SSRC Postdoctoral Fellow

The SSRC seeks a postdoctoral fellow to join a research team aimed at producing estimates of the Marginal Value of Public Funds (MVPF) for a set of programs related to criminal justice policy. The team will be led by researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of Oregon and will have access to analyst support. The research team will work with the Policy Impacts initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to apply the MVPF approach and codebase to estimates of the effects of a group of policies and programs. The policies and programs of interest include summer youth employment, programs providing cognitive behavioral therapy to high-risk individuals, and potentially other policies and programs.

The responsibilities of the postdoctoral fellow will include working closely with the research team to apply the MVPF framework and codebase to the relevant effect estimates, and producing both an academic paper based on this work and accessible summaries for practitioner audiences. The fellow should have received a PhD by August 2025. The fellowship is for one year, to begin in the summer of 2025, and may be renewable. The annual salary is $125,000, with full SSRC benefits during the fellowship term. Location is flexible within the U.S.

Apply via Application Portal

Qualifications

  • A doctoral degree in economics, public policy, political science, computer science, or a related field.
  • Strong writing and speaking skills and the ability to communicate across multiple stakeholders in memos, papers, and presentations.
  • Strong analytical skills and knowledge of econometric methods. Extensive experience with STATA, R, and/or other programming software. Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy, particularly in relation to complex research tasks.
  • Strong management skills and the ability to plan projects, set timelines, prioritize, and deliver results.
  • Ability to work independently and to handle confidential information with discretion and good judgment.

Application Instructions

Applicants are required to submit via the SSRC application portal:

  • A short application form
  • A single PDF that compiles the following materials:
    • Cover letter
    • Resume
    • Up to three research papers 
    • Unofficial transcript
  • Contact information for three references / three letters of recommendation

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and will be reviewed in the order in which they are received.

Apply via Application Portal

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