Research Scientist, University of Michigan (USA)

The Survey Research Center (SRC) (https://www.src.isr.umich.edu) in the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan invites applications for a full-time position of Research Scientist (open rank) in the program for Population, Neurodevelopment, and Genetics (PNG) to conduct research on Biosocial Approaches to Health Inequalities and Aging.

An exciting opportunity has been created for an enterprising scholar interested in biosocial approaches to health inequalities and aging. The PNG Program currently consists of a growing number of scholars with funded research projects that link many different disciplinary perspectives, including developmental and clinical psychology, genetics, sociology, neuroscience, demography, public health, and education. For more details, please see http://pngprogram.com/.

The scientist will work closely with SRC researchers identifying biosocial processes that influence health and wellbeing across the life course. They will do this using biological data (genetic, epigenetic, gene expression, inflammation, neuroimaging, etc.) collected as part of several large, multi-ethnic, population-based studies, in particular the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCW) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The scientist would help to investigate social, genetic, epigenetic, and other biomarker factors as part of studies directed by Drs. Colter Mitchell, Jessica Faul, and Erin Ware. As part of this larger research team, the new scientist would assist in producing publications for peer review. Further, the goal would be for the scientist to develop local and growing national scholarly reputation based on the research productivity in health inequality and aging research. A major aspect of this work is coordination with research staff (graduate students, postdocs, bioinformaticians, etc.) for presentations and peer-reviewed publications. Additionally, support in the development of proposals for continued funding of these projects is expected. The research group will also support seeking independent funding.

Required Qualifications

Requirements for the position are a Ph.D. in social science, data science, public health, or biological field. Demonstrated experience in biosocial, health inequality, or aging research is required, but experience in all areas is not expected. Other required qualifications include: interest in writing and extramural grants and contracts (NIH, NSF, etc); strong leadership and administrative skills with exceptional attention to detail; a proven ability to work with data, including survey data; a familiarity with relevant software and research tools, and strong writing skills.

Application Procedure

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter describing their scholarly activities and interest in the Survey Research Center; curriculum vitae; names of three references; and up to two recent publications. All applicants must submit their applications on our online applications site, Interfolio, at https://apply.interfolio.com/73680. Please direct questions or inquiries to srcsearches@umich.edu. Reference #73680.

A confidential review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Underfill Statement

This position is posted as Assistant Research Scientist/Associate Research Scientist/Research Scientist. The rank of the selected candidate will depend upon candidate’s qualifications.

Additional Information

The Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the diverse people of Michigan, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to ground our research in varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning. Individuals from groups historically under-represented in the social sciences or related fields are strongly encouraged to apply.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.