Postdoctoral Scholar

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.

Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.

UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

The mission of the School of Social Work is to advance equity, transform systems, improve lives. The School's curriculum supports the mission and recognizes the uniqueness of the region served, including concerns for disadvantaged, vulnerable, and oppressed individuals, families and communities. Classes provide rigorous and evidence-based content, and give students the opportunity to explore theory, learn intervention skills and engage in challenging dialogue with colleagues.

The School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar under the supervision of the Vice Dean. The postdoctoral scholar will primarily assist with implementing and managing a multi-year project aimed at using financial capability strategies to address labor trafficking. The Postdoctoral Scholar will also assist with other economic development research projects.The Postdoctoral Scholar will primarily assist the Vice Dean in the development and implementation of two new research projects. One still developing project focuses on intercultural communication and social capital usage in teens and young adults from under resourced communities. The other is an investigation of the impact of mindfulness-focused virtual reality (VR) simulations and social capital-related activities on the mental well-being of international students. The second project is in collaboration with Nagoya University in Japan. In addition, the Postdoctoral Scholar will assist the Vice Dean in advancing ongoing research and publications largely related to poverty reduction, social capital, and cultural identity in the U.S. and the Philippines. The Postdoctoral Scholar will be engaged in specific substantive research topics: cross-cultural communications, social capital development, socioeconomic vulnerabilities, poverty alleviation, resilience, gender issues, and assessment and implementation science. Postdoctoral Scholar will be engaged in developing research frameworks, methodologies, and instruments to address multiple exploratory research questions. They will be engaged in project design and implementation, data collection, data analysis, interpreting results, and contributing to the development of actionable insights and recommendations as the projects expand. The Postdoctoral Scholar will also be expected to engage with external partners, including community organizations, academic institutions, and pothers as needed at every stage of the projects. The Postdoctoral Scholar will contribute to the writing and editing of scholarly publications and presentations and be involved in proposal development, systematic reviews, content analysis, meta-analysis, and manuscript preparation.The successful candidate will be provided with a supportive, multidisciplinary environment in which they can function to contribute to successfully achieving the goals of the projects on which they work. Additionally, the candidate will have the opportunity to develop skills in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, and program evaluation. In addition to working with the Vice Dean, the candidate may work with other faculty members and students in the School of Social Work as deemed necessary in the course of the projects.

Postdoctoral Scholar will be a 12 month appointment with the possibility of extension.

Ph.D. in Social Work, Social Policy, or a related field, and their academic orientations should align with the focus areas specified in the position description.

Candidates must have early career scholarly experience in both quantitative and qualitative research, with much emphasis on qualitative and assessment skills. Highly competitive candidates must have appreciable expertise in proposal development and intervention research, field research (surveys and interviews), data analysis, and scholarly dissemination (presenting papers at conferences). Experience with mixed-methods research, intervention research, and qualitative data analysis will be useful. Further, a demonstrated experience in scholarly writing is a requirement.Candidates must have early career scholarly experience in both quantitative and qualitative research, with much emphasis on qualitative skills, as such expertise is heavily needed to complement the quantitative expertise already on the projects being undertaken. Highly competitive candidates must have appreciable expertise in proposal development and intervention research, field research (surveys and interviews), data analysis, and scholarly dissemination (presenting papers at conferences). Further, a demonstrated experience in scholarly writing is a requirement.

Expertise in proposal development, systematic reviews, content analysis, meta-analysis, and manuscript preparation is an added advantage. Extensive research in cross-cultural research, project management, and international project development is highly desirable. Research experience in Asia would be an added advantage. There is a significant interest in a candidate with experience in qualitative research, extensive field data collection, and quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Expertise in proposal development, systematic reviews, content analysis, meta-analysis, and manuscript preparation is an added advantage.

For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University's Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at (919) 962-9982 or send an email to opahr@unc.edu.

Please note: The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.