Tulane University is inviting applications for an 18-month Postdoctoral Fellow in Communication, Digital Media, and Influence, beginning on January 5, 2027, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Hosted by the Department of Communication at Tulane University, the position is designed for early-career researchers whose scholarship examines the changing relationships between technology, society, politics, culture, digital media, influence, and the future of work.

The selected Postdoctoral Fellow will become an inaugural affiliate of a developing interdisciplinary initiative focused on the future of work. Through both research and teaching, the Fellow will help contribute to the intellectual foundations of what Tulane describes as a prospective new interdisciplinary center.

The role combines an active independent research agenda with undergraduate teaching, faculty mentorship, participation in departmental intellectual life, and access to Tulane University’s institutional and library resources.

The appointment is full-time for 18 months and carries a 2-2 teaching load, meaning that the Fellow will teach two courses per semester. Tulane emphasizes that the position also includes protected research time so that the successful candidate can continue developing publications and a broader scholarly profile.

Salary will be commensurate with experience, and the position includes a full benefits package.

There is no fixed final application deadline stated in the vacancy. However, review of applications will begin on October 15, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. Candidates are therefore strongly encouraged to submit their materials before the first review date.

About the Tulane University Postdoctoral Fellow Position

The Postdoctoral Fellow in Communication, Digital Media, and Influence is being recruited by Tulane University’s Department of Communication in anticipation of a broader interdisciplinary initiative examining the future of work.

Rather than focusing on one narrow definition of work, the position welcomes researchers studying how contemporary changes in digital technologies, platforms, information systems, media, politics, and culture are transforming the way work is organized, experienced, governed, represented, and monetized.

The successful Fellow will contribute through two complementary areas:

1. Independent academic research
2. Undergraduate teaching

The Fellow will also participate in the intellectual development of the emerging future-of-work initiative.

This makes the opportunity especially relevant to scholars interested in combining a traditional academic postdoctoral appointment with participation in a new institutional research agenda.

Position at a Glance

Institution: Tulane University

Department: Communication

Position: Postdoctoral Fellow in Communication, Digital Media, and Influence

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Employment: Full-time

Appointment duration: 18 months

Start date: January 5, 2027

Teaching load: Two courses per semester

Research time: Protected research time included

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Benefits: Full benefits package

Application review begins: October 15, 2026

Closing: Applications continue to be reviewed until the position is filled

Contact: Dr. Vicki Mayer, vmayer@tulane.edu

Research Focus: Technology, Society and the Future of Work

Tulane is particularly interested in researchers whose work can advance critical debates concerning the ways the future of work intersects with technology, society, politics and culture.

The call deliberately leaves room for a wide variety of substantive topics and methodological traditions.

Potential research areas specifically identified by the Department include:

• Digital employment
• Work platforms
• Emerging and new technologies
• Big data applications
• Influence campaigns
• Advertising
• Political economy of attention
• Social media
• Digital policy
• Changing information environments
• Technology and labor
• Digital communication

The list is illustrative rather than narrowly prescriptive.

Applicants whose research connects meaningfully with the broader themes of digital communication, influence, emerging technologies and the future of work may therefore have a strong fit even if their exact project does not use one of these specific labels.

Digital Employment and Work Platforms

One potential research direction concerns the expansion of digitally mediated employment.

Digital technologies increasingly organize how people:

• Find work
• Complete work
• Are managed
• Are evaluated
• Communicate professionally
• Develop careers
• Build professional identities

Researchers examining digital labor or work platforms could therefore find this position particularly relevant.

Potential topics could include platform economies, algorithmic management, remote work, digital labor, creator economies, online freelancing, gig work or changing relationships between workers and technological infrastructures.

Tulane does not require applicants to work on any one of these topics, but digital employment is specifically included among the areas of interest.

Emerging and New Technologies

The future-of-work initiative also welcomes scholarship examining new and emerging technologies.

This could potentially include research on technological developments affecting:

• Communication
• Employment
• Management
• Media production
• Information circulation
• Organizational culture
• Political communication
• Advertising
• Public discourse

Because the position is situated in Communication, applicants should be able to demonstrate how their work contributes to questions relevant to media, communication, influence, technology or related social processes.

Big Data Applications

Big data is another research area highlighted by the Department.

Researchers may investigate how large-scale data systems are reshaping communication, organizations, platforms, labor practices, surveillance, targeting or decision-making.

Potential questions could involve:

• Data-driven management
• Algorithmic systems
• Digital surveillance
• Data analytics
• Targeted advertising
• Platform governance
• Data and workplace power

Again, these are potential directions rather than formal requirements.

Influence Campaigns and Advertising

The position places particular emphasis on influence.

Researchers working on advertising, persuasion, political communication, digital influence, information campaigns or platform-based communication may therefore be particularly well aligned.

Influence can operate across multiple areas, including:

• Political campaigns
• Commercial advertising
• Social-media promotion
• Digital persuasion
• Branding
• Influencer cultures
• Public communication
• Organizational communication

The successful Fellow may investigate these topics through critical, qualitative, quantitative, computational, historical or mixed-method approaches.

Political Economy of Attention

Tulane also identifies the political economy of attention as a relevant research area.

The contemporary digital environment increasingly treats attention as an economic and political resource.

Researchers may examine how platforms, advertisers, media institutions, creators, employers and other actors compete for and monetize attention.

This could raise questions about:

• Platform capitalism
• Advertising systems
• Algorithmic visibility
• Monetization
• Digital labor
• Audience measurement
• Media industries
• Economic power

Candidates whose scholarship examines media and communication through political-economic perspectives could therefore be strong potential applicants.

Social Media Research

Social media represents another major research area.

Potential applicants may investigate how social platforms shape:

• Work
• Professional identity
• Politics
• Influence
• Advertising
• Labor
• Public culture
• Information
• Social relationships

Research could potentially focus on major platforms, emerging media ecosystems or broader social and institutional consequences of platformization.

Digital Policy

Tulane also welcomes scholars working on digital policy.

Relevant questions could include:

• Platform regulation
• Data governance
• Digital rights
• Online advertising regulation
• Technology policy
• Labor regulation
• Artificial intelligence governance
• Information policy
• Platform accountability

This area could be particularly relevant to applicants interested in bridging academic research with policy debates.

All Methodological Approaches Are Welcome

One of the notable features of the vacancy is that Tulane explicitly welcomes:

All methodological approaches

The Department therefore does not require applicants to use one particular form of research.

Potential approaches may include:

• Qualitative research
• Quantitative research
• Mixed methods
• Computational methods
• Ethnography
• Interviews
• Archival research
• Historical analysis
• Textual analysis
• Discourse analysis
• Policy analysis
• Digital methods
• Critical theory

Applicants should select methods appropriate to their own scholarly questions.

This methodological openness creates space for candidates from a wide range of intellectual traditions within Communication and adjacent disciplines.

Research Expectations

The successful Fellow is expected to maintain an active research agenda throughout the 18-month appointment.

Tulane will provide several forms of institutional support.

These include:

• Faculty mentorship
• Workshop participation opportunities
• Institutional resources
• Library resources
• Departmental colloquia
• Working groups

The Fellow will be encouraged to use the appointment to advance their research and publication profile.

Publication Expectations

The position specifically encourages Fellows to submit scholarly work for publication.

This could include developing:

• Journal articles
• Book chapters
• Manuscripts
• Conference papers
• Collaborative research

The vacancy does not specify a mandatory publication quota.

Instead, the emphasis is on maintaining active scholarly productivity appropriate to an early-career academic.

Protected Research Time

Despite the teaching responsibilities, Tulane emphasizes that the Fellow will have protected research time.

This is significant because the appointment is intended to support both teaching development and scholarly advancement.

Applicants should therefore consider how they would use the 18-month period to move their research agenda forward.

A strong application may benefit from explaining:

• Current research projects
• Planned publications
• Future research questions
• How Tulane’s environment would support the work
• How the proposed scholarship relates to the future-of-work initiative

Teaching Responsibilities

The Fellow will teach:

Two courses per semester

This represents a 2-2 teaching load.

The teaching responsibilities are divided conceptually into two areas.

Course 1: Fellow’s Research or Methodological Expertise

One course will reflect the Fellow’s own:

• Research specialization
• Methodological expertise

This provides the successful applicant with an opportunity to design or teach material closely connected to their scholarship.

Depending on the Fellow’s background, this course could potentially focus on areas such as digital labor, social media, political communication, advertising, platforms, digital research methods, media industries or other relevant subjects.

Course 2: Contemporary Digital Communication and Influence

The second course will address topics connected with contemporary changes in communication and information.

Potential areas identified in the job description include:

• Digital communication
• Media influence
• Advertising
• Information
• Persuasion
• Changing communication landscapes

The Department describes these as topics important to students’ knowledge and skills as they prepare for future careers.

This means the successful candidate should be able to connect academic research with practical and contemporary questions facing students entering media, communication, policy, technology or related professions.

Ability to Teach Undergraduates

Effective undergraduate teaching is an explicit qualification.

Applicants should therefore demonstrate evidence of teaching ability where possible.

This could include:

• Courses previously taught
• Teaching assistantships
• Guest lectures
• Course design
• Teaching evaluations
• Pedagogical training
• Mentoring students

Applicants without extensive independent teaching experience should still clearly articulate their capacity and readiness to teach at the undergraduate level.

PhD Requirement

Applicants must hold a:

PhD in Communication or a closely related discipline

The doctorate must be conferred by January 5, 2027, the start date of the appointment.

This means candidates who are currently completing their doctorate may apply as long as all requirements will be completed and the degree formally conferred by the appointment date.

Candidates whose PhD will not be completed by January 5, 2027 would not satisfy the published requirement.

What Counts as a Closely Related Discipline?

The vacancy does not provide an exhaustive list of acceptable related fields.

Potentially relevant disciplines could include areas intersecting closely with Communication, digital media, technology, media studies, political communication or related social-science and humanities research.

However, applicants from outside Communication should ensure that their research demonstrates a clear intellectual fit with:

• Digital communication
• Media
• Influence
• Advertising
• Future of work
• Technology and society

Candidates uncertain about disciplinary fit can direct questions to Dr. Vicki Mayer.

Required Research Specialization

Applicants must demonstrate research specialization in:

• Digital communication
• Influence
• Advertising

or a closely related area.

This requirement reinforces the importance of showing a coherent intellectual connection between the applicant’s previous research and the position.

A candidate who works broadly on technology or society should explain clearly how their project contributes to the Department’s communication-centered agenda.

Scholarly Productivity

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

Evidence of scholarly productivity commensurate with career stage

This wording recognizes that postdoctoral applicants may have different publication records depending on when they completed or are completing their PhDs.

Relevant evidence could include:

• Peer-reviewed articles
• Book chapters
• Manuscripts under review
• Conference presentations
• Published research
• Significant working papers
• Other scholarly outputs

Candidates should organize their CV so that reviewers can easily identify their strongest research achievements.

Preferred Qualification: Interdisciplinary Engagement

Tulane is particularly interested in someone willing to contribute to campus-wide discussions concerning the development of the new interdisciplinary center.

This suggests that the successful Fellow should be comfortable collaborating beyond the Communication Department.

The future of work is inherently interdisciplinary and can involve scholarship from areas such as:

• Communication
• Sociology
• Political science
• Economics
• Business
• Technology studies
• Media studies
• Cultural studies
• Labor studies
• Public policy

Applicants who can communicate across disciplinary boundaries may therefore be particularly competitive.

Community-Engaged Research

Experience with community-engaged research is considered a plus.

Community-engaged scholarship may involve conducting research collaboratively with communities, organizations or practitioners rather than treating them only as research subjects.

This type of experience could be particularly relevant in New Orleans, where questions concerning work, technology, culture, media, inequality and urban life may intersect in complex ways.

However, community-engaged research is preferred rather than required.

Policy-Relevant Research

Experience producing policy-relevant research is also considered advantageous.

Researchers whose scholarship contributes to conversations around digital governance, platform regulation, information policy, advertising, labor or technology policy may therefore have an additional point of alignment.

This may be particularly relevant for scholars who want their work to engage audiences beyond academia.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary is described as:

Commensurate with experience

No specific salary range is provided in the supplied vacancy.

Applicants should therefore avoid relying on unofficial salary figures unless Tulane publishes additional information.

The appointment includes:

• Full benefits package
• Library access
• Institutional resources
• Research mentorship
• Departmental academic opportunities

Appointment Length

The position lasts:

18 months

The appointment begins:

January 5, 2027

The supplied advertisement does not indicate that the appointment is renewable beyond the stated 18 months.

Applicants should therefore plan their research and career development around the published appointment period.

Location

The position is based at:

Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

This is not described as a remote position.

Applicants should therefore expect to relocate to or work in New Orleans for the appointment unless Tulane provides a different arrangement during the hiring process.

Application Materials

Candidates must submit several materials through the official application system.

1. Cover Letter

Applicants should provide a cover letter describing:

• Research agenda
• Fit with the position

The cover letter is likely to be one of the most important opportunities to explain the connection between the applicant’s existing work and Tulane’s emerging future-of-work initiative.

A strong cover letter should avoid simply repeating the CV.

Instead, it should explain:

• What the applicant studies
• Why the research matters
• How it fits the future-of-work agenda
• How the candidate could contribute to Tulane
• What they hope to accomplish during the postdoctoral appointment

2. Curriculum Vitae

Applicants must provide an academic CV.

Relevant sections may include:

• Education
• Publications
• Research experience
• Teaching
• Conference presentations
• Grants and awards
• Professional experience
• Service
• Methods
• Community engagement

The strongest elements connected to digital communication and the future of work should be easy to identify.

3. Writing Sample

Applicants must submit a writing sample of:

No more than 40 pages

Candidates should select a piece that best demonstrates:

• Analytical ability
• Research quality
• Theoretical contribution
• Methodological competence
• Writing quality

Where possible, a writing sample connected to the job’s thematic areas may make it easier for reviewers to understand the applicant’s intellectual fit.

4. Three Recommenders

Applicants must provide:

Names and contact information for at least three professional references

The announcement refers both to recommenders and professional references.

Candidates should therefore identify scholars or professionals who can speak convincingly about their:

• Research
• Teaching
• Academic potential
• Professionalism
• Fit for postdoctoral work

The vacancy information supplied does not state that recommendation letters must be uploaded at the initial application stage, only that contact information is required.

Applicants should follow the exact instructions shown in the official portal.

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted through the official portal provided for the position.

Application link:
https://lnkd.in/eGa_7ueY

Applicants should ensure all required materials are ready before submitting.

Application Review Date

Review of applications begins:

October 15, 2026

The position will remain open:

Until filled

October 15 should therefore be treated as an important practical deadline even though it is technically the beginning of review rather than a final closing date.

Applicants seeking full consideration should ideally submit their materials before this date.

Contact for Questions

Questions about the academic position may be directed to:

Dr. Vicki Mayer

Email:

vmayer@tulane.edu

Applicants should use this contact particularly for questions concerning:

• Research fit
• Position expectations
• Departmental environment
• Academic qualifications

Preparing a Strong Application

1. Make the Future-of-Work Connection Explicit

Do not assume reviewers will automatically see how your research fits.

Explain clearly how your scholarship contributes to understanding the future of work.

2. Show Communication Relevance

Applicants from adjacent disciplines should make their connection to Communication particularly clear.

Demonstrate how your research contributes to debates concerning:

• Media
• Information
• Digital platforms
• Influence
• Advertising
• Technology
• Communication

3. Develop a Coherent Research Agenda

The Department is looking for someone with an active scholarly agenda.

Your application should show what connects your previous work, current research and future plans.

4. Demonstrate Teaching Readiness

Because the position carries a 2-2 teaching load, teaching should not be treated as secondary.

Highlight your ability to teach undergraduate students effectively.

5. Explain What You Could Teach

Although the vacancy does not explicitly request a separate teaching proposal, applicants can strengthen their materials by showing how their expertise could translate into engaging courses.

6. Highlight Publication Potential

Explain what research you expect to develop during the appointment and how the protected research time could support publication.

7. Show Interdisciplinary Capacity

The Fellow will help contribute to a developing interdisciplinary initiative.

Demonstrate that you can communicate productively with scholars outside your immediate subfield.

Why This Postdoctoral Position Stands Out

Several features distinguish this Tulane University postdoctoral opportunity.

First, the Fellow will join at the early stage of a developing future-of-work initiative, creating an opportunity to contribute to its intellectual direction.

Second, the role explicitly welcomes a broad range of methodological approaches.

Third, it combines teaching with protected research time and faculty mentorship.

Fourth, its thematic focus covers some of the most rapidly changing areas of contemporary society, including:

• Digital labor
• Platforms
• Emerging technology
• Social media
• Advertising
• Influence
• Big data
• Digital policy
• Attention economies

Finally, the position offers an opportunity to build both research and teaching credentials over an 18-month period.

Important Details at a Glance

Institution: Tulane University

Department: Communication

Position: Postdoctoral Fellow in Communication, Digital Media, and Influence

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Start date: January 5, 2027

Duration: 18 months

Status: Full-time

Teaching: Two courses per semester

Research: Protected research time

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Benefits: Full benefits package

Required degree: PhD in Communication or closely related discipline by start date

Research specialization: Digital communication, influence, advertising or related field

Review begins: October 15, 2026

Closing date: Open until filled

Contact: vmayer@tulane.edu

APPLY HERE

Conclusion

The Tulane University Postdoctoral Fellow in Communication, Digital Media, and Influence 2027 offers an attractive opportunity for emerging scholars examining how technology, media, culture, politics and society are reshaping the future of work.

Beginning on January 5, 2027, the full-time appointment runs for 18 months and combines undergraduate teaching with independent research, faculty mentorship and participation in a developing interdisciplinary initiative.

Candidates may work across topics including digital employment, work platforms, emerging technologies, big data, influence campaigns, advertising, political economy of attention, social media and digital policy.

Tulane welcomes all methodological approaches, making the position relevant to scholars working across qualitative, quantitative, computational, historical, theoretical and mixed-method traditions.

Applicants need a PhD in Communication or a closely related discipline by the start of the appointment, an appropriate research specialization, evidence of scholarly productivity and the ability to teach effectively at undergraduate level.

The application requires a cover letter, CV, writing sample of no more than 40 pages and contact information for at least three professional references.

There is no fixed final deadline, but review begins on October 15, 2026 and continues until the position is filled. Candidates seeking strongest consideration should therefore aim to submit their application before October 15.

To learn more about this opportunity, VISIT HERE.

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