Postdoctoral Associate

GW has everything you need to succeed in discovery. Outstanding research, state-of-the-art facilities and world-class faculty support discovery and innovative solutions. Researchers and faculty across campus advance interdisciplinary and emerging research and scholarship. Our active GW Postdoctoral Association welcomes your engagement in social and professional activities as you join our research teams. Research guides, coding and data management solutions as well as extensive online journals from GW Libraries help to guide your study. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research ( OVPR) supports the research infrastructure and facilitates several institutional research initiatives.

The George Washington University Institute for Data, Democracy and Politics ( IDDP) seeks exceptional candidates for a full-time, academic research position at the rank of postdoctoral associate. IDDP is a multidisciplinary research initiative intended to strengthen democratic dialog and institutions through research and engagement with policymakers, journalists, and the public. The position will begin in August. The position is for a one-year term. Candidates will work on topics related to user behavior on digital platforms, the health of multiracial democracy in the United States, and the dynamics of online news and political information. IDDP offers an exceptional opportunity to work closely with world-class faculty across the university, including political scientists, communication scholars, engineers, and computer scientists. Candidates should be technically capable researchers who are also interested in asking bold, new questions with data. This position is located at GW's Foggy Bottom campus in Washington, DC, and will report to Dr. Rebekah Tromble.

Postdocs will design, organize and conduct specialized and advanced experiments using established scientific protocols, troubleshoot and design new protocols, summarize findings and publish results in research journals, under the general supervision of a faculty member. In some cases, postdocs will assume general responsibility for general scientific operations in the lab, and/or provide supervision and guidance to laboratory staff, trainees, and other researchers.

Duties:
* Collaborate with affiliated researchers and faculty pursuing more narrowly specified projects in addition to the pursuit of individual project interests.

* Pursue projects that utilize or directly collect large-volume data from digital platforms to understand the dynamics of information spread in the online public sphere,

* Perform data analysis using R and/or Python or similar software tools, as well as assisting with large scale collection, cleaning, and organization of data assets.

* Classify online activity and social media accounts of interest using both quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as assisting affiliated researchers and research staff in this task.

* Engage with the scholars and policymakers in the area in relation to the ongoing project.
* Performs other work related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.

A Postdoctoral Associate:

In collaboration with experienced researchers, this role will participate in the planning and conduction of discovery research, data analysis and interpretation, preparation of materials for publication, presentations at conferences and meetings, and may develop new theories and methodologies. This role can expect timely advice as to research directions and career planning for a future independent career.

Performs other related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.

Special Instructions to the Applicant:

Appointments are limited-term and are designed for those who have recently received a doctorate. Appointments are made to academic departments with the approval of the department head and may require senior officer approval. Appointments are usually for not less than one term and are normally not renewed beyond a total of five years. This appointment is not intended for long-term, indefinite, or career appointments.

Applicants must have fulfilled all requirements for the award of a PhD or equivalent qualification in a relevant field by the date of employment.

Employees in this subfamily are responsible for designing and conducting experiments in a controlled laboratory setting. Duties may include performing experiments, collecting, analyzing and reporting data.

The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.