Race, AI, and Society Postgraduate Fellow

Stanford University · Stanford

Apply on the company website

Stanford Law School Budgeted Salary Range For This Position:  $95,000 - $100,000

Race, AI, and Society Postgraduate Fellow

Summary

The Stanford Center for Racial Justice (SCRJ) at Stanford Law School invites recent graduates with a Ph.D. and/or J.D. who have an interest in racial justice to apply for the Race, AI, and Society Fellowship (RAIS Fellowship). Ideal candidates have well-developed analytical skills and a demonstrated commitment to addressing racial division and inequality in American society, whether through law reform, policy analysis, rigorous research, community engagement, or strategic communications.

RAIS Fellows will spend approximately 70% of their time on original research and scholarship across SCRJ’s focus areas: education and opportunity, safety and justice, and race and society, including work at the intersection of these areas and emerging technologies. This work is shaped by the fellow’s skills and interests in consultation with SCRJ leadership. Approximately 30% of the fellow’s time will be dedicated to SCRJ’s Fair AI Policy Project, a partnership with a major U.S. city to build, test, and publish a legally grounded, community-informed model AI policy for municipal governments. The fellow will support all phases of this project, including assessing AI deployment data and engaging in legal analysis, mixed-methods and psychometric research, and policy drafting.

Beyond core research, fellows may assume related responsibilities across communications (e.g., blog posts, social media), events and programming, and mentoring or supervising students working on Center projects. During the fellowship year, fellows are expected to produce at least one, and ideally two, submission-ready manuscripts for publication in academic journals and may have the opportunity to support teaching in the Center’s courses.

This is a full-time, one-year fixed-term position, with the possibility of renewal for a second year contingent on performance, funding, and the Center’s programmatic needs. The Center is seeking to fill this position as soon as a strong candidate is identified. The preferred start date is January 2027, though we will work with the selected fellow on timing.

This position is based at Stanford Law School, and in-person work is preferred. We welcome strong remote candidates; remote fellows should expect to be on campus for regularly scheduled convenings, workshops, and select Center events.

About the Stanford Center for Racial Justice

SCRJ works to counter racial division and political polarization through research and conversations exploring racial dimensions of contentious issues in America. We envision a society free from race-driven polarization and inequality, where people recognize racism’s far-reaching effects and understand that addressing such challenges requires diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and ideologies. Functioning as a research and dissemination engine, we produce analyses and facilitate discussions on pressing controversies, aiming to provide trustworthy insights on racial dimensions of divisive issues, particularly where they intersect with economic inequality, educational opportunity, safety, and emerging technologies.

Responsibilities

RAIS Fellows will utilize mixed-methods research, legal, and policy analysis across SCRJ’s focus areas: education and opportunity, safety and justice, and race and society—including their intersections with AI and other emerging technologies. Core responsibilities include:

• Supporting the Fair AI Policy Project (~30% of time), including reviewing existing AI data infrastructure, policies, and automated decision-making systems across city agencies, engaging in legal analysis to determine disparate impact risk, conducting mixed-methods and psychometric research to develop an AI literacy framework, and municipal policy drafting.
• Conducting original research and producing at least one, and ideally two, submission-ready manuscripts for publication in academic journals. This work should make significant contributions to ongoing national and scholarly discourse around issues of race, AI, and society.
• Performing law and policy analysis on key racial justice issues in close collaboration with SCRJ faculty, staff, and students.
• Collaborating with campus, community, and institutional partners, including government stakeholders, to advance the Center’s projects and initiatives.
• Engaging in strategic communications—including blog posts, social media, briefs, reports, op-eds, and other accessible forms of scholarship—to promote public understanding of consequential racial justice issues.
• Supporting the planning and execution of SCRJ events and programming, such as convenings, research workshops, and book talks.
• Mentoring and supervising students working on Center projects and supporting the Center’s teaching activities as needed.
• Presenting research findings at SCRJ events, academic conferences, or other forums to elevate ideas and expand the impact of the fellow’s work.
• Participating in SCRJ’s close-knit community by attending meetings, workshops, informal gatherings, and events to deepen engagement with faculty, staff, and students.

Preferred Minimum Education and Experience

Ph.D. or J.D. degree conferred by the start of the fellowship.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

Ideal applicants for the RAIS Fellowship will bring:

• Academic Excellence: Strong record of academic achievement, research skills, and writing ability.
• Demonstrated Commitment to Racial Justice: Prior experience in racial justice work, for example, through internships, clinics, academic research, policy initiatives, advocacy, or community engagement.
• Analytical and Strategic Thinking: Ability to critically analyze complex issues related to race, AI, and society, and propose solutions through innovative technological, legal, and policy frameworks.
• Capacity for AI and Technology Policy Work: Familiarity with—or demonstrated aptitude to quickly develop expertise in—algorithmic fairness, data governance, and antidiscrimination law as applied to emerging technologies.
• Exceptional Communication Skills: Strong writing and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce publication-quality work. Experience writing for both academic and non-academic audiences is a plus.
• Project Management Skills: Ability to independently manage projects, meet deadlines, and coordinate with multiple teams and external partners, including government stakeholders. Fellows should have excellent attention to detail.

Additional Preferred Skills

• Mixed-Methods Research: Experience using qualitative and quantitative research methods and a combination of the two to better understand complex issues. Survey design or psychometric methods (e.g., factor analysis) is a plus.
• Collaborative Mindset: Proven ability to work effectively in diverse, interdisciplinary environments. Demonstrated capacity to engage with community stakeholders, scholars, and policymakers.
• Passion for Impactful Research: Desire to challenge societal assumptions, confront difficult conversations, and develop thought-provoking scholarship that contributes to national conversations on race, AI, and society.
• Teaching and Mentorship Potential: Interest or experience in supervising research assistants, mentoring students, supporting teaching, or facilitating discussions in academic or public forums.
• Social Media Experience: Comfort producing content for social media and other public-facing channels.

Working Conditions

• Full-time, in-person at Stanford Law School is preferred, but remote arrangements will be considered for exceptionally strong candidates. Regardless of location, all fellows participate in regularly scheduled Center activities—convenings, research workshops, and select events—and remote fellows should plan to travel to Stanford periodically. Travel for these commitments is supported.
• May work extended hours, evenings or weekends.
• May travel locally and/or nationally.

Work Standards

• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.

• Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
• University Policies: Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University’s Administrative Guide: https://adminguide.stanford.edu/

Application Process

Candidates should submit the following materials along with their application:

• Curriculum vitae / resume
• And as one document please include: 
  • Cover letter
  • Complete transcript for Ph.D. and/or J.D. degree
  • Two or three references, including one academic and one professional
  • Writing sample reflecting scholarship potential
  • Writing prompt: Race is inherent in almost every aspect of society, and the rapid advancement of technology only complicates how we understand and address racial inequality. In 800 words or less, identify a concrete issue at the intersection of race, AI, and society and the most promising approach to addressing it. Solutions may include, for example, novel research, technological advancement, community-based partnerships, and/or innovative legal and policy frameworks—or perhaps a combination of strategies.

The Center is seeking to fill this position as soon as a strong candidate is identified. The priority deadline isNovember 1, 2026. However, applications will be considered until the position is filled. The preferred start date is January 2027, though we will work with the selected fellow on timing.

More jobs at Stanford University · Education & Training jobs in Stanford