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 being accepted through Friday, December 13, 2024.

Learn more about resources for Postdocs at Johns Hopkins University.

Hecht-Levi Fellowship (application deadline Dec. 13, 2024)

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]. 

Other Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Berman Institute

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Research Ethics and Regulation - Apply by December 13, 2024

The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Research Ethics and Regulation. 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 Core of the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory.

Berman Institute Postdoctoral Fellows participate in a wide range of activities at Johns Hopkins, and have access to various benefits 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; and
  • Berman Institute’s outreach efforts via social media.

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 before the start date of the appointment.

Start Date

September 2, 2025, contingent on approval of funding

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 $65,000 per year, plus health and other benefits; and there is a modest discretionary fund for travel to relevant conferences and research expenses.

How to apply

Applications must be uploaded by December 13, 2024 via Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/152729

Complete applications require the following materials:

  • A personal statement (not to exceed 1000 words) detailing your (i) relevant research and scholarly background; (ii) proposed primary area of inquiry during the fellowship; (iii) goals for the program and what you hope to gain from being part of the Berman Institute.
  • A current CV
  • Copy of graduate transcript(s)
  • Three letters of reference
  • A representative manuscript or publication

The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, please see the website of the JHU Office of Institutional Equity: https://oie.jhu.edu/equal-opportunity-at-jhu/.

For general information about the nature of Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Berman Institute please contact the Director of the Hecht-Levi Post-Doctoral Program, Professor Gail Geller ([email protected]). For questions specific to the Fellowship in Clinical Research Ethics and Regulation, please contact Dr. Jeremy Sugarman ([email protected]), Professor Stephanie Morain ([email protected]), or Professor Joseph Ali ([email protected]).