Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Demography, to work on the CenSoc Project. One-year appointment with possibility of one-year renewal. This appointment is contingent upon receipt of the Ph.D. prior to the start date. Start date is negotiable but as early as March 1st, 2023.

Department Background

The UC Berkeley Demography program is widely regarded as one of the best and most creative in the world. We occupy a unique niche in the population studies landscape, with a strong focus on formal demography, population theory, and the relationship between demographic dynamics and social, cultural, and economic dynamics.

Background: The CenSoc project is funded by NIA (R01 AG058940) to understand mortality. It consists of a set of linked data sets between the 1940 Full Count Census data with Social Security death records. This large-scale, public microdata data set is being used for advancing understanding of mortality disparities in the United States. The project uses record linkage techniques to match deaths aged 65-and-over observed from 1975 to 2009 back to individual, family, and neighborhood characteristics in the census. The scale and detail of CenSoc data allows researchers to make new discoveries in areas such as (a) mortality disparities by education, national origin, and race; (b) early life conditions and later-life mortality; and (c) geographic variation and the neighborhood determinants of mortality. These topics are of increasing importance in understanding increases in disparities in life expectancy in the United States. CenSoc research expands the ability to study old-age mortality disparities and the determinants of longevity. Please visit the website censoc.berkeley.edu for more information about the project.

Duties:

• Conduct independent research under the guidance of Professor Joshua Goldstein, Department of Demography.
• Submit articles for publication.
• Participate in CenSoc seminar meetings and other events, and departmental colloquia in the Department of Demography. You will also attend colloquia at the Department of Sociology and the School of Public Health, as relevant.
• Contribute to CenSoc project infrastructure
• Have the option to attend graduate coursework in the Department of Demography and elsewhere.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will work both collaboratively and independently, forming connections with the Department of Demography, and taking advantage of the many resources at UC Berkeley to develop a research career, such as attending colloquia, methodology workshops and other events.

Qualifications:

• Background in demography
• Background in mortality, morbidity and/or health
• Strong quantitative skills. R is helpful but not required.

Compensation: The base rate for Postdoctoral Scholars can be found here.  Compensation includes funding to a conference, up to $2,500, on the condition that you are presenting research from CenSoc.

Benefits:  Postdoctoral Scholars are entitled to all normal holidays observed by the University and receive 24 days of Personal Time Off (PTO) and 12 days of sick leave per year upon the start date of a full-time appointment or reappointment. PTO must be used in full day increments within each 12-month appointment period and does not carry forward to subsequent postdoc appointments.  The University may require the use of PTO prior to the end of the Postdoctoral Scholar’s appointment. 

University of California Postdoctoral Scholars are exclusively represented by The United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW).  A copy of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the University of California and the UAW is located at: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/px/index.html.

Postdoctoral Scholars are eligible to participate in the UC Postdoctoral Scholars Benefits Plan (PSBP), which includes health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance and workers’ compensation. For more details you can go to: http://www.garnett-powers.com/postdoc.  Additional information from the union can be found at: http://www.uaw5810.org/know-your-rights/psbp/.

Applying: Please send a vita, sample of writing and a statement describing research interests to Michelle Poulin mpoulin@berkeley.edu, with subject heading of “CenSoc Postdoc”. Application submissions and job start date are currently rolling, but we will review the first round of applications on February 15th, 2023.