Post-Doctoral Fellow on International Joint Research in Playful Learning: Temple University Infant and Child Lab
Post-doctoral fellow position available for an exciting project to support the development of a joint research report initiative with colleagues in China. The goal of this report is to further the understanding of learning through play, in a Chinese context, in four areas: relationships, digital tools and mediums, space, and system-wide barriers. The postdoc will contribute to the structuring and writing of this report under the mentorship of Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek.
We are looking for an energetic scientist who has worked in the areas of playful learning and/or child development more broadly, to do research and writing with collaborators in China to better understand cultural variation in play and playful learning. The postdoc will work alongside our team to lead in the writing of the report, and will also conduct research on attitudes towards play in China and in the U.S. The postdoc will be responsible for conducting the literature review, writing drafts of the report, collecting data, supervising studies to be run with our collaborators in China on play attitudes and relational outcomes from playful learning, and assisting our collaborators in China with any analyses required. 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 is June 2021. Work can be performed remotely for the summer. We would like the postdoc to begin working locally by Fall 2021.
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,
- Developing training modules
- Data coding and analysis,
- Writing of the report 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
- 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
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.