Rockefeller Center Postdoctoral Fellow: Policy Research & Survey Methods

The Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences (the "Center" or "Rocky") at Dartmouth seeks to fill at least one postdoctoral position for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Center serves as a catalyst for public policy research, teaching, and deliberation. It is dedicated to providing an interdisciplinary non-partisan perspective on policy-related topics. Additionally, Rocky fosters a commitment to the ideals of public service and informed public debate exemplified by Nelson A. Rockefeller, former governor of New York State and Vice President of the United States.

The Center seeks applications for postdoctoral position(s) from qualified candidates with expertise in (1) state and local policy research, and/or (2) survey methods. Applicants should indicate in their cover letter which areas are of interest-state and local policy research, survey methods, or both.

Applicants with interests in state and local policy research will help manage the day-to-day operations of the Class of 1964 Policy Research Shop (PRS) at the Rockefeller Center, a student-staffed, faculty-mentored, non-partisan policy research enterprise that serves public officials in the Vermont and New Hampshire state legislatures, local government entities, and non-profit organizations. The PRS has produced over 250 policy reports since being founded more than a decade ago. Management duties include mentoring PRS students on specific projects, soliciting projects from state and local government officials, and preparing students for public testimony to state legislative committees, commissions, and councils on their research. We are especially interested in applicants who have substantive interests in education policy, housing, workforce childcare, the environment, health, social policy, or the criminal justice system.

Applicants interested in survey methods will work on original data collection projects and analyses of existing datasets. Qualified candidates will have developed interests in survey methods and experience with the Qualtrics software platform. In addition, training in experimental methods is helpful as is the ability to work with large datasets using software programs such as Stata or R. Fellows may also be tasked with weighting surveys, item nonresponse imputation, data visualization, and writing survey reports. Rocky researchers and students have conducted political pre-election polls and plan to continue to do so in the future.

This is a one-year position with the possibility of renewal. Salary is expected to be at least $70,000 per year in addition to a benefits package, computer support, moving allowance, and funds to support research. Postdoctoral fellows teach one course per year in Dartmouth's quarter system on a topic to be determined in consultation with Center directors. We are especially interested in applicants with the ability to teach courses on public policy, budgeting, bureaucracy, American government or related topics. The anticipated starting date is July 1, 2025, but this is subject to availability and negotiation.

At Dartmouth, postdoctoral fellows will be part of a social science scholarly community beyond Rocky that includes: the Departments of Government, Economics, Sociology, History, Anthropology, and Geography; the Political Economy Project; the Dickey Center for International Understanding; the Leslie Humanities Center, the Wright Center for the Study of Computation and Just Communities, the Neukom Institute for Computational Science, the Irving Institute for Energy and Society, and the Ethics Institute. Postdoctoral fellows also have access to professional development opportunities through the Guarini School for Graduate and Advanced Studies, including their diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Dartmouth is committed to academic excellence and encourages the open exchange of ideas within a culture of mutual respect. People with different backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives make the Dartmouth community diverse, which enhances academic excellence. At the Center, the ability to engage in diverse discussions from multiple perspectives across the ideological spectrum and from opposing viewpoints is particularly vital. Applicants should address in their application letter how their research, teaching, service, and/or life experiences prepare them to advance Dartmouth's commitment to diversity in service of academic excellence.

Ph.D., or ABD students with a degree received by the start date, in a social science discipline (e.g., political science, economics, sociology, geography). We welcome applications from emerging scholars who do not yet have a record of publications in peer-reviewed journals. Ideally, applicants will have the ability to help formulate proposals for external grant funding.

Please provide the following materials electronically via Interfolio:.

1. Letter of application,
2. Curriculum vitae, including names and contact information for three references
3. Two writing samples

Review of applications will begin on February 17, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. Recommendation letters will be requested only for finalists. For inquiries or questions, please send a message to rockefeller.director@dartmouth.edu.