Resident Fellowship in Ethics

LOCATION:

Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership, United States Naval Academy

APPLICATION TIMELINE:

This position does not have a specific application deadline. Review of applications will begin on March 2, 2026 and continue until the position is filled.

ABOUT THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY:

The United States Naval Academy is a unique institution of higher learning located in Annapolis, Maryland. As a service academy and premier undergraduate college, the United States Naval Academy has its own distinctive niche amongst American higher education institutions. Our talented faculty and staff are united by a common purpose to develop the next generation of officers to be exceptional leaders in our naval service. 

Every year more than one million people tour "the Yard" to experience what our employees already know, which is that the United States Naval Academy is a special place, with a special purpose. Employees will find challenging and rewarding work; state-of-the-art facilities which inspire academic and athletic excellence; the benefits of Federal employment; and exceptional quality-of-life.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The U.S. Naval Academy’s Stockdale Center invites applications for its annual Resident Fellowship Program for the academic year 2026-2027.  One of the Center’s premier programs is the Resident Fellowship.  The Fellowship unites academics, senior military officers, government executives and others to strengthen the nation’s understanding of the ethics of national defense, warfare and the military profession. 

The Secretary of the Navy and the Superintendent of the Naval Academy established the Center in 1998 to be a thought leader in the field of ethical military leadership and serve the Naval Academy, the Naval Service and national institutions of influence.  The Center’s mission is “to empower leaders to make courageous ethical decisions,” and the Center accomplishes this mission through research, consultation, innovation and dissemination. 

The Stockdale Center anticipates selecting up to four residential fellows, whose focus will be a weekly seminar devoted to a defense-related ethics topic.  Past topics have included “The Intellectual History of the Western Just War Tradition,” “Civil-Military Relations,” “Comparative Warfare Ethics," “Moral Virtue and Moral Injury,” “Liberal Democracy: Critics and Challenges,” and “The Ethics of Future Conflict Scenarios.”  Fellows also have the opportunity to teach and conduct personal research in cooperation with a large department of civilian philosophers and approximately forty senior military officers who teach the Academy's required core ethics

Duties and responsibilities: 

• Conduct a research project in collaboration with Dr. Barrett on ethical leadership
• Participate in and facilitate weekly post-doctoral Fellows Seminars
• Take part in other activities and programs of the Ethics Center and the Naval Academy
• Assist in planning and executing the annual McCain Conference. Duties at the McCain Conference include: presenting research findings; and preparing an academic journal article on this research and assisting the Center in developing the McCain Conference detailed summary

This is an onsite, gift-funded, excepted service federal position. Health and retirement benefits are not offered. This is a full-time, in-residence fellowship running from mid-August 2026 until mid-May 2027.

Salary Details:  

• • Pay Band: AD-01

• • Approximate Starting Salary for the duration of this fellowship: $60,000 - $70,000

• • Final Salary will be determined based on:
    • Experience and qualifications of the selected candidate
    • Availability of funds from a gift fund (i.e., the position is supported by a designated or restricted funding source)

MINIMUM AND PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Minimum Qualifications: 

• Dissertation phase of a Ph.D. program in the humanities, social sciences or international law.
  • Required at time of application

Preferred Qualifications (We are particularly interested in candidates who have experience or demonstrated interest in some or all of the following areas):

• Ideal candidates will be Ph.D.s in philosophical ethics, political theory, international law, international relations, public policy or history with peer-reviewed publications and university teaching experience.
• For the 2026-2027 academic year, we are especially interested in scholars with expertise in the ethical foundations of the U.S. Founding.
  

FINAL SELECTION FOR POSITION WILL BE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING ASSESSMENT

• Video-conference interview  
• Executive level interview

HOW TO APPLY FOR POSITION:

Interested candidates should send an application package to Dr. Edward T. Barrett, Director of Research, at ethics-fellow-2026-group@usna.edu.

•  Application Packages need to contain:
  • Cover letter
  • 2-page resume (we can only accept resumes up to two pages in length)
    • This document must be sufficient on its own to assess whether the applicant meets all “Required Minimum Qualifications”
  • Supplemental materials
    • Full Curriculum Vitae
    • Contact information for three professional references

Candidates should also submit a response to the narrative questions found here. Please note you will need to include the announcement number listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Please note: This position does not have a specific application deadline. Review of applications will begin on March 2, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. Additionally, the ability to fill this position is contingent upon the availability of funding.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• Two-year trial period will typically be required.
• All civilian positions at USNA are subject to a background investigation. These investigations are conducted to ensure that individuals hired are trustworthy, of good conduct, and reliable. The selected candidate will be subject to a security investigation leading to successful completion of a background investigation with a favorable adjudication. The selectee's failure to meet this requirement will be grounds for termination. More information about the background investigation process can be found at the Academic Dean and Provost’s website here, https://www.usna.edu/Academics/Faculty-Information/Background-Investigation-Info.php. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

The U.S. Naval Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer