Postdoctoral Scholar Intern - Emerging Disparities in Population Health

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Collaborative on Population Aging Disparities and the Population Research Institute at The Pennsylvania State University anticipates an opening for a Postdoctoral Scholar in Emerging Disparities in Population Health, starting on or around July 1, 2026, contingent on funding availability. The Postdoctoral Scholar will devote time to independent research, collaborations with faculty mentors, and mentored training and professionalization.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in a social science field such as sociology, demography, gerontology, human development and family studies, anthropology, economics, public policy, criminology, biobehavioral health, geography, or related fields using social science approaches (e.g., epidemiology) by the start date, and have training and research experience in substantive demographic topics or demographic methods, especially as they are relevant to aging and population health disparities. Additionally, applicants must demonstrate interest and capacity for independent research, evidence or clear plans for an emerging publication record, have outstanding writing and communication skills, and be able to work effectively on a team.

Screening of applications will begin on February 17, 2026 and continue until the position is filled.

Application Materials: Applicants are requested to submit the following:

• A letter of application

• A research statement describing:

  • research interests and career plan

  • planned research during the postdoctoral period

  • proposed postdoctoral faculty mentor(s) at Penn State selected from the following list: https://demography.psu.edu/faculty-by-discipline/

• A Curriculum Vitae.

• Two examples of written work (examples include publications, articles in review, or dissertation chapters).

• List of 3 references (name, current position title, e-mail address). 

System limitations allow for a total of 5 documents (5mb per document) as part of your application. Please combine materials to meet the 5-document limit. Candidates should direct questions to Dr. Ashton Verdery ([email protected]).

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

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