Call for Applicants | ISSG 2025-2026 Graduate Fellows
The Institute for the Study of Sexuality and Gender (ISSG) seeks applications for 2025-2026 Graduate Fellows. ISSG Graduate Fellows will be expected to participate actively in ISSG activities. Fellows will coordinate graduate-focused events such as the ISSG Graduate Colloquium, Theory Salon, Writing Retreats, and Graduate Conference (described below); organize the Graduate Student Open House; attend and help with ISSG public programs as needed; and assist the ISSG Director, Associate Director, and the Directors of Graduate Studies and Undergraduate Studies with occasional research and/or administrative tasks.
Compensation for the role will be set at $6,000 (pre-tax), paid via an hourly rate for the period of September 1st to May 31st, either through a casual hourly appointment or via add/comp (if a selected fellow holds a teaching or research fellowship in AY25-26). Please note that Fellows cannot exceed 20 hours of work a week for all paid pursuits in combination if on a teaching fellowship or cannot exceed 10 hours of work a week for all paid pursuits in combination if on a dissertation fellowship during AY25-26.
Selection will be based on academic distinction in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and a proven commitment to ISSG and its activities. Preference is given to Columbia PhD students who have completed or are on track to complete the ISSG Graduate Letter of Certification by Spring 2026. Applicants must indicate in their application any plans to apply for other fellowships and grants in AY25-26 and must inform the Institute if they accept other grants that may conflict with the ISSG Graduate Fellowship requirements. Additionally, applicants should indicate whether they will be on a teaching or research fellowship in AY25-26, and/or whether they will have any other paid positions at the University in AY25-26.
The ISSG Graduate Colloquium, Theory Salon, Writing Retreats, and Graduate Conference
The ISSG Graduate Colloquium is an opportunity for graduate students to workshop their research. Students may present a dissertation chapter, conference paper, course essay, or other piece of writing in order to practice presenting their ideas to a small audience and to receive productive feedback on their work from other graduate student scholars and faculty. Past Colloquia have also focused on professional issues such as preparing work for conferences and for publication, drafting dissertation prospectuses, and applying for academic jobs.
ISSG Theory Salons are graduate student/faculty-led seminars, featuring an ISSG faculty member or prominent visitor who has chosen a key theoretical text or sample of their own work for discussion. Theory Salons are intended to promote conversations amongst graduate students and faculty across disciplines. They also provide an informal academic atmosphere in which students can tackle difficulty texts in conversations with feminist and queer studies scholars.
ISSG Writing Retreats are informal events aimed to provide a space for students to focus on writing. These events usually take place on Fridays once or twice a semester for the entire day, allowing students to drop in and out as desired. Snacks and light refreshments are typically served. The writing retreats help to build community within the graduate student population, as well as increase the reach that ISSG has within the graduate community.
The ISSG Graduate Conference is an opportunity for graduate students both at and outside of Columbia to present work in a conference format. The two Graduate Fellows will develop the theme and a CFP for the conference, and review submissions and render decisions for prospective presenters. Conference themes from previous years have focused on intersections between the research interests of the two fellows.
Event Responsibilities
Graduate Fellows will be expected to secure space for all events (usually the ISSG seminar room), prepare and circulate publicity materials, maintain a regularly updated email list, communicate with speakers and respondents of upcoming events, copy and distribute any pre-circulated readings, purchase light refreshments for each meeting and submit receipts for reimbursement, and maintain a $2,000 programming budget.
How to Apply
Please submit a brief letter of application, a CV, and a short (15pp) writing sample to [email protected], subject line “ISSG Graduate Fellow Application,” by or before Sunday, April 13, 2025. Your letter should include an account of your involvement with ISSG and plans for certification completion. Please include the names and contact information of two faculty members familiar with your work and ask one of these faculty members to send a brief letter of support to [email protected] for you.