The Graduate Center, CUNY

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

Position Title: Research Associate (Post-Doctoral Scholar) – Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality – Two Positions – Graduate Center


Job ID: 24874

Compensation: $87,000/year plus an allowance for research-related expenditures, as well as an allowance for hiring research assistants from the Graduate Center’s student population. These positions are generously funded by the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation.


Closing Date: November 1, 2022


Campus Specific Information:

The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY) is the focal point for advanced teaching and research at CUNY, the nation's largest urban public university. With over 35 doctoral and master’s programs of the highest caliber, the Graduate Center fosters pioneering research and scholarship in the arts and sciences and prepares students for careers in universities and the private, nonprofit, and government sectors. The Graduate Center’s commitment to research and scholarship for the public good is exemplified by its more than 30 centers, institutes, and initiatives, including its Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), a 200,000 square-foot facility in upper Manhattan, designed to promote collaboration among scientists in five areas of global research and innovation: nanoscience, photonics, structural biology, neuroscience, and environmental sciences.

The Graduate Center (GC) benefits from highly ambitious and diverse students and alumni—who in turn teach hundreds of thousands of undergraduates every year. Through its public programs, the Graduate Center enhances New York City’s intellectual and cultural life.


Stone Center

The James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality conducts and promotes quantitative research using inequality as a lens on society, politics, and the economy. The core faculty, the affiliated and postdoctoral scholars, and the students working within the center share a commitment to scholarship that is data-driven, interdisciplinary, and policy-oriented, often addressing questions that are cross-nationally comparative or global in scope.


The Stone Center:

Is home to a group of six core faculty members (senior scholars) who teach sociology, political science, and economics, and who—with graduate students and external affiliated scholars—are actively engaged in research addressing diverse aspects of socio-economic inequalities

Hosts the US Office of LIS, the cross-national data center in Luxembourg, with socio-economic microdata from 50+ countries

Organizes three seminar series related to inequality and collaborates with the Graduate Center’s Office of Public Programs on several large events each year.

For more information about the Stone Center visit https://stonecenter.gc.cuny.edu/


Call For Two Post-Doctoral Scholars

The Stone Center seeks to hire two Research Associates (Post-doctoral Scholars) to carry out research related to socio-economic inequality in the United States, other countries, or through cross-country comparisons. These are full-time two-year appointments, beginning in fall 2023.
In addition to the responsibilities listed under “General Duties” above, the incumbent will:

Conduct self-directed research that contributes to the growing national and international conversations on inequality, and on feasible public and private strategies aimed at furthering fair and effective policy and institutional change

Engage with other Stone Center postdoctoral scholars to build community and share research, as appropriate

Have the opportunity to collaborate with Stone Center core faculty

Work with the Center’s communications team to produce and disseminate public-facing scholarship, via a mix of social media tools and public programming

Perform other duties, as requested by Stone Center senior scholars or staff.

Candidates will be required to provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 upon commencing employment. Being fully vaccinated is defined for this purpose as being at least two weeks past their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. Final candidates must be fully vaccinated as of their first day of employment. Exemption (medical or religious) requests to this requirement will be considered in accordance with applicable law.

Until further notice, this is a hybrid position, eligible to work remotely and work in the office. All CUNY employees must reside within a commutable distance to their campus.


General Duties:

- Conducts academic research in connection with CUNY programs; may assist faculty, staff, and students in conducting research and lead research efforts involving others.
- Develops research plans and proposals and participates in acquiring funding
- Collects, analyzes, and assures validity of data Writes progress reports; writes and publishes findings
- Collaborates with internal and external colleagues
- Adheres to standards for safety and hygiene and ethical conduct as defined by the University and relevant outside parties


Minimum Qualifications:

Doctoral Degree in a related field and demonstrated research ability.

Other Qualifications: A preferred candidate should have:

Ph.D. degree in economics, sociology, political science, demography, public policy, or a related social science discipline; applicants must have completed their Ph.D. no more than seven years prior to the application date, or demonstrate that it will be completed by the position start date;
Research portfolio that demonstrates interest in and experience with empirical, methodological, or theoretical scholarship focused on socio-economic inequality;
High level of technical skill, expertise in a range of quantitative methods, and experience with complex data sets;
Experience with communicating research findings in a way that is relevant to the public.


Position 1 – Wealth Inequality

For one position, priority will be given to candidates conducting research in the following areas:

Distribution of wealth, wealth inequality, wealth concentration;
Intergroup wealth disparities (e.g., by gender, race, ethnicity, migration status);
Determinants (including public policies) and consequences of wealth concentration;
Estate, inheritance, gift, and wealth taxation.
 

Position 2 – Open Topics Related to Inequality

In this cycle, for the other position, priority will be given to candidates whose work focuses on inequality in the U.S. or other labor markets, especially disparities by gender, race, and/or ethnicity/migration status, and ideally within an intersectional framework. 


Other potential areas of interest include:

Intergroup inequalities with respect to other socio-economic outcomes, such as poverty, material hardship, household structure, and/or health status;
Distribution of earnings, income, and/or consumption;
Social mobility;
History and/or politics of inequality;
Public policy related to inequality.


Benefits:

CUNY offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees and eligible dependents based on job title and classification. Employees are also offered pension and Tax-Deferred Savings Plans.  Part-time employees must meet a weekly or semester work hour criteria to be eligible for health benefits. Health benefits are also extended to retirees who meet the eligibility criteria.

How to Apply:

Go to http://cuny.jobs/ and search for Job ID 24874

Click on “Apply Now” which links to the registration screen. If you are a new user, you must register to apply. If you already have a user ID, please use your existing ID. The following are all required:


Curriculum vitae

Statement of interest, not to exceed 1,500 words: Begin your statement by specifying which position(s) you are applying for: Position 1, or Position 2, or both. Summarize your qualifications, and describe your past work related to inequality; provide a description of the projects you expect to carry out during the two-year period and how they may be related to the work of the Center’s core faculty; indicate your career goals.
Contact details for three (3) professional references, including their names, titles, organizations, telephone numbers, and email addresses. Letters of recommendation are not required with the initial application. Please upload all documents in Word or PDF format.


Equal Employment Opportunity:

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply.  At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups.  Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.