The University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

Summary
The Education Policy Initiative (EPI) seeks candidates interested in deepening their knowledge of rigorous, applied quantitative education policy research for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship.

Up to two fellows will be trained to estimate the causal effects of education policies and practices on student outcomes, emphasizing the use of state and district longitudinal data. Fellows will participate in all aspects of the research process, including design, IRB administration, analysis, and presentation. They will collect, compile and analyze data; design surveys; participate in research planning; write papers; present results at seminars and professional meetings; and supervise research assistants. Fellows will have the unique opportunity to leverage EPI’s role in the Michigan Education Research Institute (MERI) to develop research partnerships with public agencies and practitioners and to communicate results to non-technical audiences, including policymakers.

The fellows will also have the opportunity to develop and lead additional education research projects. They should expect to spend about a third of their time completing research related to their dissertation, a third of their time working on ongoing research projects at the Ford School, and the remaining third of their time building new collaborations at the university. The fellows will not have any teaching responsibilities.

The fellows will receive close mentorship from professors Susan Dynarski, Brian Jacob and Christina Weiland and will have the opportunity to work with cross-disciplinary UM faculty, including John Bound, Stephen DesJardins, Mathew Ronfeldt and Kevin Stange. UM is home to a dynamic community of researchers, with ample opportunity for professional development – via participation in seminars and trainings, as well as through exposure to high-profile speakers.

This is a 2-year fellowship beginning in the summer of 2019 with competitive salary and benefits plus funds for research expenses and related travel. Funding for the fellowships is provided by the Institute of Education Sciences postdoctoral training grant R305B170015.

Qualifications
Applicants must have completed their PhD in a relevant social science discipline prior to August 31, 2019 and have academic research experience in public policy, economics, education, quantitative methodology, or other similar fields. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Applicants should not have been supported previously by either a predoctoral or postdoctoral training grant through the United States Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences.

Application Process and Deadline
We will accept applications submitted online. Please visit our website for instructions. Complete applications include a 2-3 page statement of interest, writing sample (job market paper or recent publication authored / co-authored by the applicant), CV, and three confidential letters of recommendation. We will begin reviewing applications on November 1 and will continue until the positions are filled.

U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.