Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Call for Applications for a Rotational Fellowship:
2-year appointment (with 3rd year possible) to the Maxwell Institute
Position Description
The Maxwell Institute invites applications from current BYU faculty in Provo with Continuing Faculty Status (CFS) for a 2-year full-time appointment to a rotational fellowship at the Institute. Successful appointees will maintain CFS status for the duration of their appointment to the Maxwell Institute and return to their home department at its conclusion. Appointees will be released from their regular teaching loads and will serve as full-time research fellows with residence at the Maxwell Institute during their terms (offices will be provided at the West View Building). Appointees will also receive research funding.
Start date: September 1, 2025
Positions to be filled: 2 (with additional fellowships in subsequent semesters)
Selection Criteria
We seek research proposals that contribute to one of the four Maxwell Institute initiatives:
- The Book of Mormon
- The Bible
- Interfaith Understanding
- Latter-day Discipleship
Click here for a description of each initiative
New fellows will work in conformity with the Maxwell Institute's mission: “The Maxwell Institute seeks to inspire and fortify faith in Jesus Christ and his restored gospel.” We produce work that is both faithful and intellectually rigorous. Some of our work finds an audience in academic presses and venues, and some of our work is more directly aimed at a Latter-day Saint audience via publishing, conferences, and workshops. All applicants, however, must show compelling evidence that their project—or its anticipated offshoots—will edify and inspire faith.
Strong applications will demonstrate:
- both a rigorous grounding in a professional academic field, and accessible, faith-enriching application to a wide audience of Latter-day Saints.
- an awareness of existing Latter-day Saint religious scholarship, and the intention to participate in these ongoing conversations. Successful proposals will chart new directions, but will do so in dialogue with existing voices in its scholarly space.
- good fit with the Institute’s resources. Interdisciplinary projects are most welcome, but such proposals should demonstrate how they will profit from interaction with the research community of the Maxwell Institute.
Because we are a research institute, applicants should be prepared to energetically engage with other research faculty; part of that engagement presupposes a regular presence on-site, and participation in a variety of Institute sponsored events. While the majority of the fellows’ time will be allotted to their individual projects, fellows will also be expected to devote a portion of time to collaborative projects that are Institute-driven.
A two-year appointment—with a possible third year, contingent upon an additional application and review process—should be sufficient time for completion of a major project, or two or more projects of shorter duration. Applicants should make clear their anticipated timetables and benchmarks.
Applicants should secure permission from their department chairs and deans for possible reassignment to the Maxwell Institute prior to submitting their application.
Application Process
Interested faculty should submit a cover letter in which they detail the reasons for their interest in an appointment to the Maxwell Institute, a detailed project proposal that emphasizes its fit within the Maxwell initiatives, and a CV to mi@byu.edu by the end of the day on December 2, 2024. Applicants should also request that their department chairs and deans submit letters of support directly to mi@byu.edu before the end of the day on December 2, 2024.
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We will hold two Q&A sessions for BYU faculty who may be interested in applying for a fellowship now or in the future. Attendees will meet Maxwell Institute faculty, become familiar with the work of the Institute, and learn how projects might benefit from engagement with the Institute’s research community. Please join us:
- Thursday, November 14—11:00 am-noon—Maxwell Institute (1100 West View Building)
- Wednesday, November 20—4:00-5:00 pm—Maxwell Institute