Postdoc: Data Privacy Lab

CEGA seeks am outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar to bring qualitative and/or design research expertise to the Data Privacy Lab's latest initiative. Through a series of real-world collaborations with partner organizations, CEGA will develop and deploy privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) in low- and middle- income country (LMIC) settings, using these experiences to create a privacy playbook that supports future organizations in navigating the complexities of applying PETs in practice. 

Description

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) is a hub for research, training and innovation headquartered at the University of California, Berkeley. We generate insights that decision-makers can use to improve policies, programs, and people’s lives. Our best-in-class academic network includes nearly 200 faculty, 80 scholars from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)—primarily from East and West Africa—and hundreds of graduate students from diverse academic disciplines who produce rigorous evidence about what works to expand education, health, and economic opportunities for people living in poverty. Our business model involves curating policy-relevant research agendas in collaboration with development leaders, overseeing competitive grant-making to answer critical questions, investing in research capacity, and strategically connecting research and ideas to inform decision-making by governments, NGOs, and the private sector.

CEGA values diversity and seeks to include people from under-represented groups on our team. Read our values statement. 

Key Responsibilities

The postdoctoral scholar will report to CEGA Data Privacy Lab’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Nitin Kohli, work with CEGA Faculty Co-Director Professor Joshua Blumenstock, and collaborate closely with study partners and technical staff to develop the privacy playbook. Our goal is to inductively learn from a series of real-world implementations with study partners to surface lessons learned, as well as pain points encountered and circumvented, when developing, deploying, and using PETs in LMIC settings. The postdoctoral scholar will play a crucial role in development of the playbook, and will interface with study partners and collaborate with technical staff to ensure that the PETs designed meet partners’ operational needs. The postdoc will employ a diverse set of qualitative and/or design research methods, such as semi-structured interviews, focus groups, participant observation, co-design, and participatory design (and/or develop new methodological approaches to enable meaningful stakeholder and/or public participation and translate research into practical guidance), to responsibly integrate PETs in practice, considering technical, social, legal, and organizational approaches. The postdoc will be encouraged to spend 33%-50% of their time on individual (related) research pursuits.

Required qualification:

• A PhD with interdisciplinary research experience in privacy and qualitative and/or design research methods at the time of starting the position.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Existing research agenda, with record of academic publications, related to at least one of the following areas: privacy, security, fairness, transparency, human computer interaction, design (e.g., privacy by design, user centered design, human centered design, value sensitive design, values in design).
• 1-3 years experience conducting qualitative and design research on privacy topics, with an in-depth understanding of privacy-enhancing technologies and the tradeoffs they often induce in practice;
• 1-3 years experience translating complex material/research to broad, non-technical audiences;;
• 1-3 years working with and/or experience managing large research teams;
• Ability to independently investigate solutions to sociotechnical problems;
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills, with the ability to translate complex scientific findings into accessible, non-technical language (via publications or professional presentations);
• Ability to work well with teams, and communicate effectively with colleagues and faculty.
• Ability to interact with individuals at all levels in a fast-paced environment, sometimes under pressure, while remaining flexible, proactive, tactful, resourceful, and efficient, and with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality.

Appointment Duration, Salary, and Benefits

This is a two-year full-time position with possibility for extension pending funding. Starting annual salary for this position is set per the rates below andstandard UC Berkeley postdoc benefits will be provided. 

Start Date

Flexible start date (November/December)

How to Apply

CV, cover letter, writing sample, PhD transcript, contact information for three professional references (at least 2 of which are academic).

BITSS Catalysts are academic faculty, graduate students, and other researchers across the quantitative social sciences—including economics, political science, and psychology— who are energized to improve standards of transparency, reproducibility, and ethics in research through infrastructure development, training, and advocacy.  While the past two decades have seen exciting advancements in the adoption and effective use of open science tools, we have a long way to go before transparency and reproducibility are the norm. The goal of this program is to connect and empower individuals to make changes in their own classrooms, institutions, and networks, thereby catalyzing large-scale and durable change.

This call for proposals is to join the Catalyst program and to develop a workshop, training, curricula, guidelines, or other open science materials. Examples of suggested activities that the Catalyst program will fund include:

• Training students/colleagues on research transparency and reproducibility 
• Integrating research transparency topics into existing curricula/courses, seminars, and workshops
• Conducting meta-research
• Pre-registering your studies
• Writing and publishing Pre-Analysis Plans
• Conducting computational reproductions, ideally logging them in the Social Science Reproduction Platform!
• Making your study materials, data, and code publicly available
• Advocating for better standards and policies around transparency, reproducibility, and ethics in research

More information about the proposal requirements are available in the application form. Proposals will be evaluated by the BITSS committee for innovation, feasibility, alignment with the program goals, and potential impact. Here is a summary of the scope:

• This call for proposals is international in scope.
• Applicants may apply as an individual, or as a consortium of researchers. There are no organizational or career stage requirements.
• Proposed projects should take place between January 1, 2026 - June 30, 2026. Final reports will be due by August 31, 2026. 
• Typical project awards are from $1,000 - $3,000 USD. Please begin the application form for more information about the funding available and budget guidance. 
• All materials (including curricula, agendas, and training slides) must be made publicly available upon conclusion of the project.

To see information about previously funded Catalyst grants, please see the BITSS website.

Project proposals are due on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Selected Catalysts will be notified by November 1, 2025. If you have any questions about the proposal form, please contact jweech@berkeley.edu.