Postdoctoral Researcher

Position Overview

The Kansas Data Science Consortium (KDSC) is a project housed at the Institute for Policy & Social Research (IPSR), a faculty-driven research center supporting social scientists who focus on social problems and policy-relevant research questions. The KDSC at the University of Kansas invites candidates to apply for a Postdoctoral Researcher position for a 9-month appointment. The position is expected to begin as early as September 1, 2026. KDSC is particularly interested in candidates who aspire to become academic researchers in applied microeconomics (particularly labor and education), environmental economics, or international trade. The Postdoctoral Researcher will work closely with Dr. William Duncan on multiple projects related to data housed in KDSC’s signature program, Community Data Labs. The position offers opportunities for co-authorship on publications. The candidate will also have opportunities to collaborate with IPSR-affiliated faculty. This work is supported by funding from the National Science Foundation. The advertised salary range of $60,000-$68,000 reflects a 12-month appointment, however this position will only serve a 9-month appointment. The adjusted compensation over 9 months will be $44,827-$50,804, commensurate with experience. This range reflects a full 9-month appointment and may be subject to change based on official start date.

Job Description

• Research: Data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
  • Prepare, test, and document complex datasets for sponsored research.
    • Combine data from multiple sources.
      • Create longitudinal datasets.
      • Test created datasets for consistency, outliers, and missing values.
      • Document code to make updating and revision easier.
    • Work as part of a research team.
• Scholarly Outputs: Craft scholarly outputs such as conference proposals and peer-reviewed manuscripts.
  • Prepare and present updates on ongoing research.
    • Provide written reports on progress.
    • Participate in group meetings.
    • Prepare and present technical workshops to the Community Data Labs class and KDSC Research Lab.
    • Collaborate with ARISE theme researchers and present research at ARISE events.
• Teaching: Teach data science students and provide feedback and guidance on student data science projects.
  • Provide Support for Data Science Majors and Courses.
  • Provide data science consulting services by request in collaboration with the KDSC Data Engineer.

Required Qualifications

• A PhD in economics, public policy, political science, geography, sociology, or demography, with an emphasis on quantitative methods.
• Experience with programming in STATA, SAS or R and handling large-scale population surveys and administrative records, as evidenced in application materials.
• Strong writing and communication skills, as demonstrated in application materials.
• A proven ability to work independently, as demonstrated in application materials.

Note

• To be appointed at the Postdoctoral Researcher title, it is necessary to have the PhD in hand. Appointments made without a certified transcript indicating an earned doctorate are conditional hires and are appointed on an acting basis not to exceed 6-months. Appointment duration will be extended upon final verification of degree.
• This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have advanced knowledge, analytical skills and professional competencies necessary to perform the duties of the position.
• The level of degree is commonly recognized as the standard qualification for similar roles in the public and private sector, ensuring that the university remains competitive with industry aligned practices, enhances collaboration with external partners, and supports the delivery of services and programs that meet professional and market-driven expectations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience with quantitative research related to applied microeconomic disciplines.
• Strong microeconometric skills, as demonstrated by research using these methods.

Additional Candidate Instructions

• In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:
  • Cover letter describing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
  • Resume.
  • List of three (3) professional references.
  • Writing sample.

Contact Information to Applicants

Emma Howard, e.howard@ku.edu KDSC | Research Project Specialist Advertised Salary Range $60,000 - $68,000, commensurate with experience Application Review Begins Monday August 3, 2026 Anticipated Start Date Tuesday September 1, 2026 Apply to Job