- George Washington University
- Location: Washington, DC
- Category: Postdoctoral-Researcher Other
- Posting Date: 12/12/2022
- Application Deadline: Open until filled
Job Description
Postdoctoral Associate (Research Fellow), Jewish Education
Full Job Description
Posting Details
I. DEPARTMENT INFORMATION
Job Description Summary:
GW has everything you need to succeed in discovery. Outstanding research, state-of-the-art facilities and world-class faculty support discovery and innovative solutions. Researchers and faculty across campus advance interdisciplinary and emerging research and scholarship. Our active GW Postdoctoral Association welcomes your engagement in social and professional activities as you join our research teams. Research guides, coding and data management solutions as well as extensive online journals from GW Libraries help to guide your study. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) supports the research infrastructure and facilitates several institutional research initiatives.
Housed within The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development, the Collaborative for Applied Studies in Jewish Education (CASJE) is an alliance of educational, philanthropic and research institutions aiming to provide improved data and scholarship relevant to the practical needs of teachers, administrators and leaders in Jewish education to address concerns about the quality of education in the Jewish community.
Housed within The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development, the Collaborative for Applied Studies in Jewish Education (CASJE) is an alliance of educational, philanthropic and research institutions aiming to provide improved data and scholarship relevant to the practical needs of teachers, administrators and leaders in Jewish education to address concerns about the quality of education in the Jewish community.
CASJE is currently recruiting three Postdoctoral Associates (Research Fellows) with interest in conducting applied social scientific research investigating contemporary Jewish education and/or Jewish communal life. Fellows are welcome at any career stage and must have an earned doctorate. Locations vary, including remote.
Overview
This new fellowship program, led by CASJE at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development, aims to prepare scholars to meet the research needs of Jewish educational and communal organizations and expand the pipeline of researchers positioned to conduct critical, high-quality applied research in Jewish education and contemporary Jewish life.
Fellowships run two years. The Postdoctoral Associate will receive financial support in the form of a salary that is funded by grants, plus benefits. The annual salary will be $70,000.
Candidates for the fellowship are completed doctorates with an interest in applied studies in Jewish education and Jewish communal life. Fellows must have training in and facility with social science research methods from fields including education, sociology, psychology, political science, and economics.
CASJE especially encourages applicants who are from or whose research focuses on traditionally under-represented Jewish communities.
Faculty Mentors
Faculty Mentors
Fellows will be matched with distinguished university-based mentors who will advise and help guide their work. In Year 1, fellows work up to 12 hours a week on a mentor’s existing projects. In Year 2, fellows dedicate their attention primarily to an original applied research project with mentor guidance.
The following mentor placements are available for the 2023-2025 cohort:
Adam B. Cohen, Arizona State University (in-residence or remote)
Areas of expertise: Social psychology, cultural psychology, psychology and religion
Active projects: Fasting and flourishing; Shabbat dinner and social connectedness
Applied studies mentor can support: Experimental social psychology, interview and survey based work
Ellen Goldring, Vanderbilt University (in-residence only)
Areas of expertise: Education policy and school improvement, with emphases on school and district leadership and reform, study of implementation of change initiatives.
Active projects: Understanding Assistant Principals’ Roles, School Assignments, and Career Paths; Leadership pipelines in school districts and accelerated take- up
Applied studies mentor can support: Mixed-methods studies, field research, survey research, interviews, large administrative data analyses (assuming prior statistical and coding experience)
Jessica Hammer, Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh residency preferred; other locations possible)
Areas of expertise: Transformational game design, education, community, human-computer interaction
Active projects: Games for climate action; games to shape collaborative culture; Jewish history games
Applied studies mentor can support: Iterative prototyping, research through design, qualitative and quantitative studies. Will train fellow in game design.
Eitan Hersh, Tufts University (in-residence or remote)
Areas of expertise: Elections, civic engagement, antisemitism
Active projects: Political role of business leaders, studies in antisemitism, civic/religious attitudes of young adults, voting rights
Applied studies mentor can support: Surveys, administrative data analysis. Candidates should be proficient in data analysis using Stata or R.
Michal Kurlaender , UC Davis (remote preferred, in-residence possible)
Areas of expertise: Educational pathways, access to and success in higher education
Active projects: Middle school to college/career pathways, expansion in dual enrollment opportunities across California high schools, community college student success, evaluation of state policies addressing inequities in college access and degree attainment
Applied studies mentor can support: Policy studies, descriptive studies, quasi-experimental designs. Candidates should have basic methodological training (qualitative or quantitative).
Outline of Program
The program offers fellows financial support, mentorship, a specially-designed cohort learning experience, and the opportunity to conduct original applied research that engages with timely and critical Jewish educational and communal questions as well as continue their own existing lines of work.
Fellowships begin in July 2023 and are full-time,12-month positions. Appointments are initially for one year with potential for renewal for a subsequent year.
Key elements of the fellowship program:
1. Applied research project: Designed by the fellow in partnership with a Jewish community-based organization, supported by the faculty mentor and fellowship director (who will serve as an additional advisor to all fellows).
2. Cohort-based learning with other fellows focused on conducting applied research responsive to the questions of Jewish communal organizations. The curriculum is designed by the CASJE fellowship director and will include: bimonthly virtual cohort meetings to share work in progress, a virtual invited speaker series, and annual in-person workshop on George Washington University’s campus.
3. Advancing research capacity: Individually tailored opportunities to further develop research skills, designed with a faculty mentor and fellowship director. Year 1 includes up to 12 hours a week supporting mentor research.
4. Fellow’s own research: Fellows are expected to continue existing lines of work, producing a journal/chapter manuscript, a book proposal, or similar during the fellowship. Time is allotted within the full-time program for this work.
Performs other related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.
Applicants must have an earned doctorate before the application deadline or a signed letter from the advisor specifically stating they are on track to finish by the fellowship start date (letter should include milestones and timeline).
Candidates who hold a doctorate outside of the social sciences must demonstrate in their application the skills and capacities to conduct applied social science research.
Fellows must acknowledge that all research with human subjects will have IRB approval and oversight.
Fellows must be US-based.
Submitting the Application
All applications must be submitted via the GW application portal (gwu.jobs).
Please email casje@gwu.edu with your intention to apply. We will notify you when the GW application portal is open.
Applicants should submit the following documents via the GW application portal:
- CV
- Statement of Interest (max. 3 pages). Applicants should indicate: their interest in this fellowship, their understanding of applied research, which mentor/s they would like to work with, and propose a possible applied research project to conduct as part of their fellowship term
- Academic writing sample of no more than 30 pages
Additionally, two recommendation letters should be submitted via email:
- 2 confidential letters of recommendation which can speak to the candidate’s research capacity to be emailed to: casje@gwu.edu with applicant’s LastName_FirstName FELLOWSHIP2022 in the subject field
All materials, including recommendation letters, must be received no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, December 15, 2022 .
Finalists will be notified in January 2023 and invited for a virtual interview. Selection of fellows will be made in February 2023.
For any uploaded documents, please use 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced with one-inch margins.
A Postdoctoral Associate:
- holds a PhD or equivalent degree;
- develops skills by participating in scholarly projects that are actively mentored by a member of the university faculty;
- receives financial support in the form of a salary that is typically funded by grants, contracts or departmental funds secured by a faculty mentor; and
- has a limited term of up to five years at GW.
In collaboration with experienced researchers, this role will participate in the planning and conduction of discovery research, data analysis and interpretation, preparation of materials for publication, presentations at conferences and meetings, and may develop new theories and methodologies. This role can expect timely advice as to research directions and career planning for a future independent career.
Performs other related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.
Special Instructions to the Applicant:
Appointments are limited-term and are designed for those who have recently received a doctorate. Appointments are made to academic departments with the approval of the department head and may require senior officer approval. Appointments are usually for not less than one term and are normally not renewed beyond a total of five years. This appointment is not intended for long-term, indefinite, or career appointments.
About CASJE
CASJE (Collaborative for Applied Studies in Jewish Education) is an alliance of researchers, practitioners, and philanthropic leaders dedicated to improving the quality of knowledge that can be used to guide the work of Jewish education. Our mission is to ensure that the field of Jewish education has the capacity to develop, use and share research-based evidence to fuel improvements in teaching and learning. CASJE works with partners who see the value of research-informed evidence to guide investments in Jewish communal life. Founded at Stanford University, CASJE’s programmatic home has been in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at The George Washington University since 2016. CASJE’s work is guided by an Advisory Board that includes Jewish educational leaders with a deep understanding of the diverse arenas in which Jewish education happens today and scholars of education from Boston College, Brandeis University, George Washington University, Harvard University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and Vanderbilt University.
The CASJE Applied Research Fellowship in Jewish Education is sponsored by a grant from the Jim Joseph Foundation.
Minimum Qualifications:
Qualified candidates will hold a Doctoral degree or comparable doctoral degree in a related discipline. Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position.
Additional Required Licenses/Certifications/Posting Specific Minimum Qualifications:
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with underrepresented Jewish communities.
Typical Hiring Range
Commensurate with Experience
II. POSITION INFORMATION
Campus Location:
Other
College/School/Department:
Graduate School of Education & Human Development (GSEHD)
Family
Research and Labs
Sub-Family
Laboratory Research
Stream
Individual Contributor
Level
Level 3
Full-Time/Part-Time:
Full-Time
Hours Per Week:
40
Work Schedule:
8:30 - 5:00 M-F
Will this job require the employee to work on site?
No
Employee Onsite Status
Hybrid
Telework:
Required Background Check
Criminal History Screening, Education/Degree/Certifications Verification, Social Security Number Trace, and Sex Offender Registry Search
Special Instructions to Applicants:
Employer will not sponsor for employment Visa status
Internal Applicants Only?
No
Posting Number:
R001781
Job Open Date:
12/05/2022
Job Close Date:
If temporary, grant funded or limited term appointment, position funded until:
07/31/2025
Background Screening
Successful Completion of a Background Screening will be required as a condition of hire.
EEO Statement:
The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
