The UW-Madison School of Pharmacy, a long-time and proud partner of AIHP, is pleased to invite applications for a fully funded PhD studentship on the History of Pharmacy, Psychoactive Substances, and Pharmaceuticals in any period between 1700 and the present to start on 15 September 2025. This studentship provides four years of full-time funding, including tuition fees but excluding segregated university fees.
The relationship between pharmaceuticals and society – including medical cannabis and psychedelics – has attracted sustained attention and significant responses from national and international medical and public health associations as well as the regulatory community and academics. Bearing this in mind, the Urdang Lab, led by Professor Lucas Richert, is offering a PhD position contributing to the historical understanding of psychoactive substances that examines the role of, for example, cannabis, psilocybin, LSD, DMT, or opiates/opioids in science and society. With support from Richert and a network of psychoactive scholars on the UW-Madison campus, the student will have an opportunity to determine their dissertation focus. Some examples of topics include: a) entrepreneurship and marketing, b) agriculture and the environment, c) local and state regulations and policies, d) the social side of drug control and consumption, e) competing marketplaces, and conflicts between the medical model and personal use model.
The PhD position is offered through the Health Services Research in Pharmacy graduate program in the UW-Madison SoP. The PhD candidate will have an opportunity to gain both teaching and research experience as they develop a dissertation proposal in the first year. The PhD candidate will be guaranteed funding over a four-year period, which is the expected time to graduate in the HSRP program. Additional funding beyond the four years will be contingent on progress and performance. The PhD candidate will be expected to work closely with team members in the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy, and with the wider History of Science, Medicine, and Technology (HSMT) community on the UW-Madison campus. Other units of collaboration include the Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances (TcRPS) and the Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies.
Eligibility and application process
Applicants must hold a master’s degree in history or a closely related field; or, if the applicant has a degree in pharmacy, they must have a specialty in, and demonstrable understanding of, the history of science and medicine. Aptitudes in the history of pharmaceuticals, psychedelics, and intoxicants would be particularly welcome.
To apply, please send a resume/CV (including degree transcripts), a PhD proposal of between 500 and 1000 words, and a sample of relevant academic work (up to 8,000 words in length) by 5pm CST on Monday 26 May 2025.
After review of these documents and communication from Dr. Richert and the HSRP program, the deadline to submit all materials to the UW Graduate School is:
- Monday June 9 2025 for international candidates
- Monday June 30 2025 for domestic candidates
This studentship is open to all applicants. We strongly encourage applications from communities underrepresented in US academic history.
For additional information or questions about applying to UW-Madison’s graduate school and/or requirements in the HSRP program, contact the Graduate Program Manager Hollie Thompson (hthompson7@wisc.edu). If you have questions about the SAS division and HSRP program, contact Kristen Huset (kristen.huset@wisc.edu).
