to spend at least one month per year or up to one full year at the partner institution.
  • Fellows will become integrated members of the ongoing post-doctoral training programs at both Institutions andhave access to a wide range of activities and opportunities,including:
    • Regular seminars, presentations and discussions with leaders in the field;
    • Individualized research program;
    • Bioethics coursework and mentorship;
    • Professional development training;
    • Teaching opportunities (commensurate with experience and background);
    • Participation in outreach efforts via social media

Salary/Benefits:

  • $60,000 per year, plus health benefits
  • Travel for the residency requirement and modest living expenses when overseas
  • A modest discretionary fund for travel to relevant conferences

To apply: The application window will open on October 19, 2020. Applications are due on Friday, December 18, 2020 and must be uploaded via Interfolio. 

  • Cover Letter
  • Personal statement in support of your application
  • CV
  • Copy of Graduate Transcript(s)
  • Writing Sample
  • Three Letters of Reference

For more information on the Berman-Oxford Joint Post-doctoral Fellowship Program, please contact the Director of Education Initiatives at the Berman Institute (Professor Gail Geller, at ggeller@jhu.edu) or the Director of the Wellcome Center at Oxford (Professor Michael Parker, at michael.parker@ethox.ox.ac.uk).

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Philosophy and Mental Disorder

Hanna Pickard, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Bioethics, in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Philosophy and Mental Disorder. The fellowship is an opportunity to pursue an independent research project while working alongside Professor Pickard and, simultaneously, to participate in the Berman Institute’s Hecht-Levi Postdoctoral Fellowship in Bioethics. There is no specific requirement of research topic, but the proposed project must have an interdisciplinary orientation and align with Professor Pickard’s own interests. These include but are not limited to: addiction, anorexia, personality disorders; questions of self-identity, agency, emotions, mental capacity, and responsibility in mental disorder; irrationality, mental health and social and criminal justice. Applicants must also have an interest in the opportunity afforded by the Berman Institute of Bioethics to connect philosophical and scientific research into mental disorder with issues in health ethics and policy.

The application window will open on October 19, 2020. Applications must be uploaded by December 18, 2020 via Interfolio.

Full information on the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Philosophy and Mental Disorder

As a member  of the Hecht-Levi cohort of Bioethics Postdoctoral Fellows at the Berman Institute, the Fellow will have access to Berman Institute faculty and resources, including weekly seminars, presentations, discussions with leading academics and policy makers, professional development training, outreach efforts, and teaching opportunities commensurate with experience and background. In addition, they will have an affiliation with the William H. Miller III Department of Philosophy and the opportunity to be part of the interdisciplinary Foundations of Mind Group at Johns Hopkins and so have access to faculty members, events, and possible collaborations across the Departments of Philosophy, Cognitive Science, and Psychological and Brain Sciences.

Qualifications

Applications are welcome from candidates who will have a Ph.D. by the start date of the fellowship. The Ph.D may be either in philosophy, or in psychology or cognitive science provided the applicant has had past exposure to and an ongoing interest in philosophy which they wish to develop. Applicants should not have held the degree for more than three years by the start date of the appointment.

Start date

September 1, 2021

Terms of Appointment

The fellowship is guaranteed for one year with the expectation of a second year of funding, contingent on review. Applicants may not be employed by another institution and are expected to be in residence for the duration of the appointment.

Salary is $60,000 per year, plus health and other benefits, and there is a modest discretionary fund for travel to relevant conferences and research expenses.

For general information about the nature of Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Berman Institute please contact the Director of Education Initiatives, Professor Gail Geller, at ggeller@jhu.edu. For questions specific to the Fellowship in Philosophy and Mental Disorder, please contact Professor Hanna Pickard, at h.pickard@jhu.edu.

How to apply

The application window will open on October 19, 2020. Applications must be uploaded by December 18, 2020 via Interfolio.

Complete applications require the following materials:

  • A short covering letter
  • A current CV
  • Copy of graduate transcript(s)
  • Three letters of reference
  • A representative manuscript or publication
  • A research proposal (not to exceed 1500 words) detailing (i) relevant research background; (ii) proposed research project including a brief description of its alignment with Professor Pickard’s research interests; (iii) how the project connects to issues in health ethics and policy and/or what the applicant would hope to gain from being part of the Berman Institute.

Johns Hopkins is committed to active recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body.  The University is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, and encourages applications from these and other protected group members.  Consistent with the University’s goals of achieving excellence in all areas, we will assess the comprehensive qualifications of each applicant.

Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Ethics and Regulatory Aspects of Pragmatic Clinical Trials

The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Ethics and Regulatory Aspects of Pragmatic Clinical Trials. This position includes pursuing independent research, working alongside faculty members involved with the ethics and regulatory aspects of large-scale pragmatic clinical trials and participating in the Hecht-Levi Postdoctoral Fellowship in Bioethics.

The postdoctoral fellow is expected to pursue one or more projects addressing the ethics and regulatory aspects of pragmatic clinical trials in collaboration with Berman Institute faculty members. The Fellow will actively engage with the Ethics and Regulatory Cores of the NIH Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory and the Pragmatic and Implementation Studies for the Management of Pain to Reduce Opioid Prescribing (PRISM) Resource Coordinating Center.

See full information below. The application window will open in Fall 2021.

Full Information on the Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Ethics and Regulatory Aspects of Pragmatic Clinical Trials

As a member  of the Hecht-Levi cohort of Bioethics Postdoctoral Fellows at the Berman Institute, the Fellow will have access to Berman Institute faculty and resources, including weekly seminars, presentations, discussions with leading academics and policy makers, professional development training, outreach efforts, and teaching opportunities commensurate with experience and background.

Qualifications

Applications are welcome from candidates who will have an MD, PhD, or JD or their equivalent by the start date of the fellowship. Applicants should not have completed their terminal degree more than three years before the start date of the appointment.  Physicians should not have completed a formal residency training program more than three years by the start date of the appointment.

Start date

September 1, 2022.

Terms of Appointment

The fellowship is guaranteed for one year with the expectation of a second year of funding, contingent on review. Applicants may not be employed by another institution and are expected to be in residence for the duration of the appointment.

Salary is $60,000 per year, plus health and other benefits, and there is a modest discretionary fund for travel to relevant conferences and research expenses.

The application window will open in Fall 2021.

For general information about the nature of Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Berman Institute please contact the Director of Education Initiatives, Professor Gail Geller (ggeller@jhu.edu). For questions specific to the Fellowship in the Ethics and Regulatory Aspects of Pragmatic Clinical Trials, please contact Dr. Jeremy Sugarman (jsugarman@jhu.edu).