Description

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA), headquartered at the University of California, Berkeley, seeks an outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar (postdoc) to support the creation of the Impact Data and Evidence Aggregation Library (IDEAL)—a fully open-access library where users can search, compare, and visualize relative effect sizes from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on a range of outcomes and for many different policy interventions across countries and contexts. The postdoc will report to CEGA’s co-Faculty Director Edward Miguel, collaborate closely with CEGA affiliate Graeme Blair, and manage a large team of researchers for pilot data extraction.

Key Responsibilities

The postdoc will collaborate with Professor Miguel, Professor Graeme Blair (UCLA), and co-investigators in economics and political science from CEGA’s academic network to develop IDEAL. The work will begin with a pilot in which the candidate will oversee the extraction of a minimum set of fields for a curated initial set of 1,000 studies, and develop protocols for the library’s ongoing growth and maintenance. The postdoc will oversee a team of 5-10 research associates, providing them with regular technical input and managing their workflow. The postdoc will also coordinate with the other engaged research teams at the World Bank, University of Toronto, and Northwestern’s Global Poverty Research Lab (GPRL). In addition, the postdoc will help design the platform that researchers and policymakers will use to query the resulting data and support the identification of (and engagement with) potential policy partners. The postdoc would be encouraged to spend 33% of their time on individual research pursuits.

Required Qualification:

•  A PhD in Political Science, Economics, Statistics, or a related field at the time of starting the position.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Existing research agenda, with record of academic publication, related to international development, evidence aggregation, and/or the design of randomized experiments.
• 1-3 years experience conducting empirical research on development topics, with an in-depth understanding of experimental design and analysis;
• 1-3 years experience and competency with statistical software packages (Stata, R, and/or Python) and data collection platforms (e.g., SurveyCTO), and ability to render accurate statistical analysis;
• 1-3 years experience translating complex material/research to broad, non-technical audiences;
• 1-3 years experience managing large research teams;
• Ability to independently investigate solutions to technical 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.

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 at $90,000 and standard UC Berkeley postdoc benefits will be provided.

To Apply:

Please submit the following documents through the link below:

• CV
• Cover letter
• Writing Sample (length doesn't matter, must demonstrate expertise in social science experimental research)
• PhD Transcript

About RT2
 

The Berkeley Initiative for Transparency in the Social Sciences (BITSS) will hold its next Research Transparency and Reproducibility Training (RT2) in Berkeley, CA, June 5-7, 2024.

RT2 provides participants with an overview of tools and best practices for transparent and reproducible social science research. This year, we will highlight the credibility and reliability of findings in behavioral and social science research (BSSR), especially related to aging and health disparities (though training in this field is not required to participate). The curriculum will be developed and delivered by academic leaders in the open science movement as well as experts on aging and health disparities. The three-day training will include space for collaborative work and hands-on skill building. Participants are encouraged to bring their own research questions and ideas so they can seek support and feedback from instructors and other attendees. Learn more about previous RT2 events here.

Curriculum

The RT2 curriculum will include modules on the following topics:

• Ethics and Mertonian norms for research transparency and reproducibility
• Scientific misconduct and researcher degrees of freedom
• Improved specification through study pre-registration and pre-analysis plans
• Computational reproducibility and approaches to replication
• Hands-on practice with version control using Git (GitHub or the Command Line)
• Dynamic documents with R and Stata
• Data management and de-identification for data sharing
• Appropriate use of statistics and interpretation of statistical evidence
• Applications to behavioral and social science research

Eligibility

RT2 is designed for researchers in the social and health sciences, with particular emphasis on economics, political science, psychology, and public health. Participants are typically (i) current Masters and PhD students, (ii) postdocs, (iii) junior faculty, (iv) research staff, (v) librarians and data stewards, and (vi) journal editors, funders, and research managers curious about the implications of transparency and reproducibility for their work.

The RT2 curriculum is most applicable to researchers who use quantitative or mixed methods. Applicants should have proficiency in R or Stata.

 

Application Process

Submit an application using the form below. The application includes questions regarding (i) your motivation for participating in RT2, (ii) how you expect your participation to contribute to scaling-up education and training on research transparency and reproducibility, and (iii) how participating in RT2 will help with your current research. 

Note: Having a specific project to work on is required, as there will be a session each day dedicated to participant presentations. You will be expected to give a 5-7 minute presentation and discuss the application of the tools and practices taught at RT2 to your real-world project.

Applications should also include a Curriculum Vitae or Resume and any research materials that will give the BITSS team an idea of your work including, but not limited to: abstracts, slides, working papers, recorded presentations, etc. Letters of Reference are also accepted, though they are not required. Please submit these as attachments in the online application portal.

 

Selection Process

BITSS aims to select no more than 40 participants for RT2. As the number of applications for RT2 tends to exceed the number of available spaces, we will competitively select participants based on (i) the quality of application materials and expected impact and (ii) balance across disciplines, gender, and institutions. BITSS staff will lead the selection process with oversight from the BITSS Faculty Director.
 

Funding
Participants will need to pay for their own roundtrip travel to Berkeley, CA; 3-4 nights of accommodation; and meals outside of lunch each day (BITSS will provide lunch during the training each day).

BITSS has limited funding to offset travel and accommodation costs for the training. Please use the form to let us know how much funding you need in order to attend. Please reach out to Program Manager, Grace Han, if you require any additional accommodations to attend the training, for example including, but not limited to, support for childcare.

Application Timeline

We will consider applications until Sunday, April 21, 2024 11:59 PM PT.