Call for Postdoctoral Researchers at CIEF and TASFIN

The Center for Applied Research in Islamic Economics and Finance (CIEF) and the Center for Applied Research in Savings Finance (TASFIN) at Ibn Haldun University invite applications for two postdoctoral researcher positions for the 2026-2027 academic year, with one position hosted by CIEF and one by TASFIN.

The positions are intended to strengthen the centers' research capacity, develop project-based research teams, and generate academic, policy, and practice-oriented outputs. These positions are not designed solely for individual research. Postdoctoral researchers are expected to contribute actively to collaborative work within project-based teams in line with the centers' strategic priorities and project portfolios.

POSITIONS

Total positions: 2 postdoctoral researchers

• CIEF: 1 postdoctoral researcher
• TASFIN: 1 postdoctoral researcher

The initial contract will be for 6 months. A second 6-month contract will be subject to a positive assessment of the researcher's performance during the first term.

Researchers are expected to be present at the relevant center on IHU Başakşehir Campus at least 3 days per week.

The expected start date is October 5, 2026.

The call is open to international applicants. For candidates who require a work permit, the actual start date may vary depending on the permit process or, where necessary, may be deferred to the following term.

CIEF PRIORITY RESEARCH AREAS

Priority research areas at CIEF include, but are not limited to:

• Theoretical, methodological, and institutional foundations of Islamic economics, Islamic moral economy, and public policy
• Participation banking and other Islamic financial institutions
• Participation finance and capital markets, sukuk, and corporate finance
• Trust, governance, regulation, compliance with participation finance principles, and legal and institutional structures in participation finance
• Waqf, zakat, qard hasan, Islamic social finance, impact finance, sustainable finance, and climate finance
• Empirical, data-driven, comparative, and policy-oriented research on the participation finance ecosystem

TASFIN PRIORITY RESEARCH AREAS

Priority research areas at TASFIN include, but are not limited to:

• Economic and institutional structure of savings finance, sector development, and data-driven analysis
• Business and financing models, risk, sustainability, and institutional performance in savings finance
• Legal and regulatory frameworks, savings finance contracts, consumer protection, and dispute resolution
• Fiqh dimensions of savings finance and its relationship with participation finance principles
• Customer behavior, trust, financial inclusion, household savings, and socioeconomic impacts
• International and comparative savings-based financing models, and product, service, and technology innovation

Applicants are not required to hold a doctorate in a narrowly defined discipline. Applications from different disciplinary and methodological backgrounds may be considered, provided that the proposed research is clearly related to the scope of the center to which the candidate applies.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants are expected to meet the following qualifications:

• A PhD degree obtained within the past 5 years
• The applicant must not yet have taken up a permanent academic staff position at a higher education institution
• A strong research agenda and clear research and publication potential related to the scope of the center to which the applicant applies
• Ability to use English effectively in academic research, writing, presentations, and professional communication
• Openness to interdisciplinary, project-based, and collaborative work
• Ability to combine independent academic judgment with the research priorities of the host center

Prior involvement in national or international research projects, or experience in project development and proposal preparation, is preferred.

There is no minimum publication count, journal-index requirement, or narrowly defined doctoral-field requirement.

ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS

Postdoctoral researchers are expected to:

• Conduct research in line with the host center's priority research areas and project portfolio
• Take an active role in project-based research teams and develop collaborative academic, policy, and practice-oriented outputs with other team members
• Work in project-based teams with research fellows and other researchers at the center
• Contribute to the coordination of research processes and the academic development of early-career researchers
• Contribute to research and project design, literature and data work, analysis, academic writing, reporting, and dissemination
• Take an active role in developing and preparing proposals for national and international research funding
• Participate actively in the center's seminars, workshops, conferences, and other academic activities
• Present their research within the center

Under IHU's Implementation Principles for the Employment of Postdoctoral Researchers, each researcher is expected to achieve at least one of the following during the employment period:

• Produce a sole-authored or co-authored academic publication with IHU affiliation
• Participate in at least one TÜBİTAK-funded or internationally funded project team
• Produce a book to be published by Ibn Haldun University Press

COMPENSATION AND INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

In accordance with IHU's Implementation Principles for the Employment of Postdoctoral Researchers, the position provides a monthly payment in Turkish lira equivalent to approximately USD 1,000, calculated at the exchange rate applicable on the offer date.

Researchers will also have access to:

• Workspace on campus
• A university ID card and institutional email account
• Internet access, library resources, and electronic databases
• Lunch and university shuttle services
• University publication incentives and, where applicable, project income
• 50 percent discounted accommodation at the university guesthouse, subject to availability
• University support for work permit procedures for researchers coming from abroad

Other benefits and institutional provisions set out in the applicable Implementation Principles will be administered in accordance with university procedures.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

Application materials should be prepared in English:

• An up-to-date academic CV, including a publication list
• A statement of purpose of no more than 1-2 pages
• A 2-3 page research or project proposal related to the scope of the center applied to
• One academic writing sample
• Names, institutional affiliations, and contact information of two academic referees

The statement of purpose should identify the center or centers applied to, indicate the order of preference if applying to both, explain the applicant's academic motivation, and describe the contribution the applicant could make to the center.

The research or project proposal should set out the research question, significance of the study, basic methodological and data approach, a 6-month work plan, and expected outputs.

The academic writing sample may be a published article, an accepted paper, a working paper, or a suitable chapter or section from the doctoral dissertation.

Applicants should provide the names, institutional affiliations, and contact information of two academic referees. Referees may be contacted, or reference letters may be requested, if needed during the evaluation process.

The research proposal is requested to assess the applicant's capacity to design research and the fit with the center's research priorities. The proposal submitted at the application stage does not determine the final research topic to be pursued if the candidate is appointed.

Degree certificates and other official documents may be requested separately at a later stage of evaluation or recruitment.

APPLICATION AND EVALUATION

Applicants may apply to CIEF, TASFIN, or both positions. Candidates applying to both should indicate their order of preference in the statement of purpose.

Applications must be submitted by email to [email protected] no later than September 21, 2026 at 23:59 Istanbul time.

The email subject line should read:

• "Postdoctoral Researcher Application - Full Name - CIEF" for applications at CIEF.
• "Postdoctoral Researcher Application - Full Name - TASFIN" for applications at TASFIN.
• "Postdoctoral Researcher Application - Full Name - CIEF/TASFIN" when applying to both positions.

Applications will be evaluated with reference to:

• The candidate's academic background
• Scientific quality of the research proposal
• Fit of the research proposal with the center's priorities
• Publication and project-development potential
• Methodological competence
• Capacity for teamwork
• Academic communication skills

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed between September 22 and 30, 2026.

TIMELINE

• Applications: September 1-21, 2026
• Application deadline: September 21, 2026 at 23:59 Istanbul time
• Interviews and evaluation: September 22-30, 2026
• Results and contracting: October 1-4, 2026
• Expected start date: October 5, 2026