SMU Presidential Early Career Professorship 2026: Tenure-Track Call

SMU Presidential Early Career Professorship 2026 at a Glance

SMU-PEP is a university-wide early-career faculty scheme. Successful candidates receive a named Presidential appointment together with a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor or Associate Professor.

Eligibility

Applicants should:

• hold a PhD or equivalent earned within six years of the application date, or be awaiting formal graduation;
• have an excellent research record with strong future potential;
• show capacity for impactful and preferably interdisciplinary research;
• demonstrate teaching potential or experience; and
• be competitive for appointment at Assistant Professor or Associate Professor level.

Postdoctoral research and teaching experience are valued. Final rank depends on the candidate’s record and the hiring school’s assessment.

Research Priorities

The 2026 call highlights three university strategic priorities:

• Digital Transformation;
• Sustainable Living; and
• Growth in Asia.

SMU especially encourages early-career scholars addressing ageing societies, sustainable cities or resilient workforces. The call remains open to exceptional work outside these themes.

What the Professorship Offers

• a named title: Presidential Assistant Professor or Presidential Associate Professor;
• a tenure-track faculty appointment;
• a sign-on bonus;
• a start-up research grant available over four years;
• the possibility of a secondary courtesy appointment;
• guaranteed PhD studentships in STEM disciplines;
• mentoring and professional-development support;
• conference funding;
• relocation support;
• housing allowance;
• child-schooling support; and
• medical and other employment benefits.

Application Documents

The current application package includes:

• cover letter incorporating research and teaching statements;
• curriculum vitae;
• three research samples; and
• evidence of teaching effectiveness.

Shortlisted candidates are asked later to arrange three academic reference letters.

Selection

Applications are reviewed for research achievement, future impact, interdisciplinary potential and fit with SMU’s academic environment. Only shortlisted candidates are contacted for interview and subsequent selection steps.

The professorship is university-wide, but successful candidates join an appropriate SMU school or academic unit based on their discipline.

How to Apply

1. Confirm that your PhD timing and career stage fit the early-career requirement.
2. Identify the SMU school or unit that best matches your discipline.
3. Prepare the cover letter, research and teaching statements, CV and three research samples.
4. Include clear evidence of teaching effectiveness.
5. Submit through SMU’s official online application route by 15 October 2026.
6. If shortlisted, arrange three academic reference letters when requested.

CareerAidHub Applicant Guidance

Show why your work matters beyond one discipline

The call explicitly values interdisciplinary impact. Explain how your research connects to adjacent fields, institutions, policy or practice without diluting the core academic contribution.

Use the strategic themes selectively

Do not force a Digital Transformation or Sustainability label onto unrelated work. A clear, high-impact agenda outside the named priorities is preferable to an artificial fit.

Frame the start-up package around a four-year plan

Your research statement should make clear what you can build during the first four years: people, projects, external funding, outputs and collaborations.

Applicants can also review CareerAidHub’s faculty positions, research jobs, and Faculty Positions.