Postdoctoral Associate

Working at MIT offers opportunities, an environment, a culture - and benefits - that just aren't found together anywhere else. If you're curious, motivated, want to be part of a unique community, and help shape the future - then take a look at this opportunity.

POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE , Political Science , to join Adam Berinsky (Political Science) and David Rand (Sloan School of Management, Brain & Cognitive Sciences) in working on an NSF-Funded project (Integrating Political Science and Cognitive Science to Meet the Challenge of Promoting Accurate Information on Social Media) that seeks to integrate political science and cognitive science to understand what influences the formation and revision of false beliefs and how to foster the spread of accurate information. Will design and run research studies, analyze data, prepare publications, and be a core member of the collective intellectual community spanning Political Science and the Sloan School. There is particular interest in candidates who are interested in exploring why people believe and share mis/disinformation, including "fake news", misleading hyper-partisan content, health misinformation, and conspiracy theories; and in developing interventions to combat belief in, and spreading of, such content.

Job Requirements
REQUIRED : Ph.D. in and research experience with political science, psychology, communication, statistics, quantitative social sciences, or related field; research interest in computational social science; ability to work independently with general supervision and as part of a team. Seek candidates who are deeply engaged in questions related to human decision-making or associated topics. PREFERRED : experience with lab/online experiments and social media data collection/experimentation; computational skills (e.g., machine learning, web programing, agent-based simulations); knowledge of fields such as judgment and decision-making, social psychology, marketing, political science, and/or communications. Anyone who is interested in or has some relevant experience in these or related topics is encouraged to apply, as are individuals with a Ph.D. or those expecting to complete their Ph.D. in Spring 2021. Job #19200

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning February 1. Appointment will begin in the summer or fall of 2021.

This is a one-year term appointment with the possibility of renewal based on funding and performance.

reposted 1/29/21