The Princeton Initiative in Architecture, Urbanism & the Humanities is an interdisciplinary program at Princeton University, launched in 2014 with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and based at the School of Architecture. It is directed by Mario Gandelsonas, professor of architectural design, and Alison Isenberg, professor of history, and runs under the theme “Cities on the Edge” — the meeting of built and natural environments, centre and periphery, hemispheric comparison, migration, New Jersey urbanism, social justice, and the humanities as a force of change. Each year the Initiative brings three to five scholars to campus, appointed as postdoctoral research associates or at more senior research ranks.
Fellows work in person at Princeton, take part in Initiative events, and may teach or team-teach an interdisciplinary course on urbanism. Applicants may come from any discipline, provided the work sits at the intersection of architecture, urbanism and the humanities. The 2026-2027 call closed on 27 February 2026; the Initiative has issued a call each year, with recent deadlines in mid-February.
Benefits & funding
- Up to US$75,000 for a 12-month appointment, plus Princeton employee benefits.
- Postdoctoral appointments run for one year, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and continued funding; those hired at more senior research ranks may receive multi-year appointments.
- Appointment begins on or about 1 September of the fellowship year (1 September 2026 in the 2026-2027 cycle).
- Fellows join the Initiative’s events and intellectual life on campus.
- Fellows may teach or team-teach an interdisciplinary course on an aspect of urbanism, contingent on sufficient enrolments and approval from the Dean of the Faculty.
Eligibility
- Open to holders of a PhD in any discipline, and to doctoral candidates who expect to complete the degree before the appointment begins (before August 2026 in the 2026-2027 cycle).
- Open to all nationalities — US citizenship is not required.
- Suited to scholars committed to multi-disciplinary work at the intersection of architecture, urbanism and the humanities.
- Fellows must work in person on the Princeton campus in New Jersey.
- No stated age, work-experience or residency requirement.
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Application process
- 1Check the Initiative’s news page for the current Call for Fellows, which states the cycle’s rank, salary and deadline.
- 2Prepare a cover letter and a curriculum vitae.
- 3Write a 500-word description of a proposed interdisciplinary course, submitted as the teaching statement.
- 4Select a single-authored writing sample of chapter or article length, and write a 1,000-word description of the research project to be pursued at Princeton.
- 5Submit everything through Princeton’s academic hiring portal under the cycle’s requisition number (D-26-ARC-00002 for 2026-2027), and supply contact details for three referees.
Program timeline
17 February 2026
Original application deadline for the 2026-2027 cycle
Extended deadline, after a technical problem with the submission form
27 February 2026
Appointments begin, on or about this date
1 September 2026
One-year appointments end, with renewal possible
Around September 2027