Description

The Department of Political Science at Vanderbilt University invites applications for a postdoctoral research position. In addition to carrying out his or her own research, the appointee will collaborate with a Vanderbilt Political Science faculty member, Alan Wiseman, on research related to the Center for Effective Lawmaking and its State Legislative Effectiveness project.

Qualifications

The postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for helping to update the Center’s State Legislative Effectiveness Scores following a pre-established data pipeline process that includes scraping state legislative websites, cleaning the resulting output, and calculating scores. Strong quantitative skills and proficiency with programming languages Python and R is necessary, and experience with project management will also be valuable. Applications are welcome from scholars who have received their doctoral degrees within the three years prior to the start of the fellowship, or who will complete their Ph.D. by August 1, 2025. This position involves a year of supported research at Vanderbilt University starting August 16, 2025. There is no teaching requirement associated with the appointment. Successful candidates will be given a competitive salary, health care benefits, computing resources, and a research fund.

Application Instructions

Candidates should submit a vita, a cover letter that describes their relevant skills and experiences and also describes how they would like to contribute to the Center for Effective Lawmaking while serving as a postdoctoral fellow. Please review www.thelawmakers.org for more information about the Center. A graduate school transcript, a writing sample, and three letters of reference are also required. Applicants should submit materials electronically through Interfolio using this link: http://apply.interfolio.com/157176. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.