Postdoctoral Associate

The College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida invites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar position. The successful candidate will collaborate with Jane Bambauer, Myiah Hutchens, and Jieun Shin on research related to news consumption and audience behavior. Responsibilities include analyzing data, drafting manuscripts, and presenting findings at academic conferences.

This project is part of a Knight Foundation-supported research initiative examining public demand for confirmatory vs. truth-seeking online information. This project seeks to identify strategies to foster a sustainable online information ecosystem by encouraging engagement with factual information and truth-seeking content.

The ideal candidates will have demonstrated experience working with large and complex datasets, including collection, management, analysis, and communication. Strong programming skills (R, Python, or similar) and a solid foundation in statistics are essential. Candidates with expertise in computational methods, econometrics, causal inference, and experimental design are encouraged to apply.

A qualified candidate must hold a doctoral degree or have completed all of the requirements for a doctorate in a related field. This position is expected to begin in Summer or Fall 2026, with some flexibility in start dates.

This is a 12-month position funded through a Knight Foundation grant to support the Research Initiative to Reduce Motivated Reasoning in News Consumption. The position is appointed yearly with the potential to be renewed for multiple years. This position is time-limited, and continuation of this appointment is contingent upon research needs and satisfactory performance.

Commensurate with experience and education

A qualified candidate must hold a doctoral degree or have completed all requirements for a doctorate in quantitative research methods, statistics, or a closely related field prior to commencing the position.

The ideal candidates will possess expertise in one or more of the following areas:

Self-Motivated Research

The design, implementation, and presentation of results of empirical research independently.

 Data Analysis

Cleaning, managing, and analyzing large-scale data using Stata, SPSS, R, or Python

Related Research Interests

Econometric or theoretical study of political information, media business models, or audience analysis

Applicants must submit the following materials:

• A cover letter addressing the required qualifications and your preferred start date.
• A current CV.
• Contact information for three references (references will not be contacted until the applicant advances to a later stage of the selection process).
• One or two examples of scholarly writing (e.g., a dissertation chapter, conference paper, or peer-reviewed journal article).

The review will begin on April 1, 2026. The position will remain open until the qualified candidate is selected. For inquiries or nominations, please email Jieun Shin at jieun.shin@ufl.edu.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.

If an accommodation is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 TDD. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the U.S. Searches are conducted according with Florida's Sunshine Law.