Post-doctoral fellow position available for an exciting project studying the science of learning in public settings. Can architectural design infused with cognitive and social learning opportunities offer families a new way to support children’s growth and development? The project involves community-based playful learning research with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, along with a team of collaborators at University of California-Irvine.

We are looking for an energetic scientist who has worked in the area of playful learning and/or child development more broadly, to work on a National Science Foundation – Advancing Informal STEM Learning (NSF-AISL) funded project. The Playful Learning Landscapes project is designed to promote STEM learning in public spaces using evidence-based, culturally tailored installations and examine the effects of these installations on caregiver-child interactions, children’s STEM learning, and community-wide attitudes towards informal STEM learning. The postdoc will work alongside our team to lead the expansion of the project to Santa Ana from Philadelphia, and will be responsible for managing the training to ensure fidelity and alignment between the two cities. This position offers an opportunity to conduct psychological community-based research that can translate into social impact. Initial appointment will be for a 12-month period and will be renewable subject to performance and availability of funding. The anticipated start date is October 1st, 2020.

As the project manager, the post-doctoral fellow will be expected to participate at all levels of the project. The responsibilities include:

• Data collection in the field,
• Training and supervision of undergraduate and graduate RAs and other project staff,
• Developing new projects with multiple university and non-academic collaborators,
• Running focus groups,
• Data coding and analysis,
• Write-up and dissemination of results for internal reports and peer-reviewed publications,Presentation of findings in national and international conferences,
• Developing and sustaining relationships with community groups and foundations,
• Hosting workshops and consulting for local, national, and international partners,
• Research grants administration and accounting

Required qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Psychology, Education, Human Development, or a related field
• Fluency in Spanish
• Experience working with children/families in research settings
• Ability to travel to off-site locations that may not be accessible by public transportation
• Training in one of more of the following areas including cognition, language development, mathematics development, spatial development, executive functioning, community-based research, and play
• Excellent interpersonal, leadership, writing, and organizational skills
• Ability to interact with a diverse population of participants
• Proficiency with SPSS, SAS, and/or R
• Knowledge of advanced statistical modeling (HLM, SEM, etc.)
• Programming skills (preferred)

Please send a resume/CV, cover letter, and research statement to Jelani Medford, Lab Manager, at jelani.medford@temple.edu. Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled. Please visit our website (www.temple.edu/infantlab) for more information about the lab.