Pre-Doctoral Research Specialist - Behavior Change for Good

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Pre-Doctoral Research Specialist, Behavior Change for Good

Job Profile Title

Research Specialist A

Job Description Summary

The Behavior Change for Good (BCFG) Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania, led by Professors Katherine Milkman and Angela Duckworth, is conducting large-scale field experiments designed to promote sustained behavior change across multiple domains. Our world-class team of scientific experts can continually test and improve behavior change programs by seamlessly incorporating the latest insights from their research into massive random-assignment experiments. We have formed partnerships with some of the world's largest organizations to reach millions of their students and customers. Learn more about BCFG at bcfg.upenn.edu or through this Freakonomics podcast describing BCFG's plans: http://tinyurl.com/bcfg2017

This is a full-time, limited-term position typically intended for recent graduates who are seeking predoctoral research experience. The position is designed for a duration of 2 years and cannot be extended beyond the initial term.  The term for this position is June 2, 2027- June 1, 2029. Annual salary is in the range of $50,000-60,000 plus benefits.

Job Description

The Predoctoral Researcher will work closely with Professors Katherine Milkman and Angela Duckworth and the BCFG team on the development and evaluation of behavior change interventions across a wide variety of settings. The Predoctoral Researcher will manage and coordinate significant multi-site research projects for BCFG and for Professor Milkman's lab.

This position entails developing and implementing research designs, handling data collection and management, conducting data analysis, and preparing research reports.

Recent papers that BCFG Predoctoral Researchers have contributed to include: 

• Duckworth, et al. (2025). A national megastudy shows that email nudges to elementary school teachers boost student math achievement, particularly when personalized. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
• Milkman, et al. (2024). Megastudy shows that reminders boost vaccination but adding free rides does not. Nature. 
• Milkman, et al. (2022). A citywide experiment testing the impact of geographically targeted, high-pay-off vaccine lotteries. Nature Human Behavior.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree with 1-2 years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. A background in Economics, Psychology, Behavioral Economics, or Behavioral Science is preferred. The ideal candidate will have a strong attention to detail, taken classes on econometrics and be proficient in either STATA or R, and comfortable working on UNIX servers. The anticipated start date for this position is June 2026.

Please submit a resume and cover letter for consideration.

This is a 2-year position that is contingent on continued funding. 

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Wharton School

Pay Range

$45,278.00 - $50,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours:Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay