Postdoctoral Employee - Psychology/Sociology - Physical Sciences Dean's Office

The MPS Dean's Diversity Office provides resources to the MPS community at Berkeley to increase diversity, sustain an inclusive climate, and ensure equitable educational and career opportunities for all. We advise and support undergraduates and graduate students, prospective students, student organizations, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, staff, department managers, and Department Chairs in the mathematical and physical sciences. We generate and lead programs, educational activities, and services, and research and program assessments for the MPS departments. We work with and represent Berkeley MPS to statewide and national partners and organizations. Our scholarly research is both local and national in scope, and informs the development of new initiatives in and for MPS.

Project Description

The California Prospective Faculty Gender Equity Initiative (CPFGEI) Postdoctoral Fellow's work will support Berkeley-led research conducted with a cohort of peer institutions in California (UC Berkeley, Caltech, Stanford, and three national laboratories) to investigate the underrepresentation of women at the faculty level in the mathematical and physical sciences (MPS) fields. The project will focus on these questions: (1) what factors determine whether prospective faculty decide to apply for academic positions? (2) what determines which advertised positions they respond to? (3) what factors affect their success in being offered positions? and (4) what factors affect their decisions to accept those positions, once offered? We will use both qualitative and quantitative interviews and surveys, and assemble the postdocs at the partner institutions annually to communicate the findings and recommendations. Findings, recommendations, and results will be disseminated, with the goal of promoting fair and equitable outcomes in faculty hiring.

Supervision

The Postdoctoral Fellow will work with the UC Berkeley PI, Steven Kahn, and Co-PIs, as well as the institutional partners' PIs. The Postdoctoral Fellow will work under the supervision and mentorship of Steven Kahn. The Assistant Dean, Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, & Access in the Mathematical & Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley will provide day to day oversight of the Postdoctoral Fellow.

Job Duties

1) The Postdoctoral Fellow is responsible for assisting the PIs and Co-PIs in the conceptualization of the research, managing the IRB process, and implementing the qualitative and quantitative components of the research.

2) The Postdoctoral Fellow will collect institutional data from each of the partner institutions, and possibly at other universities and federally funded research and development facilities (FFDRCs) as well, allowing us to examine equity-related outcomes across the partners and comparatively with other institutions.

3) The Postdoctoral Fellow will collect and/or support a process of collecting, analyzing, and integrating qualitative data, and linking it to quantitative data.

4) As a full-time researcher on the topic, the Postdoctoral Fellow will recruit, schedule, interview, and lead analytic coding for all interviews.

5) In addition, the Fellow will become immersed in salient literature (from sociology, social, educational, and industrial/organizational psychology, and other fields as needed), to inform the research and assist in constructing theoretical arguments.

6) The Postdoctoral Fellow will be responsible for data management, storage, and protection according to the IRB-approved protocols and university policy.

7) The Postdoctoral Fellow will assist the Co-PI, PI, management team, and affiliated staff in managing meetings and organizing the project's conferences.

8) The Postdoctoral Fellow will work with the PI, Co-PI and management team to write-up, publish, and disseminate findings from the research.

Project Timeline

Year 1: (1) Set schedule of standing meetings and convene- management team, internal steering committee, collaborative meetings.(2) Gain IRB approval. (3) Develop the website and generate media announcements for dissemination at partner and affiliated universities and FFRDCs. (4) Generate Year 1 database with partner institutions. (4) Conduct qualitative study. (5) Hold the first conference. (6) Develop and administer a year 1 survey.

Year 2: (1) Analyze Year 1 survey results. (2) Administer and analyze Year 2 survey. (3) Hold the first conference. (4) Begin to write up and communicate preliminary results at partner and affiliated institutions and FFRDCs. (5) Hold standing meetings of the management team, internal steering committee, collaborative meetings.

Year 3: (1) Analyze Year 2 survey results. (2) Administer and analyze Year 3 survey. (3) Hold the second conference. (4) Convene management team etc. as needed. (5) Write up final results and submit them for publication. (6) Engage in widespread communication of results at partner and affiliated institutions and FFRDCs, professional society meetings and other outlets.

Union: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/resources/employment-policies-contracts/bargaining-units/postdoctoral-scholars/contract/

PhD or equivalent international degree, or enrolled in a PhD or equivalent international degree granting program

• PhD or equivalent international degree.
• No more than three years of post-PhD degree research.

• PhD in behavioral science, social science, education, or science field
• Experience conducting quantitative and qualitative social science/ behavioral research

• 3 required (contact information only)

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The excellence of the institution requires an environment in which the diverse community of faculty, students, and staff are welcome and included. Successful candidates will demonstrate knowledge and skill related to ensuring equity and inclusion in the activities of their academic position (e.g., teaching, research, and service, as applicable).

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

Please refer to the University of California's Affirmative Action Policy and the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy.

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.