Category Archives: postdoc

Post-Doc Research Associate | The Woodlawn Study

Job Description Summary

Join the Woodlawn Study Team!
We are excited to share the availability of a 2-year post-doctoral research associate at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Led currently by Dr. Kerry Green, the Woodlawn Study is a longitudinal community cohort study that began as a school-based intervention in 1966. This rich longitudinal study spans over 50 years with the most recent interviews conducted with cohort members at age 62 in 2022-2024. More information about the study can be found at www.woodlawn.umd.edu.

Key responsibilities:

Analyze the existing Woodlawn datasets (age 6, age 16, age 32, age 42) to identify life course factors that impact the aging experience at 62
Write and publish articles in peer-reviewed journals
Present study findings at scientific meetings
Assist with the preparation of applications for external funding
Collaborate with the research team to build knowledge

Additional Benefits:

Work closely with the research team in a collaborative environment
Develop skills in quantitative data analysis
Opportunities for first-authored manuscripts
Mentorship in grant writing
Faculty status at the University of Maryland

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

PhD in Public Health or a related field by the start date
Interest in the aging process
Experience analyzing quantitative data, particularly longitudinal data and latent variable modeling
Passion for life course research, urban health, and underserved populations

PREFERENCES:

Familiarity with national aging datasets (e.g., Health and Retirement Study)
Familiarity with Stata, R, and SPSS

Best Consideration Date: 4/17/2025

PhD Student | Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

PhD Student | Research Group Migration and Health Inequalities

The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) is seeking to appoint a full-time PhD student to join the ERC-funded Research Group on Migration and Health Inequalities. The group, led by Silvia Loi, brings together experts from Demography, Quantitative Sociology, and Social Epidemiology to address the pressing scientific and societal question: Why do immigrants age in poorer health compared to non-immigrants?
The research group agenda builds up on these three research areas:

quantify the gaps in healthy ageing trajectories between immigrants and non-immigrants by age, gender, socioeconomic status, and their interactions;
identify the critical events and circumstances in immigrants’ lives that put them on a different healthy ageing trajectory from non-immigrants;
study the impact of family composition and family ties in mitigating health inequalities by migration background.

We are seeking a qualified and highly motivated student with a quantitative background with interests at the intersection of migration, ageing and health, broadly defined. The successful candidate must have a Master’s degree in Demography, Sociology, Social Epidemiology or related fields, and a strong quantitative background. Candidates with interests in topics surrounding migration, health and ageing in any setting and comparing across gender, socioeconomic class, or geographical location are welcome. Demonstrable skills in R or Stata are highly desirable.

This PhD studentship offers an excellent opportunity for motivated students to work with a highly international team of researchers, to take advantage of the interdisciplinary intellectual environment at the MPIDR, as well as substantial financial support for travel, research training and data acquisition.
Admitted students take part in the International Max Planck Research School for Population, Health and Data Science (IMPRS-PHDS) that merges demography, epidemiology and data science. IMPRS-PHDS equips doctoral students not only with advanced knowledge of the theory and methods of demography and epidemiology (broadly defined as ‘population health’), but also with strong technical skills in statistics, mathematical modeling, and computational and data management methods (broadly referred to as ‘data science’). PHDS supports strong interdisciplinary research training and exchange within a network of universities in Europe and the US. The research school offers a core training program in Rostock, extensive networking opportunities across partner sites, and high-quality supervision across at least two institutes. For more information on the IMPRS-PHDS curriculum please see https://www.imprs-phds.mpg.de.

Please apply online via this survey and include in a single PDF file:

Curriculum Vitae including a list of publications
Copies of transcripts of undergraduate and, if applicable, Master’s degree;
Motivation letter, 1-2 pages that describe how your research interests fit into the research agenda of the Research Group and the related project. Please include your research accomplishments, and highlight your technical skills, and areas of expertise;
A writing sample;
Contact information for up to 2 academic referees.

In order to receive full consideration, applications should be submitted by 28 February 2025. Online interviews will be held in the first half of March 2025. The starting date is flexible, but no later than 1 November 2025.
The advertised position is located at the MPIDR. It is expected that the successful applicant will be in residence at the MPIDR, in Rostock, Germany.
The PhD student is offered a 3-year contract with remuneration based on the salary structure of the German public sector (Öffentlicher Dienst, TVöD Bund) currently starting at 34,295.22 € gross a year, and will be expected to be in residence at the Institute.

Post-Doctoral Researcher | Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

Post-Doctoral Researcher | Research Group Migration and Health Inequalities

The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) is seeking to appoint a full-time post-doctoral researcher to join the ERC-funded Research Group on Migration and Health Inequalities. The group, led by Silvia Loi, brings together experts from Demography, Quantitative Sociology, and Social Epidemiology to address the pressing scientific and societal question: Why do immigrants age in poorer health compared to non-immigrants?
The research group agenda builds up on these three research areas:

quantify the gaps in healthy ageing trajectories between immigrants and non-immigrants by age, gender, socioeconomic status, and their interactions;
identify the critical events and circumstances in immigrants’ lives that put them on a different healthy ageing trajectory from non-immigrants;
study the impact of family composition and family ties in mitigating health inequalities by migration background.

We are seeking a creative, self-driven, collaborative scholar with a strong quantitative background that can contribute to advancing one or more the three research areas of the group. The selected candidate will be a member of the Research Group on Migration and Health Inequalities, and will have the opportunity to collaborate with other units, such as the Max Planck – University of Helsinki Center for Social Inequalities in Population Health (MaxHel).

We provide a stimulating research-oriented community, excellent infrastructure at the MPIDR, and an institutional culture that enables everyone to develop their individual skills and competencies. The MPIDR is one of the leading demographic research centers in the world, studying issues of theoretical and policy relevance. These include, but are not limited to mortality, fertility, migration, aging, health, and the redistribution of work and transfers over the life course. The MPIDR is part of the Max Planck Society, a network of 86 institutes that form Germany’s premier basic-research organization. Max Planck Institutes have an established record of world-class, foundational research in the sciences, technology, social sciences, and the humanities.

The successful candidate must have a PhD (or receive it soon) in Demography, Sociology, Social Epidemiology or related fields, a strong quantitative background and is expected to have a profile along at least one of the following lines:

Migrant health
Social determinants of health
Social inequalities
Measuring and modelling life-course processes

Demonstrable skills in R or Stata are highly desirable. Previous experience working with register data will be considered an advantage.

Please apply online via this survey and include in a single PDF file:

Curriculum Vitae including a list of publications;
Motivation letter, 1-2 pages that describe how your expertise fits into the research agenda of the Research Group and the related project. Please include your research accomplishments, and highlight your technical skills, and areas of expertise;
A writing example (e.g., one of your publications or working paper);
Contact information for up to 2 academic referees.

In order to receive full consideration, applications should be submitted by 28 February 2025. Online interviews will be held in the first half of March 2025. We expect candidates to start in the first half of 2025, though a later date might be possible under special circumstances. The successful applicant will be offered a 2-years contract with remuneration commensurate to experience (starting from approx. 57,000 EUR gross per year for researchers who have just completed their PhD, up to approx. 70,000 EUR gross per year for more senior scientists), based on the salary structure of the German public sector (Öffentlicher Dienst, TVöD Bund). The advertised position is located at the MPIDR. It is expected that the successful applicant will be in residence at the MPIDR, in Rostock, Germany, and support for relocation costs is available.

Postdoctoral Research Associate | Center for Research on Child and Family Wellbeing (CRCFW)

Postdoctoral Research Associate

The Center for Research on Child and Family Wellbeing (CRCFW), directed by Dr. Kathryn Edin and part of the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, invites outstanding researchers to apply for appointments each academic year. CRCFW conducts research on children and young adults’ health, education, and economic wellbeing and on understanding disadvantaged communities. Our current initiatives include the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), exploring the impact of several anti-violence programs in Chicago, understanding the regional concentration of disability receipt and its impact on community life, and the relationship between poverty and trauma.

The following appointment is available for the 2025 – 2026 academic year. The position requires in-person work at least 3 days a week. Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2025.

CRCFW is offering a highly competitive Postdoctoral Research Associate position to an individual with documented interest in the transition to young adulthood and experience working with the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) or other, similar longitudinal survey data. Appointments are for one year with the possibility of renewal, pending satisfactory performance and continued funding, with negotiable starting dates for the next academic year.

QUALIFICATIONS: Postdocs are expected to have outstanding potential and be self-motivated, goal-oriented and capable of successfully communicating ideas to diverse audiences. They must also be able to build on existing strengths, bridge different fields, and be motivated to work with faculty and staff on complex projects. This position will support independent and collaborative research on the above topics. Preference will be given to candidates that have obtained their PhD within the last two years. While this listing is open to all social science disciplines, preference will be given to those with a PhD in quantitative demography or with formal demography training.

Postdocs will participate in all of the Center’s activities, including student-faculty seminars, workshops, and public lectures. The postdoc will be expected to spend about 75% of their time working on publications using data from the FFCWS and/or research with Dr. Edin and about 25% of their time assisting the FFCWS data team projects such as merging contextual and administrative data files to the survey data.

Applicants should apply online at https://www.princeton.edu/acad-positions/position/37441(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) and submit: a cover letter describing areas of interest, graduate training, relevant background and possible fit within the center recent CV names, e-mails and phone numbers of three references.

Postdoctoral Scholar – Emerging Disparities in Population Health | Population Research Institute

Postdoctoral Scholar – Emerging Disparities in Population Health

The Population Research Institute at The Pennsylvania State University anticipates an opening for a Postdoctoral Scholar in Emerging Disparities in Population Health, starting on or around August 15, 2025, contingent on funding availability. The Postdoctoral Scholar will devote time to independent research, collaborations with faculty mentors, and mentored training and professionalization.

This position is funded for one year from the start date, with the possibility of renewal for an additional year, conditional on successful progress.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in a social science field such as sociology, demography, gerontology, family studies, anthropology, economics, public policy, or related fields using social science approaches (e.g., epidemiology) by the start date, and have training and research experience in substantive demographic topics or demographic methods, especially as they are relevant to aging and population health disparities. Additionally, applicants must demonstrate interest and capacity for independent research, evidence or clear plans for an emerging publication record, have outstanding writing and communication skills, and be able to work effectively on a team.

Apply here.

IQMR New Voices Initiative

Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research (IQMR)
New Voices Initiative
Call for Applications for IQMR 2025 (June 15-27, 2025)
Application Due Date: January 31, 2025

Background and Motivation

The Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research (IQMR) is a two-week training program held each summer at Syracuse University. IQMR promotes the teaching and application of a diverse range of advanced qualitative research methods and their combination with complementary analytic techniques in political science and cognate disciplines. The Institute’s overall goals are to enable attendees to create and critique methodologically sophisticated qualitative and multi-method research, and to foster the continued growth of a collaborative community of scholars who develop, refine, teach, and employ qualitative research methods. Each summer IQMR participants choose from among approximately 20 modules led by more than 30 faculty. Over the last 22 years, more than 3,000 graduate students and junior faculty have been trained at IQMR.

The New Voices Initiative aims to identify, encourage, and support early career researchers (ECRs) interested in serving as IQMR instructors, growing the pool of scholars potentially available to teach at the Institute. More broadly, the Initiative seeks to increase the number and diversity of faculty who teach qualitative and multi-method research in the social sciences. The Institute is uniquely positioned to offer junior scholars who aspire to teach methods the experience they need to transition from using to teaching social science methods. Over time, increasing numbers of outstanding ECRs have joined IQMR as instructors. Building on that foundation, the Institute is particularly interested in receiving applications from ECRs in the social sciences who are members of groups that have historically been under-represented in academia, and can offer fresh insights and perspectives on the methods taught at IQMR.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to participate in the New Voices Initiative, ECRs must:

Have received a doctoral degree in the social sciences between 2018 and June 2025 or, in exceptional circumstances, plan to complete their doctorate by June 2026;
Be based at a U.S. institution;
Have methodological expertise as demonstrated through publishing work focused on the development of qualitative methods, and/or teaching courses focused on qualitative methods, that would enable them to contribute to modules focused on the following:
- Logic of qualitative methods (logic and set theory; regularity theory of causality)
- Field methods (fieldwork design, survey research, archival research, focus groups, interviews, digital fieldwork)
- Comparative historical analysis
- Non-controlled comparison (case selection, logics of comparison)
- Interpretive methods
- Ethnographic methods
- Process tracing
- Bayesian inference
- Causal diagrams for within-case analysis
- Geographic Information Systems
- Integrating qualitative and quantitative techniques
- Integrating qualitative and experimental techniques
- Text as data
- Qualitative comparative analysis

Application Process

Eligible ECRs should complete and submit the Google Form linked below by January 31, 2025.

https://forms.gle/6RFxPVuhGKzEimLq8

Selection and Support

The selection committee will comprise the IQMR leadership team and one or more of the faculty who lead the modules in which applicants express an interest in teaching. They will review all eligible applications to identify the two applicants who could make the most significant contribution through, and benefit the most from, teaching at IQMR. Selection decisions will be made, and all applicants notified of the status of their application, by late February 2025.

Each Teaching Fellow will join the teaching team for a particular set of modules, and will be guided and mentored by those modules’ seasoned instructors. It is hoped that Teaching Fellows will begin or continue to publish on the conduct of qualitative and multi-method research, and/or to teach their own methods classes at their home institution.

Teaching Fellows are paid an honorarium, and their round trip economy class domestic air travel, lodging in Syracuse, NY, and a per diem for the duration of their stay are covered by the Institute. Fellows who teach at IQMR 2025 will be eligible to teach at IQMR in subsequent summers.

Postdoc Fellowship | Minnesota Population Center

We seek scientists who understand complex health problems and health disparities as resulting from multiple interacting layers of influence that unfold over chronological, biological, and historical time. This exciting program at the University of Minnesota, housed in the Minnesota Population Center, features cross-training in the biology and etiology of disease as well as in the social sciences. The program includes engagement in independent and collaborative population health research, supervised by interdisciplinary teams of faculty, and intensive professional socialization. It is designed to integrate trainees from diverse disciplinary backgrounds and prepare them to have outstanding careers as population health scientists.

Interested candidates can read more about our program online.

Please direct all questions to Lindsey Fabian (fabian@umn.edu).

SRCD U.S. Policy Fellowship Program

SRCD U.S. Policy Fellowship Program

The SRCD Policy Fellowship immerses postdoctoral child development experts over one to two years in a U.S. federal agency, state agency, or congressional placement where they work full time on child and family policy. With over 30 years in operation, this program is a prestigious opportunity. Apply for the 2025-2026 cohort before January 6, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Learn How to Apply

Harvard Bell Fellowships

Applications for the 2025–2027 cohort of Harvard Bell Fellows are now being accepted!
The deadline to apply is Tuesday, December 3, 2024.

The Bell Fellowship Program provides opportunities for research and leadership training in a two-year, non-degree program for researchers and practitioners in the field of population and development.

Selected candidates possess:

a strong record of academic training
a commitment to population and development work
the demonstrated ability to work independently
leadership potential

Harvard Bell Fellows examine a broad range of critical issues in the field of population and development studies from multidisciplinary perspectives. Most Fellows will have interests that match the focal areas of HCPDS. A wide range of perspectives will enhance the Fellows’ experiences and broaden the community life at the Center.

Please be sure to read through ALL the pages, including the FAQ section where there is important information. If you have questions, please email popcenter@hsph.harvard.edu.