| Detailed Description: |
This is an 11 month, full-time, benefit-based position with an anticipated end date of July 17, 2026. The appointment is renewable at the discretion of the University and dependent upon performance and continued funding.
All too often, efforts to limit violence are harm-producing, fragmented and inadequate. Even where solid evidence exists, policy responses to violence are often based upon simplistic analysis that is grounded in fear, bias and misperception. If people and institutions shape the language of violence, so too do they shape the narratives that reinforce structures of violence, all too often justifying force against certain people or places. This vicious cycle feeds upon itself, left unchecked it metastasizes leading to a rise in violence, in fear baiting, in unequal power structures and authoritarianism. The Violence, Inequality and Power (VIP) Lab was launched in January 2022 with the intention of advancing research, shifting conversations and fostering productive collaboration to push back against this cycle.
The VIP Lab delivers practical, actionable ideas that partners can implement to confront harmful power inequalities and reduce violence. We aim to shift power-reinforcing, securitized approaches through disseminating evidence-informed practice that is balanced, inclusive and based upon a vision of justice for all. Our focus is on cities, at borders, in conflict zones and sites of emerging political violence. We interrogate effective practice to build peace with justice, delivering practical and actionable content that partners can advance at various levels. The VIP Lab is part of the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (Kroc IPJ) within the Kroc School at the University of San Diego.
Inequality is correlated with nearly all forms of violence. Yet there remains a dearth of focused analysis or reflection on this correlation. This impedes our collective capacity to sufficiently analyze violence, resulting in ineffective and often harm-reinforcing solutions. Inequalities of power can be overt, the use of state security forces to exert control over certain groups, for example. Power imbalances are also subtle, the denial of experiences of victimhood to individuals who are perceived only as perpetrators. Power dynamics become embedded in systems of interaction within communities, between individuals and across economic and political institutions in ways that are central to the shaping, prevention and narration (the story that is told) of violence.
In 2023, we launched the VIP Lab Fellows Program with the goal of helping to fill this analytic and conversational void. In year two of our fellowship program, the VIP Lab is seeking a Residential Fellow to be based in our office at the University of San Diego’s Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice. The goal of the fellowship program is to advance the research and explorations of how power inequalities impact violence, both in driving violence dynamics and influencing responses to it.
For the 2025-2026 Fellowship, the VIP Lab is looking to hone in on issues of narrative. Narrative can redefine reality, create feelings of belonging or exclusion, influence individual and group behavior, embed norms and values and mobilize action and responses to ideas or events that may lead to violence or may be central to mitigating violence.
The VIP Lab is seeking applicants who are interested in exploring the role narratives play in structures and dynamics of power, and consequently, in driving or mitigating violence. The definition of narrative, in this case, is broad and includes the different modes and mediums of communication and ways of knowing (data, storytelling, speeches, memory, research and journalistic reporting) that are used to shape emotions and public opinion and reflect how we see the world.
The goal of the fellowship program is to support research and advance thought leadership on how power inequalities impact violence, both in driving violence dynamics and influencing responses to it. Fellows will help shape the conversation through exploring new lines of research, reinforcing existing areas of study, and building collaborative approaches that bring together one or more disciplinary approaches. The fellowship will advance understanding of the centrality of power inequality in the debate on how to reduce, prevent and respond to various forms of violence.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Research Production
- Complete a public-facing research product (formats could include journal article, a policy brief, think piece, white paper, literature review) that explores narrative is used to either reinforce power dynamics contribute to cycles of violence or used to push back against such dynamics;
- Contribute to expanding the field of study and practice of inequality and violence;
- Take advantage of opportunities to share research with a wider audience of practitioners, policy makers and academics through a variety of means (written, in person, video) and engage in dialogue with counterparts on the work;
Engagement with Fellows, Kroc School, and Students
- Engage with Kroc School students and faculty through guest lecturing, individual meetings and other gatherings while on campus;
- Take advantage of in person and virtual forums to share their research with a wider audience of practitioners, policy makers and academics within San Diego;
- Receive and engage in intellectual feedback through thought partnership from VIP Lab and Kroc IPJ.
Special Conditions of Employment:
Background check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.
Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.
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| Job Requirements: |
Minimum Qualifications:
- Track record of producing high quality research.
- Demonstrated ability to influence, inform or shift conversations, whether within fields of practice, in the public dialogue, or within key institutions.
- Existence of a robust professional network.
- Determination to open dialogue on an underrepresented, under-researched or under-valued area of knowledge production.
- Capacity and interest in working with people who hold differing opinions.
- Evidence that the research can be adapted and applied into practice, either through policy, programming or grassroots activities.
We highly encourage individuals with the following backgrounds to apply. Note, a background in one of these categories is not a requirement for the Fellowship:
- Justice involved individuals (People who have spent time in jails, youth correctional facilities, prisons, or gone through court-mandated diversion programs or been on probation.) Applicants with a past criminal conviction will be reviewed on an individual basis prior to a final decision.
- Individuals with a law enforcement background
- Military veterans
Eligibility Requirements:
Work Requirements
- Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
Research Experience
- Familiarity with Institutional Review Board processes or clear justification for why the research methodology will be exempt from IRB review.
- Demonstrated educational and professional attainment is required to make clear that the candidate will be able to undertake quality research independently. This can be demonstrated through published work, certificates of achievement, non-published material with explanation of use, etc.
- We encourage applicants who are interested in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, but do not have a preference for one over the other.
Education Requirement
- Masters Degree or equivalent required; preference for terminal degree combined with experience in applied research.
Communication
- As an applied research office, we place value not only on the quality of the research, but the ability of research to influence discussion.
- Applicants must have a proven track record of strong communication, whether through public speaking, written material, video or otherwise.
- English fluency: All applicants must be fluent in both written and spoken English.
Team Work
- The Fellow will be considered a thought partner and a core part of the VIP Lab team. They will be expected to participate in team meetings, be a thought partner with VIP Lab staff, and contribute to discussion and exploration of new areas of research.
- Applicants must be able to work independently and periodically share their progress and ideas in group settings for discussion and feedback.
English fluency
- All applicants must be fluent in both written and spoken English.
Performance Expectations - Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Demonstrated ability to influence, inform or shift conversations, whether within fields of practice, in the public dialogue, or within key institutions.
- Existence of a robust professional network.
- Proven ability to advance research independently.
- Determination to open dialogue on an underrepresented, under-researched or under-valued area of knowledge production.
- Capacity and interest in working with people who hold differing opinions. The ability to productively exchange with others across differences of opinion is strongly required.
- Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Excellent judgment and ability to respond positively to mentoring and direction.
- Be able to operate both independently, autonomously, and alongside other Kroc IPJ staff.
- To be based in San Diego, CA for the duration of fellowship (August 18 2025 - July 17 2026).
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