The Werner Baer Post-Doctoral Position supports early career scholars from Brazil. It is created in memory of Professor Werner Baer, renowned economist of Brazilian development who taught at the University of Illinois, thanks to the gift made by the family of Professor Baer’s sister, Marianne Kilby. This position provides support for Brazilian scholars who received their Ph.D. no earlier than five years prior to the start date of August 15, 2025 and whose studies engage Brazil in any field.

 

Eligibility:

  • Must hold Brazilian citizenship
  • Must hold a PhD degree, awarded no earlier than five years prior to the start date below
  • Have an updated Curriculum Vitae on CNPq’s Lattes Platform
  • Not take up other assignments during the period of her/his position at Illinois
  • Have sufficient knowledge of English to carry out research activities in the U.S.
  • Must be financially responsible for any accompanying family members

Award Specifications:

  • A non-renewable stipend of $50,000 for one academic year
  • Start date of August 15, 2025
  • Coverage of some university fees, such as AFMFA fee and Library/IT fee

Evaluation and Evaluation Criteria:

A selection committee composed of Lemann Center faculty affiliates will determine two awardees. As part of the application process, a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who will serve as your mentor during your stay at the University of Illinois is required. We strongly encourage applicants to identify a professor at the University of Illinois whose research aligns with their interests, as preference will be given to those who have secured a mentor to guide them during their postdoc.

Submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria: the scholarly promise of the project and the applicant’s preparation to undertake the proposed research; the quality of the research proposal, including contributions to debates in the scholar’s field; the centrality of Brazil to the proposed research; and the feasibility of the work plan for the academic-year-long appointment.

Announcement of the two awardees will be made within three weeks of the application deadline.

Restrictions:

  • Awardees may not concurrently hold the Werner Baer Post-Doctoral Position and another position or assistantship.
  • Awardees may not hold other employment with work obligations during the position’s period.

Reporting:

Within 30 days of completion, post-doctoral scholars must submit a written report to the Lemann Center summarizing the study/research outcomes of the period in residence. Post-doctoral scholars will be invited to present their research in the Lemann Center lecture series.

Application Process:

Deadline: Friday, March 7th, 2025

Completed applications must be submitted as one PDF file and uploaded to Box Link. 

Applicants must scan or combine materials into a single PDF file, and the file should be named as follows: LastName, FirstName – BaerPostDoc2025 (for example: MachadodeAssis, Joaquim – BaerPostDoc2025). The PDF should then be uploaded to the Box folder.

The single PDF file should contain the following documents arranged in the following order:

  • Cover Sheet. The cover sheet can be downloaded here. 
  • Cover letter explaining why the applicant merits a Werner Baer post-doctoral position. The letter should be addressed to a multidisciplinary selection committee that consists of representatives from a range of fields. Committee members will look to your letter for guidance on your substantial engagement with Brazil and what counts for intellectual merit and academic achievement within your discipline. Tips: Use concrete measures whenever possible to characterize your accomplishments and productivity. Clarify the ways in which your work engages with Brazil.
  • Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae or résumé, with the link to the full Curriculum Vitae on CNPq’s Lattes Platform.
  • Research proposal complete with research question, hypothesis (if applicable), literature review/significance, preliminary research, methodology, and timeline. If revising the dissertation into a book or publishable articles, explain the larger significance of each respective project. Proposals must be a maximum of five pages, in 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, and with one-inch margins. Proposals should be written in jargon-free language and accessible to the lay reader.
    • References Cited, if applicable (maximum one page, single-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins, in addition to the five-page maximum noted previously)
  • Two letters of recommendation, one of which should be from the applicant’s doctoral advisor and the other from the applicant’s potential mentor at UI. Applicants must obtain the letters of recommendation and include them in the completed file or arrange for them to be sent directly to elisartz@illinois.edu. These letters will then be attached to the applicant’s file.

 

For more information please contact Elis Artz, Senior Program Coordinator for the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies at