Postdoctoral Fellow - Civic Science - 529803

The University of Alabama • Tuscaloosa, AL

13d • Remote

About The Position

The College of Communication and Information Sciences at The University of Alabama (UA) and the Department of Communication at the University of Utah (UofU) are seeking candidates for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Civic Science for a two-year appointment beginning in August 2026. The fellowship is funded by the Rita Allen Foundation. This role involves leading the co-design and implementation of a fellowship project in close collaboration with researchers at the University of Alabama and University of Utah. The fellow will create at least one substantial civic science work product that contributes new knowledge to the field and the host institutions. The research will focus on two related domains: understanding how institutions organize, support, and evaluate science communication and public engagement work, with a focus on how administrators and decision-makers perceive and support this work; and understanding existing pathways of professionalization in science communication to identify gaps in training and competencies for the array of jobs in civic science.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in a field relevant to civic science, including biological, physical, or social science; math, technology, or engineering; media, journalism, communication, arts, or design; formal or informal science learning; science funding; community organizing; or public policy.
• Candidates must have completed their Ph.D. prior to the start of employment.
• Ability to plan and conduct quality social science research.
• Ability to synthesize and translate social science research and its implications to lay and expert audiences.
• Ability to plan, implement, and evaluate public engagement and/or science communication deliverables, interventions, or programs.
• Ability to work effectively and with minimal supervision as an independent scholar and as a productive team member.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate research and practice.
• Demonstrated commitment to broadening participation in and benefits of science.
• Demonstrated ability to connect and network across scientific domains and sectors.
• Must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with high-level research program and/or project management.
• Experience in delivering high-level, quality public engagement, science communication, and/or civic science programs.
• Existing work or demonstrable interest in investigating emergent, anticipatory issues in science and technology with social, ethical, and/or economic import.

Responsibilities

• Provides for an internship and continuation of scholarly activity and research after achieving the PhD or other doctoral degree under the direction of a senior faculty member who serves as a mentor for the postdoctoral appointee.
• Leads the co-design and implementation of a fellowship project in close collaboration with researchers at the University of Alabama and University of Utah.
• Creates at least one substantial civic science work product that contributes new knowledge to the field and the host institutions.
• Conducts research on two related domains: understanding how institutions organize, support, and evaluate science communication and public engagement work, with a focus on understanding how administrators and decision-makers perceive and support this work, and understanding existing pathways of professionalization in science communication to identify gaps in training and competencies for the array of jobs in civic science.

Benefits

• Eligible for remote work subject to University policy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree