Hear ye, hear ye, the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University is now accepting applications from would-be Visiting Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows for the 2010-11 academic year. The deadline is December 1, so you have plenty of time.
As one who just completed a year in residence at the James Madison Program as a Visiting Fellow, I can say I had the most rewarding year I could have imagined. For that I’d like to thank Robby George, the program’s director, and Brad Wilson, its executive director, as well as their fine staff.
The James Madison Program gathers scholars in constitutional law and political thought (broadly defined across multiple disciplines), at various stages of their careers, from postdocs with Ph.D. diplomas wet with ink, to battle-scarred full professors who need a year off (that was my category), and presents them with office digs and staff support, access to one of America’s best libraries, contact with Princeton’s most outstanding students, an incredible calendar of lectures, conferences, and other events, and lots of opportunities for convivial interaction with each other, complete with terrific food. I made a bunch of new close friends, all of them frighteningly smart, and got a lot of work done.
So have a look at the program description and what it takes to apply. For anyone who cares about “American Ideals and Institutions,” there’s no better place to be.