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.

Each year, the Berman Institute invites applications for the Hecht-Levi Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Bioethics. The Program seeks a few uniquely qualified postdoctoral applicants to begin this two-year fellowship in September each year.  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 only a few Fellows accepted into the program each year.

Applications for the September 2025 Hecht-Levi Fellowship are now closed.

Learn more about resources for Postdocs at Johns Hopkins University.

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ethics, Global Health and Infectious Disease - Apply by March 31, 2025

Call for Applications
The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities at the University of Oxford have established the Global Infectious Disease Ethics (GLIDE) collaborative with support from the Wellcome Trust. A central pillar of this partnership is a joint post-doctoral fellowship training opportunity. We are pleased to invite applications to the program from uniquely qualified individuals who are committed to interdisciplinary and transnational collaboration and who have a particular interest in the ethical issues at the intersection of global health and infectious disease.

This two-year fellowship will begin September 1, 2025, pending funding approval.

Qualifications 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.
  • Primary, in-residence appointment at Johns Hopkins and a residency requirement at the Wellcome Center. The exact nature, duration and timing of the Oxford residency is flexible and case-specific.
  • Fellows will become integrated members of the ongoing post-doctoral training programs at both Institutions and have 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

  • $65,000 per year, plus health and other standard benefits available to all post-doctoral fellows of Johns Hopkins
  • 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 is now open. Applications are due by March 31, 2025, and must be uploaded via Interfolio (https://apply.interfolio.com/163563). Applications should include:   

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

For more information on the Berman-Oxford Joint Post-doctoral Fellowship Program, please contact the Berman Institute’s Associate Director for Global Programs (Joseph Ali, JD at [email protected]) or Professor Gail Geller, ScD, MHS at [email protected].

Fogarty African Bioethics Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program - Apply by April 15, 2025
Joint Postdoctoral Fellowship in Global Health Ethics
Fogarty African Bioethics Post-Doctoral Fellowship (FAB-PDF) Program
Call for Applications
The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics (BI), Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) and University of Oxford Ethox Centre (Ethox) invite applications for the Fogarty African Bioethics Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program (FAB-PDF) – an 18-month advanced bioethics postdoctoral training program for scholars from sub-Saharan Africa who hold a bioethics-related PhD. Funded by the Fogarty International Center, NIH, USA, the program focuses broadly on global health ethics, with particular opportunities for fellows to concentrate on issues involving global infectious disease ethics and advanced international research ethics. The fellowship will begin approximately January 15, 2026 pending funding approval.
Opportunities
  • Complete fellowship activities across multiple institutional contexts:
    • 4.5 months based at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, USA
    • 1 month based at MakCHS in Kampala, Uganda
    • 1 month based at Ethox in Oxford, UK
    • 11.5 months based at the postdoctoral fellow’s home institution
  • Access bioethics mentorship, coursework, seminars and scholarly/practice/training networks
  • Conduct individual and international collaborative mentored research and writing
  • Participate in international global health ethics and research ethics conferences
  • Plan and complete a funded global health ethics leadership project
Eligibility
  • Current national of a country in sub-Saharan Africa
  • Completed a bioethics-related PhD or related doctoral research degree, generally within 5 yrs of the fellowship start
Preference will be given to candidates who:
  • Previously completed an NIH Fogarty-sponsored bioethics training (at any level)
  • Previously worked on global health ethics, infectious disease ethics, or international research ethics topics
  • Have strong discipline-appropriate methods training used to conduct bioethics research and writing
  • Have a record of bioethics scholarly publication, presentation, and/or professional service
  • Hold a faculty position in an institution of higher-education in sub-Saharan Africa, or demonstrate institutional commitment to providing such a position
Salary/Benefits
  • Stipend of $5,084 USD/month (pre-tax) to cover accommodations, meals, and incidentals during the months while in residency at BI, plus health benefits
  • Travel support sufficient to meet the costs of MakCHS and Ethox visiting fellow components
  • Modest budgets for leadership project, technology and supplies; fee coverage for required courses and conference registration
Applications are due by April 30, 2025 and must be uploaded via Interfolio http://apply.interfolio.com/164072
Candidates must submit:
·       CV
·       Personal statement describing: 1) motivation to pursue the fellowship, 2) nature of previous bioethics training, 3) bioethics scholarly research and writing interests, including description of any works in progress that will be completed during the fellowship, and 4) idea(s) for a potential leadership project (nature of the project, how it aligns with local priorities, personal skills that will be advanced, and any relevant preparations)
·       Two (2) letters of recommendation
·       One (1) letter of institutional commitment, signaling sufficient leave from employment for all fellowship activities, and a commitment to, at minimum, position retention and support in undertaking the leadership project and in integrating bioethics capacity on completion
·       Copies of graduate transcript(s)
 
For more information, please contact Joseph Ali, JD ([email protected]) and/or Nancy E. Kass, ScD ([email protected]).
       Grant # D43TW010512

Hecht-Levi Fellowship (application now closed)

The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics is pleased to invite applications for the Hecht‐Levi Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Bioethics. The Program is seeking a few uniquely qualified postdoctoral applicants to begin this two-year fellowship in September 2025.  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 program will only review applications from individuals who will defend their dissertation prior to July 1, 2025. The selection process is highly competitive, with only a few Fellows accepted into the program each year.

Program Description

The Hecht-Levi Fellowship is a two-year program of study and experiential learning in bioethics administered by the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. The main goal of the Fellowship is to launch the careers of the next generation of bioethics scholars, so the program offers a considerable amount of protected time for research and publication.

All Hecht-Levi Fellows participate in weekly seminars or discussions, pursue their own scholarship in bioethics, collaborate with faculty on selected projects in bioethics, and engage in teaching. Each Fellow designs an individual program tailored to their particular goals, interests, and background.

Hecht‐Levi Postdoctoral 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;
  • Postdoctoral mentoring in bioethics;
  • Teaching (serve as course director, co-director, or TA depending on experience and background);
  • Professional development training;
  • Berman Institute’s outreach efforts via social media;
  • $65,000 per year, plus health and other benefits
  • $2,000 per year for travel/lodging and registration at relevant conferences

To apply for the program, please submit the following documents through Interfolio.

  • Personal statement (2 pages) explaining your interest in bioethics, what area(s) of scholarship you would like to pursue, and how the fellowship would advance your career goals
  • CV
  • Copy of Graduate Transcript(s)
  • Writing Sample
  • Three Letters of Reference

For more information on the Hecht-Levi Fellowship, please contact the Director of Education Initiatives, Professor Gail Geller, at [email protected].