Postdoctoral Scholar

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
  
• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
  
• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants.
  

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Research Translation Platform invites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar interested in a career at the research-policy nexus supporting the evaluation and analytic needs of strategies for translating scientific evidence to policymakers. This exciting opportunity would train a Post-Doctoral Scholar in the science of science impact by developing their research expertise in the scholarly study of how policymakers use research evidence. This includes evaluating dissemination and impact or research translation models, such as the Research-to-Policy Collaboration model. The Scholar would be responsible for conceptualization of appropriate advanced quantitative methodologies and analysis for a variety of projects, and may have opportunities to contribute to the implementation of an effective, replicable and non-partisan model for brokering researchers and policymakers. While the Scholar should have strong quantitative skills, prior policy experience is not required. The Scholar will receive training and mentorship in applying their skills to the analysis of boundary-spanning initiatives. This mentored position provides an opportunity to learn translational skills while working with policymaking audiences, as well as opportunities to contribute to scholarly work regarding best practices for research translation and dissemination. Our team is hybrid academic and policy practice; thus, we use data for action. Opportunities for professional development and scholarly contributions will be provided. Preference will be given to those within commuting distance to the Washington, D.C. area, though it is not required.


Job Responsibilities

• Design the plan for and analyze observational and survey data regarding policymakers' or researchers' engagement in boundary-spanning initiatives, including longitudinal and multi-level analyses


• Extract, transform, clean, and maintain data from a variety of sources

• Development and proactive upkeep of data sources (e.g., surveys in Redcap, observational data via a CRM)

• Contribute to the development of analytic plans for grants and publications


• Support analytic needs for grant writing and reporting (e.g., power analyses; interim impact analyses)

• Meet with legislators or staff to collect survey data

• Mentor undergraduate- and graduate-level interns and fellows on developing and executing analytic plans


• Support research planning by setting milestone goals and incremental internal deadlines to achieve goals

Skills and Traits Needed by Applicants

• Excellent analytic abilities and advanced statistical modeling skills (e.g., longitudinal, multi-level, overdispersed) of large, messy datasets


• Proficient with statistical programming software and languages (e.g. SAS, STATA, or R)

• Excellent attention to detail


• Applied research experience, such as large administrative datasets or real-world data

• Enthusiasm and commitment to accelerating the translation of science to policy, including learning key theories in the area of study


• Curiosity and a generalist attitude with interest in diverse social policy issues


• Ability to work on multiple simultaneous projects and prioritize work based on project scope, organizational need, and timeline

• Strong diplomatic communication and interpersonal skills.


• Strong communication skills, such as seeking input early in design and escalating threats or problems to PIs


• Ensuring quality control of data collection, and alerting PIs as needed

• Substantial scholarly writing and presentation experience


• Bipartisan mindset and ability to interpret findings from multiple viewpoints


Eligibility

• Completion of all requirements for the Ph.D. at the time of appointment; applicants may have their degrees from any department, but degrees in psychology, public health, human development, public policy, social work, or prevention science will be particularly good fits for the program.


• While the RTP team primarily operates remotely, preference will be given to applicants in Virginia within commuting distance of Washington, D.C. to support in-person data collection from congressional staff

• Remote work requires high-quality, high speed internet connection in a home office

Application Instructions


Full consideration will be given to those applicants who completely submit all materials online. A complete submission will consist of:


• Cover Letter describing relevant experience and career goals

• Curriculum Vitae


• Writing Sample (preferably samples of work directed toward non-academic audience; may include samples of creative/artistic work; 1-2 samples, 35-page cumulative max)


• Three references. Letters may be requested upon review of materials.


Supervision will be provided by Executive Director, Taylor Scott, Ph.D., and Director of Research and Evaluation, Elizabeth Long, Ph.D. Additional mentorship provided by Max Crowley, Ph.D., Professor at Pennsylvania State University.


BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

BENEFITS
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact View phone number on click.appcast.io.

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