Postdoctoral Research Scholar

Description

The School of Public Affairs (SPA) at Arizona State University (ASU) is seeking applications for a full-time, benefits-eligible, postdoctoral research scholar based in Phoenix, AZ beginning July 2025. Renewal is possible on an annual basis of up to two years contingent upon satisfactory performance. For additional information and policies regarding postdoctoral scholars at ASU, please see https://academicpersonnel.asu.edu/postdoc.

The successful candidate will join a grant-funded project that explores how drivers’ license suspensions and other negative consequences of unpaid traffic tickets affect the financial outcomes of households, and the policy alternatives to help avoid these consequences. The postdoctoral fellow will work under the mentorship of Drs. Sian Mughan, Susan Miller, and Akheil Singla, all of whom are faculty members in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions’ School of Public Affairs.

Job Duties

As a member of the research team, the postdoctoral fellow will help implement a field experiment in collaboration with our community partners. Emphasis will be on the ability of applicants to manage, collect, and analyze data, create publication-ready manuscripts for key academic outlets, and communicate with community partners. The candidate will also be expected to assist with project reports and administration, engage in report development and submission and other related activities.

The candidate will also have opportunities to collaborate on research projects with faculty and doctoral students in such areas as public budgeting and finance, policing and criminal justice, and public management.

About the School of Public Affairs

SPA has a rich and active culture that strongly values research. Our faculty are productive, and collaborative. They have deep and broad expertise in a range of areas across public policy and public administration. As a result, SPA is ranked #11 in the nation by US News and World Report, and #5 in the U.S. by Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. In addition, US News and World Report ranks SPA top 20 in ten different subfields, including #2 in Emergency Management and Homeland Security, #3 in Local Government Management, and #5 in Public Management and Leadership. Our breadth means we offer degrees at all levels and in multiple modalities. These include a bachelor of science in Emergency Management and Homeland Security (EMHS), a bachelor of science in Public Service and Public Policy with a concentration in EMHS, a Master's degree in Public Administration with a concentration in EMHS, a Master’s of Arts in EMHS, and a PhD in Public Administration and Policy.

The Watts College of Public Services and Community Solutions has a student body of over 6,700 undergraduate and graduate students. We are located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, the fifth largest city in the United States. The School is within walking distance of Arizona’s State Capitol, Phoenix’s City Hall, and myriad restaurants, hotels, and other cultural amenities. Our values, reputation, and location enable us to attract students motivated by the promise of public service and drawn to the unique opportunity of an interdisciplinary public affairs education. For more information about the School of Public Affairs, please visit our website at https://spa.asu.edu.

Required Qualifications:

• PhD in public administration, public policy, economics, political science, or other related area conferred by the time of appointment, but no earlier than Spring of 2024.
• Strong quantitative research skills.
• Experience using statistical packages like Stata or R.
• Demonstrated interest in conducting research on US public policy issues.
• Consistent with ASU’s Charter, a demonstrated commitment to inclusion

Desired Qualifications:

• Demonstrated skill in data collection or managing a research project.
• Potential for or demonstrated evidence of a high-quality research program including peer-reviewed journal publications.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Demonstrated expertise in experimental research methods, program evaluation, public budgeting and finance, policing/criminal justice policy, behavioral economics, and/or behavioral public administration.

Application Deadline:

The initial application deadline May 19, 2025. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled.

Application Procedure:

To apply, please visit: https://publicservice.asu.edu/about/job-openings

Candidates will be asked to submit the following through their Interfolio Dossier:

• A cover letter, no more than two pages long, summarizing the applicant’s research interests and fit relative to the required and desired qualifications.
• A curriculum vitae that details the applicant’s educational and professional history, as well as the applicant’s complete contact information (mailing address, phone number and email address).
• A writing sample (single author or lead author strongly preferred) that best exemplifies the applicant’s scholarly work.
• The names and contact information of three professional references (name, title, organization, email address, and phone number).

All we do at ASU is guided and inspired by the University Charter, which reads:

ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.

Successful candidates will demonstrate throughout their materials how their teaching, research, and service will contribute to the fulfillment of this charter.

A background check is required for employment. Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. For complete statements on ASU’s non-discrimination policies, please refer to: http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf. You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.