Postdoctoral Research Fellow

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Position Summary:

The Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work at Florida Atlantic University welcomes applications for one postdoctoral fellow in the in the field of child welfare for a two-year, 12-month position. The anticipated start date for this position is August 2025.

In 2024, The U.S. News and World Report ranked Florida Atlantic No. 22 in the United States in terms of “Social Mobility,” and in January of 2025, the University attained the prestigious R1 (research-intensive) university ranking by Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

This fellowship is devoted to research, and the scholar will primarily work with faculty affiliates of the Sandler School of Social Work Child Welfare Institute. This fellowship offers innovative research training and experience with faculty who are currently engaged in state-funded research, community-engaged, and secondary data analysis of child welfare data. The Sandler School of Social Work is particularly interested in applicants who can complement existing faculty research, as well as contribute their own expertise. There will be considerable opportunity for the postdoctoral scholar to participate in developing and implementing research projects, project coordination, recruitment, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparation, and grant writing.

The fellow will further research and training agendas through formal mentorship and coursework, seminars, conferences, and other career development activities. The fellow will have a primary mentor assisted by other mentors in a team approach. The fellow will work with established investigators on research projects and be expected to prepare and submit manuscripts for publication, present at local and national conferences, and develop and submit at least one grant proposal by the end of the fellowship term. The fellow will utilize community-based participatory research methods and population health science. The fellow will implement evidence-based interventions and/or produce scientific evidence with the goals of increasing health care access and educational outcomes and reducing disparities in behavioral risk factors among children and youth.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct independent and collaborative research in child welfare, with a focus on children, parents, caregivers, or professionals involved with or impacted by child welfare or foster care.
• Analyze data, interpret findings, and prepare research manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Assist with ongoing grant-funded projects, including data collection, management, and analysis.
• Prepare grant proposals and participate in the development of future funding applications, including identifying funding sources and assisting with proposal writing.
• Present research findings at academic conferences and other relevant forums.
• Collaborate with faculty, research staff, and community partners on child welfare research initiatives.

The College of Social Work and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University seeks scholars who are committed to supporting the learning needs of students from various backgrounds and to thoughtfully engaging all communities in higher education. Florida Atlantic University embodies a culture of strategic and collaborative community engagement that results in mutual benefit to the institution and the various internal and external communities that it serves.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Social Work or a closely related field with a focus on child welfare or related areas or be enrolled in an accredited doctoral degree program and fulfill all degree requirements prior to program entry.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting child welfare research, including study design, data collection, and analysis.
• Strong publication record (or evidence of potential to publish) in peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience or demonstrated potential in writing grant proposals and securing external funding.
• Proficiency with quantitative and/or qualitative analysis and methodology.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to work independently and in collaborative research teams.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Proficiency with statistical analysis software (e.g., SPSS, R, SAS) and qua